What should I put on my grocery list?

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Amber52291
Amber52291 Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
I have a $380 grocery limit per month.
I cook for myself, my 23 year old boyfriend (who also wants to lose weight), and our 10 month old son.
I'd like some ideas on foods that we can all eat and enjoy for a good price.
Please, no organic foods.

Replies

  • AmyaMamaw
    AmyaMamaw Posts: 8 Member
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    I have found that if you really follow the serving amounts, the food tends to last a lot longer. I typically spend $200-$225 every 2 weeks. I have also started planning all my dinners for the 2 weeks and buy only the items needed to make those meals (also buy breakfast items, fresh fruits/veggies, and your basic necessities). I cook for my husband and myself (my girls buy their own foods). We eat leftovers from the dinners for our lunches. One dinner will usually feed us that night and we still have 3-4 servings leftover for our lunches. I just find recipes that I think we would like(or like to try) and I make my list from the recipes, a lot of times several recipes will call for the same ingredient so only have to buy enough for all recipes. I hope this gives you an idea of where to start.
  • booboo68
    booboo68 Posts: 302 Member
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    Look at the sale ads and plan your menu based on prices, nutrition content and what you three like. Some money savers are:

    Make a huge pot of chili. Eat for a few days and freeze for future.

    Make a huge lasagna and do the same.

    Huge pot of vegetable soup and do the same.

    Pork tenderloin. Buy a whole and cut it in half. Put 1/2 in the crockpot with sauerkraut of you like sauerkraut and put the other in the freezer for another day then pull it out and put in the crockpot and make pulled pork for sandwiches.

    Pot of navy beans goes a long way for dirt cheap.

    Almonds, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt, tuna, black beans, carrots, apples, broccoli.

    Omlettes are super cheap, filling and you can vary all the ingredients.

    Lots and lots of chicken, so many things you can do with it from grilling to making soups, casseroles.

    Salad fixings.

    Cook new red potatoes, green beans and ham together. Super tasty. The ham flavors it.

    Where I live (Ohio) it would probably cost you $200 or less to make all of these meals and pick up the extras listed at the bottom. Good luck!

    Also, many farm markets at the end of the day will put items that they don't feel will be good in the next day or two outside in from when they close and anyone is welcome to them. Keeping in mind they must be cooked or eaten quickly.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Delicious food
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Soups are good so whole chicken to make a stock, or just chicken stock if you don't want to go through that
    Beans to put in the soup, or to use as a filler in salads and other dishes
    Meats that are on sale (may need to do some butchering to take skin or extra fat off if you need/want to)
    Fresh fruits and vegetables that you know you'll eat
    Frozen vegetables for when you just want something quick or are out of fresh veg.

    Take the time to make food ahead of time and freeze it (even if it's only cooking chicken breast then freezing it for a quick defrost later), and if need be, buy in small quantities, but take more trips to the store. A bit of a hassle, but you'll know that things are fresh (just remember to stick to your list, I've spent $200 one week, and I live by myself, ugh).
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
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    My suggestions:
    -Only buy enough fresh fruits/veggies that you can eat before they go bad. It's okay to make a second trip to the store. Better than throwing away rotten food (=hard earned money).
    -Eggs and tuna are cheap protein
    -Frozen veggies can be an inexpensive option - and there are usually coupons in the ads
    -Oats
    -brown rice
    -beans (especially if you buy them from the bulk bin and cook them yourself)
    -make your own yogurt (it comes out to like .55 a serving and has way less sugar)
    -Eat your leftovers, don't let them go to waste.
    -Big batches of soups/chilis freeze lovely and are inexpensive to prepare
    -Sweet potatoes
    -Try to avoid prepackaged packs of stuff (like 100 cal snack items). Spend a little time making your own - so much cheaper

    Hope this helps.

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