I went grocery shopping for the week today and as I was standing in line, I had a moment to pause and reflect on what I was buying. The mother in front of me had a cart piled high with snacks, instant meals, soda, ready-to-bake chicken, and a lone bag of salad. I was her – minus the soda – just a few weeks ago.
I wish I had taken a picture of the things in my cart, because it really didn’t seem like enough to feed a family of five for more than a few hours. But it will. And our meals this week will be delicious and healthy. That’s exciting and, for the first time, I feel like we might just win this battle against processed foods after all.
So, what did I get? A pound of 94% lean ground beef, beef cubes, an organic roaster chicken, organic chicken fillets, milk, plain organic yogurt, eggs, sour cream, organic shredded cheese, yeast, cinnamon, bananas, bell peppers, organic jam, organic oatmeal, brown rice, and parmesan cheese. Oh, and tinfoil.
What will we be eating to survive on such a small amount of food? I’m excited about this week’s menu, because we’ll be having:
Sunday: Homemade burgers on the grill
Monday: Slow-cooker beef fajitas with homemade whole wheat tortillas and brown rice
Tuesday: Roaster chicken (cooked in slow cooker) with steamed veggies
Wednesday: Homemade chicken noodle soup (using the leftover chicken and the stock that I’ll make overnight)
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner with french toast made from homemade cinnamon-raisin bread, scrambled eggs, and fruit
Friday: Homemade pizza with salad
Saturday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets and fruit kabobs
This afternoon Super Dad, Sweet Pea, and I also cooked up a batch of breakfast cookies and homemade granola for cereal and snacks this week. When they came in from playing, the boys agreed that the granola was scrumptious and the cookies would be good if they were drizzled with honey.
Lunches are still a challenge, but the kids have been requesting baked potatoes, kale chips, and fruit a lot, so I think we’ll be fine. Leftovers will also help out in the lunch department if we’re lucky. Homemade pretzels, homemade fruit gummies, air-popped popcorn, and fresh fruits and veggies will be perfect for snacks.
Of course we had a lot of staples already: whole wheat flour, potatoes, onions, apples, watermelon, blueberries, carrots, spinach, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, noodles, oats, honey, as well as, pecans and walnuts. I’m sure my cart will be more full next weekend when I re-stock, but even so, the foods that will be in it will be healthy and delicious. And that’s exciting.
What’s on your menu for the week?
One Great Mom 
I haven’t planned my menu yet (I do shopping on Tuesdays) but I fully endorse yours! When my husband and I did the shopping together (before I became a stay-at-home) we always loved peeping into other people’s carts. We discovered through our nosiness…I mean…observation, that the more boxes in the cart meant less healthy selections. About the only boxes we buy are pasta, and the occasional box of cereal. No meat-helper, no boxed instant potatoes or rice, or noodles with packets of salty flavors.
I want a television show in which nutrition experts ambush shoppers in the store and help them make-over their shopping list on the spot. Maybe TLC will take my suggestion one of these days and produce, “What not to eat!”
Oh, and Friday is our home-made pizza night too. 🙂
From your brain to TLC’s ears! =) It would actually be a great show. My kids are obsessed with cooking and food shows, so we’d watch it.