March Menu - Once a month meal planning

Got the March menu done already, and all the groceries are bought, organized and put away. YAY! (For those of you who are new to my once-a-month meal planning and grocery shopping, you can find the full explanation here: http://amiestreater.com/once-a-month-household-planning/ )

In a nutshell, planning all your meals in advance plus doing one big grocery shop once at the very beginning of the month will save you a lot of time, money and stress. We’re now averaging about $500 a month for all of our groceries and household needs using this plan. (We’re a family of five with three boys who eat like horses and drink at least 10 gallons of milk a week.) Plus we eat healthier and never have the stress of wondering what’s for dinner.

And for those of you who are new to this program, yes, you’ll have to go back for milk and produce, but send the person least likely to buy more stuff so you can keep your spending in check.

This was an expensive month for us – $700. But about once a quarter we run out of things like paper towels, dish and laundry detergent and other things that drive up the tally at the cash register, but last month we only spent $350, so the more expensive months don’t stress me out.

The amount we spent includes everything we need for breakfast, lunches and dinners, but dinner is the only thing I plan because I do like to make it special every day (and the kids eat school lunches). The only major change this month is that Scott and I are eating lighter and healthier now, so there are a couple of nights where I’m cooking one of the kids’ favorites with something lighter for us. I normally don’t do that, but I’m okay with the kids having some of their favorites even if we’re not indulging in the same!

I’ve also repeated some dinners like tacos because I can get the kids to eat lots of veggies that way, and I set up a taco bar where everyone makes their own plate, which is a lot of fun for them.

Oh and we need to eat more fish. So we’re having salmon once a week and tilapia once a week as well. That’s a lot of fish, but it’s sooooo good for you. Eat your fish!

The photos at the top of this post are of our kitchen fridge and pantry. We also have a commercial refrigerator (Remember, 10 gallons of milk A WEEK!) and full-size upright freezer in the garage. When I was doing major couponing, I also had a “pantry” stash of dry goods in the garage that was quite impressive, but now, I just rely on Costco savings and buy just want we need for the immediate future.

So here’s what’s for dinner. (Menu starts early this month because I had an extra dose of awesomeness for breakfast.)

Feb. 27: Roasted chicken

Feb. 28: Pot roast

March 1: Nachos for the kids (I mix tomatoes, lean ground beef and other healthy stuff into the cheese mix, then dallop the cheese over chips spread with low-fat refried beans so the kids get lots of protein and not just chips and cheese!) and grilled chicken with Asian chopped salad for mom and dad. (I’ll post the recipe later)

March 2: Chicken and veggie stir-fry with brown rice

March 3: Homemade burritos with black beans

March 4: Hot dogs and tots (Tater tots only have 4 WW points per serving! Stick with Hebrew National hot dogs though. The cheapie ones are NOT GOOD FOR YOU!)

March 5: Salmon, brown rice and veggie medley.

March 6: Veggie quesadillas

March 7: Tacos

March 8: Pizza

March 9: Salmon with grilled veggies

March 10: Spaghetti

March 11: Burgers and fries

March 12: Tortilla crusted tilapia with grilled veggies (I get this at Costco. Only 9 pts per serving and SO WORTH IT, it’s one of the most delicious things ever!)

March 13: Roasted turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc… (Scott’s favorite!)

March 14: Leftovers

March 15: Pizza

March 16: Grilled tilapia with mixed veggies

March 17: Pot roast

March 18: Baked chicken breasts, roasted potatoes and mixed veggies

March 19: Chili

March 20: Salmon

March 21: Pork stir fry with brown rice and veggies

March 22: Spaghetti (HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT!)

March 23: Herbed chicken with cheddar cheese mashed potatoes

March 24: Tortilla crusted Tilapia YAY!