$200/MONTH MENU PLAN FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 (POST #23)

Need some menu planning inspiration?  Check out the simple meal ideas that our family of 5 has been enjoying!

Sometimes we have this idea that from scratch meals have to be hard to prepare and expensive to make in order to be really good or to be a hit with our family.  But really, that is totally not true!  Most of the meals that I prepare are relatively easy to make and inexpensive too and my family loves them, at least most of the time.  😉

I was reminded of this whole thing again this week when I made the Rice and Bean Wraps.  It’s kind of my own concoction (I really need to measure ingredients and create a recipe so that I can share it here!) and it’s so easy and obviously super cheap, too.  It’s been a long time since I made them though and I was a little worried that the kids would not be that crazy about them, especially because they are meatless.  So I was pleasantly surprised when all 3 of them devoured them!  And the older 2 actually begged me to make them again soon, which I was totally not expecting.

So if making meals at home looks overwhelming to you, remember: simple is okay!  In fact, your simplest meals just might end up being your family’s favorite!

If you are new to these menu plans of mine, it’s probably helpful to know a couple of things first:

• Our family of five consists of two adults with fairly big appetites, a 7 ½-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl.
• I buy lots of fruits and veggies in bulk from local farmers/orchards in the summer and then freeze or can them. This is not only much cheaper it is also healthier too.
• I have a stockpile.  My cupboards are full from previous shopping and here’s why. When I can get pasta for free with coupons, I buy as much as I have coupons for.  If I’m able to get flour for $0.50/bag like I did last fall, I’ll buy half a dozen and put them in the freezer to use as needed.  I do this as much as my budget allows, on as many items as I can and as a result save lots of money. Then when I go to plan menus, I simply plan our meals around what I already have in my cupboards and freezer, as much as possible.  Obviously, I still might have to buy a few things at regular price here and there, but by stocking up when the price is at rock bottom I save a lot.
• I cook almost totally from scratch.  That means when I make a cake, I rarely use a cake mix.  I make my own bread totally from scratch.  I rarely use pre-packaged sauces.  I make my own cream soups and pie crusts.  Making your own food is typically less expensive and healthier too.
• We rarely snack.  By eating “heavy” food like granola at breakfast we don’t get hungry until lunchtime.  And the same goes for the afternoon.  Our lunches are big enough that we usually are fine until dinner time.  When we do need a snack, I try to keep it mostly healthy by offering fruit, nuts or maybe No Bake Energy Bites.  We don’t always do it perfectly though, and sometimes end up having chips or cookies instead.
• Our breakfasts consist of Homemade Granola or Baked Oatmeal, the occasional bought cereal that I was able to get for $0.50/box and sometimes some fruit too.  I know that might seem awfully boring to some of you, but we actually all really enjoy it and prefer it over other breakfast food.  I also have a homemade iced latte, homemade frappe or some other fun beverage every morning.  It’s just one of the little things that I do to add a bit of sunshine to my days!

Below you will find our lunches and dinners.  If we ate something other than our usual breakfast, I’ll note that too.  Monday through Friday, the lunches are just for the two youngest and I.  Our son gets lunch at school and my husband takes a packed lunch with him to work.  His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too.

Simple Meal Ideas

WEEK 1
Sunday

• We spent the day with family at my in-law’s– I took a Homemade Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Crushed Strawberries for topping.

Monday

• Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Clementines; Frozen Blueberries
• One Pan Parmesan Chicken & Rice; Peas; Homemade Applesauce; Long Johns (a sweet friend dropped these off for us to enjoy!)

Tuesday

• Eggs in a Nest made with Homemade 100% Whole Wheat Bread (basically an egg fried in bread); Easy Homemade Yogurt; Clementines; Home Canned Peaches
• Chicken Noodle Soup; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Long Johns

Wednesday

• My mom-in-law invited the girls and me over for lunch
• Domino’s Pizza; Homemade Applesauce; Frozen Peaches (I preserved)
  – The weather was 70° degrees which is super unusual for March around here, so last minute we decided to take a quick picnic to a local park, which is why we ended up grabbing Domino’s pizza.  🙂

Thursday

• Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Clementines; Frozen Blueberries
• Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie; Homemade Deviled Eggs (my recipe is very similar to this one); Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing

Friday

• Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Oranges; Frozen Peaches (I preserved)
• Rice & Bean Wraps (rice/beans/diced tomatoes/seasonings with sour cream and shredded cheese); Green Beans; Chocolate Pudding Cake (my recipe is similar to this one); Vanilla Ice Cream

Saturday

• Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Oranges; Frozen Blueberries
• Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches (eggs/bacon/cheese on bagels); Homemade Applesauce; Frozen Fruit Slush

WEEK 2
Sunday

• Some friends invited us to lunch
• Homemade Toasted Tuna Salad Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Easy Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Monday

• Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
• Ham Loaf (comes pre-made- I just make a glaze for it); Baked Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes; Peas; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Chocolate Pudding Cake; Vanilla Ice Cream

Tuesday

• Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Oranges; Home Canned Peaches
• KidFresh Chicken Nuggets; McCain Smiles Shaped Potatoes; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Chocolate Pudding Cake; Vanilla Ice Cream
  – I was able to get the KidFresh nuggets free with coupons a couple of months ago….instead of using them as kid-only food, we all enjoy them!  The McCain Smiles were also free after coupons.

Wednesday

• Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
• Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup; White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches; Homemade Applesauce

Thursday

• Leftover Cream of Tomato Soup; Leftover White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches; Home Canned Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
• Crustless Bacon & Cheese Quiche (the recipe uses Bisquick- I use my Homemade Bisquick Mix– and it creates a crust as it bakes); Lettuce Salad; Homemade Applesauce

Friday

• Eggs in a Nest made with Whole Wheat Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
• Cream Cheese Potato Soup with Ham; Lettuce Salad; Homemade Applesauce; Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the freezer)

Saturday

• Leftover Quiche; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Peaches (I preserved); Frozen Blueberries
• We were invited to a wedding and ate there.