weekly menu plan #25: 6 dinners for $43.99 (shopping list included!).
Is it just me or is parenting really hard?
I was thinking about this very question tonight as I was hunting around the bushes near my neighbors house, searching for a toy that my son chucked somewhere deep into the shrubs (one that, of course, didn’t actually belong to him). And while in that moment I felt like I wanted to crawl under a rock and hang out there until Luke turned 7, it occurred to me that it is precisely what I choose to do in those moments that will, over time, help to shape his character and form the man he will become. And so I jump in and battle for his little heart.
OK, how’s that for deep?
Switching gears, who needs a menu plan for the week with a corresponding shopping list?
Well you’re in luck! This week is all about variety, from a grilled chicken and peach salad to breakfast for dinner and even a stir fry…there’s a little something for everyone. So enjoy, and send some parenting advice my way if you’ve got any!
Dinner #1:
Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad + Crusty Baguette (use half baguette for dinner #1, then half for dinner #4 below)
Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total: $5.22 for the salad + estimated $2.00 for the bread
Dinner #2:
Lentil and Goat Cheese Tostadas + Side salad or Veggie of Choice
Prep and Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Total: $6.00 for the tostadas + estimated $2.00 for the salad or veggie
Dinner #3:
Maple Oat Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs + Seasonal Fruit
Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total: $2.78 for the pancakes + estimated $4.00 for the eggs and fruit
Dinner #4:
Sliced Sirloin on Arugula + Toasted Baguettes with Goat Cheese (using half from dinner #1)
Prep and Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total: $8.18 for the sirloin salad, baguette already included in dinner #1
Dinner #5:
Prep and Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total: $8.42
Dinner #6:
Honey Peanut Chicken with Brown Rice
Prep and Cooking Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (about 2 hours of that time is for marinating)
Total: $5.39
Total for 6 nights of dinners: $43.99! That’s about $1.83 per serving!
Shopping List:
Meat and Seafood
- 2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 pound sirloin
- 1 pound shrimp
Produce/Herbs
- 1 pound peaches
- 14 cups arugula
- 1 lime
- 7 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- zucchini, broccoli, or other veggies of choice for honey peanut chicken stir fry
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 shallots
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 medium or 3 small zucchini
- 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped roma or halved cherry tomatoes
- basil or italian parsley (for shrimp saute)
- 1 avocado (if desired for tostadas)
- 1 tomato, chopped (if desired for tostadas)
- 1 head lettuce
- seasonal fruit
Pantry
- 1 baguette
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- brown rice
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (in a can in the ethnic foods section)
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cup oats
- maple syrup or maple/agave blend
Dairy/Eggs
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 3 eggs, plus more for scrambled eggs
Need more meal plans? I’ve got plenty more to share if you need inspiration in the kitchen!
Browse more plans (with shopping lists!) here.
Also, this menu plan and shopping list are based on the costs I pay per item when I purchase them on sale. Check out the prices I pay and where I shop here.
