Sample meal plan :)

After my last post, I had quite a few requests for a sample two week meal plan. This works for our family of 5 (Pearl doesn't count, because she doesn't eat yet). Also, Jason packs a lunch (usually leftovers) and has snacks at work, which come out of our monthly grocery budget. During the school year, I pack lunches for the girls a few days a week and they buy lunch once or twice, too.

1. Hamburgers with bacon and blue cheese, corn on the cob, watermelon slushies
2. Grilled shrimp tostados, lime cilantro rice, Brazilian lemonade
3. BLT pizza: I used romaine lettuce instead of arugula because that's why my family likes.
4. Leftovers/oatmeal and toast
5. Roast chicken, twice baked potatoes, cornbread: I lucked out a year and a half ago at Walmart and found 10 lb bags of fresh chicken thighs and drumsticks for $1 each (they were expiring soon). I bought 4 bags (wish I had bought 10!) and threw them in my freezer. They're perfect for slow cooker roast chicken! I still have 15 lb left, too :)
6. Grilled chicken drumsticks, veggie skewers, watermelon slushies
7. Greek chicken, hummus, flatbread, lemon butter rice, lots of veggies: I marinate chicken in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano, then grill it and cut it into pieces and serve with lots of vegetables in flatbread.
8. Egg stuffed baked potatoes, crusty bread, smoothies, hash browns
9. Chicken salad wraps, chips, fruit
10. Deep dish pizza, salad with tomatoes and cucumber
11. Leftover/oatmeal and toast
12. Morgan's homecoming dinner at Jan's
13. Chick Fi La knockoff nuggets, oven fries, homemade lemonade
14. Homemade chili, corncakes, and tomato salad
15. Sweet and tangy chicken quesadillas, black beans and rice
16. Cool tomato basil soup, crusty french bread, salad

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs and toast
• Egg in a hole
• Granola
• Oatmeal (quick cooking with brown sugar, honey, frozen mixed berries, craisins/raisins, etc)
• Pancakes/waffles
• Parfaits (yogurt and frozen fruit slightly thawed in the microwave)
• Smoothies
• Mixed berries with homemade meringues on top

Snacks

• Popcorn (air popped with either melted PB, or melted butter and cinnamon sugar, or melted butter and Italian spices + Parmesan cheese)
• Graham crackers and milk
• Crackers and PB or cheese
• Yogurt/frozen Gogurt
• String cheese
• Fruit/veggies
• Roasted chickpeas
• Hummus and pita chips
• Cinnamon chips

Treats

• Pioneer taffy
• Berry meringue mess
• Samoa brownies

Coming next in my Money Tips: Meal Planning series: a good example of utilizing your groceries to get the most bang for your buck!