Looking for menu plan ideas? Here’s what our family of 5 has been enjoying on our budget menu plan! Lots of easy recipes.
Whew! I kind of got behind on posting my menu plans. This menu is actually from about a month ago, which was back when I was still dealing with a fractured foot. You’ll notice that the meals were very simple as a result.
You’ll also see that we were blessed by several friends that shared food with us over that time. I know that the gift of food is something that is pretty much always appreciated, but wow, when you are on the receiving end you just realize all over again what a huge gift it really is!
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 ½ year-old girl and an 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. But that is why if you look at my Weekly Spending Summaries you won’t always see lots of produce.
- 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 lunch time. 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 coffee, homemade frappe or some other fun beverage every morning. It’s just one of the little things that I do to add a bit 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.
Budget Menu Plan
John Wayne Casserole
WEEK 1
Sunday
- Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes; Peas; 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Homemade Strawberry Jam; Cheese; Homemade Applesauce; Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream
– We had a friend that joined us for lunch. - Toasted Tuna Salad Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Easy Fruit Smoothie
Monday
- Various Leftovers; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
- Ham; Homemade Scalloped Potatoes; Lettuce Salad; Brownies (from a mix)
– All but the salad was given to us by a kind friend who wanted to make life a little easier for me since I fractured my foot and wasn’t to be on it more than absolutely necessary.) It was such a blessing!
Tuesday
- Various Leftovers; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Peaches (I preserved); Frozen Blueberries
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole; Peas; Homemade Applesauce; Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the freezer)
Wednesday
- Meat/Cheese/Lettuce Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Home Canned Peaches
- John Wayne Casserole; Green Beans; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Brownies
Thursday
- Meat/Cheese/Lettuce Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Home Canned Peaches
- Rice & Bean Wraps (rice/black beans/diced tomatoes/seasonings with sour cream); Peas; Leftover Brownies
Friday
- Leftover Rice & Bean Wraps; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Bananas; Frozen Blueberries
- Dr. Oetker pizza; Lettuce Salad; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Brownies
– I recently got the pizzas free thanks to coupons and sales, so instead of making pizza from scratch like I usually do, I enjoyed a little break. 🙂
Saturday
- Canned Vegetable Soup (I preserved); Cheese; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches
- Hebrew National Hot Dogs with rolls and toppings; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Applesauce; Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the freezer)
WEEK 2
Sunday
- Baked Mashed Potatoes (my recipe is similar to this one)
– Spent the day with friends and their church had a pot luck lunch, so I took these potatoes along. - 2 recipes of Easy Fruit Smoothies; Lettuce
– Took this along as my dinner contribution. The lettuce was to go along with sandwiches that we had.
Monday
- Meat/Cheese/Lettuce Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Bananas; Frozen Blueberries
- Sausage Grillers with rolls and toppings; Homemade Potato Salad; Lettuce Salad; Homemade Pickles; Monster Cookies (this would be a similar recipe)
– All but the salad was shared with us by a friend who graciously blessed us with dinner since she knew I wasn’t able to get around very well thanks to my fractured foot.
Tuesday
- Leftover Rice & Bean Wraps (rice/black beans/diced tomatoes/seasonings with sour cream); Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Bananas; Oranges
- Sausage and Creamed Potatoes; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Monster Cookies
Wednesday
- Meat/Cheese/Lettuce Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Oranges; Bananas
- Eggs; Homemade Pancakes with Maple Syrup; Carrots; Homemade Applesauce
Thursday
- Meat/Cheese/Lettuce Sandwiches made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Potato Chips; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Grapes; Oranges
– my mom-in-law joined us for lunch - One Pan Spanish Chicken & Rice; Peas; Homemade Applesauce; Turkey Hill All-Natural Ice Cream
Friday
- Egg in a Nest made with 100% Whole Wheat Bread (basically an egg fried in bread); Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Oranges; Frozen Blueberries
- Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup; Lettuce Salad; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Monster Cookies
Saturday
- Eggs; Super Easy Homemade Yogurt; Home Canned Peaches; Bananas
- Homemade Ham & Bean Soup; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the freezer)
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