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Meal Planning

What is the Best Meal Plan?

What is the best meal plan

What is the best meal plan?

This is a question that often gets asked when the subject of meal planning comes up.  I think the answer to this is pretty simple.  The best meal plan is a plan that you are going to be able to easily implement and that works for you, your family, and your budget.

There are several things to consider when coming up with the best meal plan for you and your family…..

#1 What are your family's dietary needs, food preferences, and goals?

Best Meal Plan includes balanced diet

What is the Best Meal Plan? Consider Dietary Needs and Preferences

Each family is going have very different dietary needs, food preferences, and goals.  If you are trying to eat healthy then you are likely going to have a lot of fresh produce and lean proteins on your meal plan.  If you are avoiding meat or dairy, that will also influence things.  Dietary choices and preferences are very personal and are definitely not a one size fits all situation.

If you have family member with special dietary needs, this will also shape what your best meal plan is going to look like.  My sons both had food allergies so we have to avoid foods with peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds. A lot of people have to avoid gluten or dairy.

A third consideration is what type of tastes your family has.  What are your favorite meals?  It’s best to make meals that you know your family will willingly consume :-). I have a regular rotation of meals that I know the family won’t complain about.  

I am also careful not to plan casseroles or other recipes that produce a lot of leftovers if I know that my husband and kids don’t love it and will be less inclined to eat the leftovers.  I’m always looking for ways to maximize the grocery budget and minimize food waste and careful meal planning is an important part of making those two things happen!

This is why I recommend keeping a meal planning notebook or binder with all of your family’s favorite meals.  It can really be a huge time saver when you are creating your meal plan.

#2 - What is the budget you are hoping to stay within?

Your Grocery Budget Will Impact Your Meal Plan

Your grocery budget is a very important factor when meal planning.  If you are looking to be frugal with your grocery budget, then you aren’t going to want to be adding a lot of steak and seafood to your meal plan.  In fact, those things would have no place on a frugal budget.  Instead you might want to include a lot of rice, potato and pasta based dishes with inexpensive protein options like chicken, tuna, beans, and eggs.

This is another instance where having a meal planning notebook is really beneficial. In my meal planning notebook, I like to put the estimated cost it takes to make a recipe or meal so that I can factor that in when planning our weekly meal plan.  Of course with the pandemic and the inflation that is going on right now, prices are always changing but at least it gives me a general target to aim for!

#3 - How much time do you have to make a meal?

The Amount of Meal Prep Time You Have Will Help You Make Meal Planning Decisions

Planning a complex meal for a weeknight when you have limited spare time on your hands is just setting yourself up for failure. 

Take into consideration what your weekly schedule looks like when you sit down to create your meal plan for the week. 

If you have some busy evenings, make sure to account for that by either planning some quick and easy meals for those nights or doing some weekend meal prep before the week begins. 

This can mean throwing together a freezer meal or casserole that can easily be thrown in the oven on busy nights or doing some of the steps for the recipe such as browning ground beef ahead of time for tacos or chopping and bagging vegetables that will go in a recipe.

A slow cooker can also be a lifesaver on busy days because you can throw everything in that morning and usually have minimal prep left when you return home in the evening. 

I suggest coming up with a list of at least 10-15 busy day meals that you and your family love to add to your meal planning notebook.  This is enough to rotate that you won’t get burned out on your favorite meals for busy days!

#4 - What is on sale that week?

The Best Meal Plan Will Include Sales Items

The best meal plan will also include some meals based on the best sales that week at your preferred grocery store.  This will help you cut down on your grocery budget for the week.  Meal planning around what is on sale is one of the easiest ways to keep your grocery expenses in check.  

The loss leaders, which are the items displayed on the front page of your grocery store’s weekly ad, is a good place to start.  These are almost always the best deals to be had that week.  

If you are new to meal planning, you might want to start keeping track of the prices of items that you commonly buy.  That way you will begin to get a feel of whether a sale is actually a good deal or not.  

If it’s a really good deal, you might even want to stock up a little if saving money is one of your main motivations for meal planning.  When I see a good sale on an item, I will often buy as much as I think I will need of the item for at least a month because that is about how long it takes for most sales I see to cycle back around.

#5 - What is in Season?

A final thing to include when coming up with the best possible meal plan is seasonal items.  This has double benefits.  

First, it saves you money to buy grocery items that are in season versus items that are not.  Fresh produce especially is very seasonal and you will find that you can find amazing deals on the fruits and vegetables that are in season.  Berries, melons and stone fruits are super cheap in the summer months.  Apples and squash in the fall.  Citrus in the winter, and so on.

Second, it keeps the meal plan from becoming to monotonous. When you change the produce you use with meals to meet the seasons, you will keep your menu fresh by having different offerings every few months.  

In Summary: What is the Best Meal Plan?  

In summary, the best meal plan is going to be the one that works for you, your family and your budget.  One that you will be able to implement and that meets your nutritional needs and personal preferences.

If you are trying to stay on budget, you will want to make sure you have a meal planning binder or notebook full of budget friendly options that you and your family like.

If you have a busy lifestyle that doesn’t allow much time for preparing meals, you will want to have a list of quick and easy meals you can make for your busy nights.  You could also come up with meals that you can prep ahead of time on your days off.

No matter what tactics you choose to implement, having a meal plan can save you time and money as well as making it easier for your family to reach any healthy eating lifestyle goals you have.

Determine what requirements are important to you when it comes to meal planning and then be sure to set aside some time each week to create a meal plan that meets those needs. 

More Blog Posts You Might Enjoy….

Aldi Recipes:

Aldi Easy Meal Ideas:

8 Ways to Save on Groceries You May Not Have Considered

With inflation on the rise, finding ways to save on groceries has become a priority of many of us.  As costs go up at the grocery store, finding ways to reduce our grocery bills becomes more and more important.  That’s because grocery expenses are one of the few things in most budget’s that are flexible.  You can’t reduce the cost of your rent or mortgage but you can always find ways to save on groceries!  Here are 8 ways to save on groceries that you may not have considered!

 

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

#1 - Do Your Research When Writing Your Grocery List

First, let me start off this section by saying if you aren’t meal planning, you should be!  It can really help you reel in your spending at the grocery store.  When I have a meal plan and a grocery list, I almost never give in to impulse purchases at the grocery store.

Once you have a meal plan, it is easy to write up a grocery list for every item you will need for the week.  I do this sitting at my desk with my laptop.  The reason for this is because I usually go to 3 stores a week. Aldi is my main store and where I get the bulk of my groceries.  But Aldi doesn’t carry everything and I also can’t ignore the fact that occasionally there are better bargains at other grocery store chains.  These better deals usually come in the form of the weekly ad’s loss leader items or by buying sale items and stacking coupons on top of that.

What I use my laptop for is to check out the weekly ad deals at not only Aldi, but also the other stores I might go to. I do this before I meal plan.  Then with my meal plan I create a list of items I will need broken up by store.  I use the store’s website to see how has the best deal on an item.  This is only when I know Aldi might not be the best deal so I am not looking up every item and the price comparison part of my grocery list writing doesn’t take very long.  All in all, I usually spend less than a half hour a week writing my grocery list out and maybe 15 minutes or so creating my meal plan. It’s time well invested because I know it is saving me time and money!

Side note: Does anyone else have a brain full of grocery store prices or am I the only one?  I usually know to the penny what something costs at Aldi.  It’s useful but weird 🙂 If you don’t know grocery store prices, you can create a price list of your frequently bought items to help you with creating your grocery list.  It’s a great way to stay on budget!

#2 - Shop Multiple Stores

This is one of the most important ways to save money on groceries.  If you are serious about saving money and you have the time to spare, it can really be worthwhile to your grocery budget to shop at least 2-3 stores a week.  

While I do the majority (80-90% most weeks) of my grocery shopping at Aldi, I also go to one or two other stores a week.  This allows me to take advantage of the loss leader deals and other great sales that they might have.  Also, Aldi is usually but not always the best deal on groceries.  So if I can get it cheaper somewhere else, I will!  I group my errands together so I hit all three stores in one trip and it usually only takes about an hour to an hour and a half of my morning to hit all three.  Totally worth it to save some money! 

Another advantage of hitting more stores is that you are increasing your odds of finding some markdowns!

# 3 - Customer Loyalty Programs

Join the customer loyalty programs at the stores you shop at. Not only can these savings cards help get you the sales prices at the stores you are shopping at, they often have other benefits as well.  

For instance, when I lived in Michigan my Kroger Rewards card earned me gas points.  Every $100 I spent earned my $0.10 off per gallon at the gas pump.  Often times they offered double fuel point coupons I could add to my card. 

Also, by having my information Kroger knew my buying patterns and sent me coupons in the mail at least once a month that were tailored to my shopping preferences.  Every month, at least one of these coupons was for a free item!  

Most stores also have websites where you can create accounts with your shopper’s card and then add digital coupons to it.

It can really be worthwhile to sign up for a customer loyalty card at your favorite grocery store chains and then spend a little bit of time getting to know their program and finding ways to maximize the benefits it offers!

#4 - Know All the Places to Find Coupons

While years ago the main source for coupons was the Sunday edition of the newspaper, the age of the internet has given us even more (and more convenient) ways to save money on groceries with coupons.

 As I mentioned above, you can create accounts on the websites of the grocery stores you shop at.  This will allow you to add digital coupons the store offers to your customer loyalty card.  I make a habit of checking the new coupons weekly at the stores I shop at and adding any that I might use to my account.  

Maximize Printable Coupon Savings with Swagbucks

Another way to get coupons is to print them online at websites such coupons.com.  I usually do this through the Swagbucks website because I then get Swagbucks for not only printing the coupons but also for redeeming them.  

Currently, they are offering 1 Swagbuck per each coupon printed and 50 Swagbucks for each coupon that is redeemed.  A Swagbuck is usually equivalent to about one cent so this is pretty decent because you could earn $0.51 for using a coupon in addition to the amount you get off the product from the coupon itself!  

If you don’t belong to Swagbucks, I recommend checking it out.  I have earned over $3000 in gift cards over the past 6 years using Swagbucks.

Check Manufacturer’s Websites Directly for Coupons

You can also often print coupons directly from manufacturer’s websites so if you are looking for a coupon for a specific product, just do a search engine search for it and you are likely to find something if one is available!

#5 - Score Grocery Deals at Big Lot

Big Lot can be a surprising source of grocery bargains if you play your cards right.  If you are looking for new ways to save money on groceries I recommend giving it a try.  First, before shopping there make sure to sign up for  customer rewards program.

They are constantly emailing me coupons.  Often it’s for 15-20% off a purchase.  Sometimes I get a coupon for $5 off a $15 purchase.  This is really an awesome deal. 

So what are some great deals you can get on food at Big Lot?  I often find great deals on cereals, baking supplies (especially vanilla extract!), bread and more.  

By using the coupons they send from their reward program I am able to get really awesome deals on these items.  Big Lot can also be a great place to find bargains on household items like paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and laundry detergent especially when you have a 20% off coupon to use!

#6 - Check Out Dollar Tree for $1 Grocery Deals

Dollar Tree is another really good place to get some grocery bargains. One thing I have often found at Dollar Tree over the years is canned calms. At $1 a can, this is a great deal since I usually pay over $2 a can at the grocery store chains. Dollar Tree is also a great place to get spices, snacks such as cookies and chips, bread, and movie candy. We often go there to get boxes of candy for our family movie nights! They have a variety of boxed candy such as Milk Duds, Raisenettes, Hot Tamales, Swedish Fish, Twizzlers, Junior Mints, M&M’s and more. It’s an easy way to stock the home theater snack cart on a budget 🙂

#7 - Eat More Satiating Foods

Another of the really great ways to save on groceries is to eat more satiating foods.  This tip has greatly reduced the amount of snacking we do, therefore reducing our grocery bill. 

I try to include as many satiating foods in our weekly meal plan as possible.  Not only has this cut back on the amount of food we consume, but it has also helped me lose (and keep off!) 15 lbs over the past year.

What are some satiating foods that you could add to your meal plan and grocery list? 

Here’s a short list to consider with some meal ideas:

Eggs – Eggs are affordable and satisfying and there are dozens of ways to enjoy them.  Good in casseroles, scrambled, over easy, boiled, poached, etc.  You can make omelets, quiche, and more.  Egg salad sandwiches are another option.  We do a lot of breakfast burritos, breakfast paninis, and egg sandwiches on croissants, English muffins, or biscuits.  

Oatmeal – This is my breakfast most mornings.  Especially in the cooler months.  A large canister of oatmeal lasts a while and you only need some milk (or water) to make it happen.  I add frozen blueberries to mine for a little sweetness.  Between the oatmeal and the berries, I get enough fiber to keep me satisfied until lunchtime!

Fish and Seafood – Fish and other seafood options such as shrimp are lean and high in protein.  They really help fill us up and keep us satisfied.  We often have marinated shrimp skewers that I cook on the indoor grill.  Shrimp tacos are also another favorite. 

Tilapia is extremely budget friendly and delicious if prepared the right way. Here is a simple and yummy recipe for Parmesan Crusted Tilapia. Paired with some brown rice and a salad or steamed veggies you have a meal that is high in protein and fiber.  A perfect combo for a satiating meal!

Meat – Lean meats that are high in protein are another satiating food to consider.  Think chicken breasts and lean cuts of pork like center cut pork chops.

Beans – We often eat beans at least once and sometimes twice a day.  They are affordable, easy, and full of protein and fiber.  Refried beans are an easy add on to lunch that I have most days.  We often will eat them as a side to our dinners as well, especially on Mexican night!  Bean soups and chilis are another way to get more beans.  They are inexpensive and filling meals. 

A final way to try to eat more beans is in salads.  I love this Mexican Bean Salad recipe. It’s delicious and it makes a lot!  It usually lasts our family of 4 for several days.  It’s good as a main dish or as a side dish to a meal.  I also like to make greek salads for my lunch and add chickpeas to them.  It’s so tasty and keeps me full for hours!

Vegetables – We add a serving or two of vegetables to lunch and dinner.  They are good for getting nutrients and most of them are great sources of fiber so they really are great satiating us!  I prefer fresh and frozen vegetables over canned.  Canned are cheaper but I don’t usually find them as satisfying so we only use them on occasion. 

A good way to get more vegetables is to make a big garden salad at the beginning of the week and keep it in a produce keeper in the fridge.  Then you have an easy veggie side to serve with dinner all week.  I usually do romaine lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onions.

Fruit – Just like vegetables, fruit is full of fiber and nutrients.  I also find that it helps satisfy my sweet tooth.  We incorporate into meals throughout the day.  A piece of fruit with some toast or some berries in our oatmeal for breakfast Then another piece of fruit or a serving of berries with lunch.  I usually keep grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe cleaned cut up in the fridge to throw together quick fruit salads with dinner a few times a week.  Fruit also makes a great snack!

Potatoes – They are cheap and make a great side.  They also fill you up!  We often have baked potatoes as a side to our dinner.  I often make extra because my son will eat them for lunch.  Roasted potatoes also make a great and filling side to meals.

So as you can see, there are a lot of ways to get more satiating foods into your diet and at the same time reduce your grocery spending by reducing the amount of food your family consumes.  Being full leads to less snacking and also more leftovers.  If a meal is filling, they don’t go back for seconds 🙂

#8 - Use Grocery Savings Apps

There are many savings apps allow you to save money on groceries by uploading your receipts after you make certain purchases.  Here are a couple to consider:

Ibotta – This is a good one because they will often have any brand offers that can be used at Aldi.  Typically the offers are for specific name brand grocery items which means you can’t redeem them at Aldi since they mostly carry their own brand of products.  However, in Ibotta right now I have an offer for $0.50 any brand eggs and $0.50 off any brand bread which can be used at Aldi.

Also, with Ibotta upon signing up I was offered a $5 bonus if I redeem my first offer within 14 days of registering and a $15 bonus if I redeem 9 offers within 14 days.

Go through the app and select the offers you are interested in.  Then go shopping and upload your receipt to have your account credited.  You can cash out your account when it reaches $20.

Other Grocery Savings Apps to Consider

Aldi Recipes:

Cheap Aldi Meals Ideas

More Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:

What are your favorite ways to cut costs on groceries?

Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget

Even with inflation on the rise this year, it is still possible to have an Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner for less than $3 per person.  

This Aldi Thanksgiving Meal Plan is both affordable and easy to make.  If you are looking to keep things simple and budget friendly this Thanksgiving, then you might want to give this a whirl 🙂

There is room for variation in this meal plan that will allow you to cater it to your family’s personal preferences while still staying under $20 for the entire meal.

The plan I laid out will feed 4-6 people.  I would say it’s safe to assume you could feed 6 people with average appetites or 4 with hearty ones. Also, if you like a lot of leftovers, this may not be the Thanksgiving meal plan for you unless you make some adjustments, perhaps doubling the sides or adding some more.

Aldi Thanksgiving Meal for Under $20 - What to Buy

  • 1 24 oz. Turkey Tenderloin $5.59
  • 1 Box Chef’s Cupboard Stuffing Mix $0.69
  • 1 Package Idahoan Mashed Potatoes $0.99
  • 1 Jar Chef’s Cupboard Turkey Gravy $0.97
  • 2 Cans Happy Harvest Cut Green Beans $.0.88
  • 1 Can Sweet Harvest Cranberry Sauce $0.89
  • 1 Package L’oven Fresh Brown and Serve Rolls $0.99
  • 1 Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie 34 oz. $3.99
  • 1 Can Friendly Farms Whipped Dairy Topping $2.89

Grand Total: $17.88

 

Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner - Just $3 per Person with Dessert

Here is what a plate looks like with the included Aldi Thanksgiving menu above.  The meal, which costs just under $3 per serving also includes dessert…..

The meal plan includes a Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie and a can of whipped cream for dessert.  This will actually give you 8 servings of dessert.  If you are gonna have leftovers, dessert is the best type to have, am I right? 😉

If pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, Aldi does have other dessert options that you can choose from and still stay within the budget of this meal plan.  In fact, each aspect of the meal plan can be tweaked a little to meet your needs.  Let’s examine some ways that can be done, shall we?

Customize an Affordable Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner with These Options

More Affordable Aldi Turkey Options

Here is a couple of other affordable turkey options at Aldi:

  • Kirkwood Boneless Turkey Breast 48 oz. $8.99
  • Butterball Turkeys $0.87/lb.

The boneless turkey breast is a great option if you want more meat for your Thanksgiving dinner.  It costs $3.40 more than the turkey tenderloin, but will give you twice as much turkey.  If you want bigger portions or leftovers, this is the most cost effective way to do it.

The Butterball turkeys will cost more.  The average turkey is probably around 16 lbs. so you are looking at around $14 and up if you go that route.  That is $8.00+ more than a turkey tenderloin and $5.00+ more than the boneless turkey breast.

Other Affordable Veggie Options at Aldi

The meal plan has canned green beans.  If that is not your cup of tea, here are some other budget friendly vegetable options you can consider at Aldi:

  • Frozen Brussel Sprouts $.1.15
  • Frozen Sweet Peas $0.75
  • Frozen Green Beans $0.79
  • Frozen Sweet Corn $0.75
  • Frozen Broccoli Florets $0.89

More Potato and Stuffing Side Options

The meal plan has a packet of Idahoian mashed potatoes ($0.99), a jar of gravy ($0.97), and a box of stuffing ($0.69).

Some other budget friendly options you could consider:

  • Happy Harvest Yams $1.65
  • Stuffing Mix, Herb or Cornbread $1.69
  • Chef’s Cupboard Mashed Potato Packets (Buttery, Cheese, or Roasted Garlic) $0.59

The Chef’s Cupboard mashed potato packets are cheaper than the Idahoian brand used in the suggested meal plan so that is another way to cut costs.  At $0.59, you could also get 2 packets for just a little more than one packet of the Idahoian brand.  This is good option if you and your family like a hearty serving of mashed potatoes.

I personally went with the Idahoian ones because I like their loaded ones.  I’ve had the Aldi brand mashed potatoes too and they aren’t bad!

More Budget Friendly Aldi Bread, Rolls, and Biscuit Options for Thanksgiving

The suggested Thanksgiving meal plan above includes L’oven Fresh Brown and Serve Rolls which are $0.99.  Here are some other budget friendly options Aldi had for bread, rolls, etc…

  • Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix $0.47
  • Bake House Creations Jumbo Flaky Biscuits $0.99
  • Bake House Creations Crescent Rolls $0.87
  • L’Oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls $1.69

 

 

Other Affordable Aldi Dessert Options for Thanksgiving Dinner

The meal plan above has pumpkin pie and a can of whipped cream for dessert which comes to a total of $6.88.  Here are some cheaper alternative dessert options for your Aldi Thanksgiving meal:

  • Bake Shop Fresh Dutch Apple or Cherry Pie $3.49
  • Brownie Mix (Double Chocolate or Walnut) $1.69
  • Cool Whip $1.25 – a cheaper alternative to the can of whipped cream (which costs $2.89) if you are having pumpkin pie

Lots of Possibilities for a Aldi Thanksgiving Dinner on a Tight Budget

So as you can see, there are a lot of possibilities to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner from Aldi even if you are on a tight budget.  

Not only are these options affordable, but also quick and easy to make which saves you time too.  More time for watching the parade, your favorite football team, or just resting up before heading out for all those awesome Black Friday deals 🙂

Are you doing Thanksgiving on a budget this year?  What does your Thanksgiving menu look like?

Aldi Recipes:

Cheap Aldi Meals Ideas

More Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: