This week, I set out on a mission to not exceed a $150 budget at Publix for a whole weeks worth of meals to feed my family. I'll start by saying that it wasn't as hard as I thought that it'd be. Grocery prices are insane right now, and honestly I usually don't shop at Publix for everything. I shop at Publix for things that I can't get anywhere else, I buy my meat from Butcher Box, and snacks from Sam's Club and Target. I do NOT go to this many places every week, but I do rotate. HOWEVER, I was able to plan for a weeks worth of meals, shop, and truly follow through with THIS $150 budget and I'm excited to share!
So here we go. I'm here with my grocery lists as well as the meal plan, including recipes. I hope that you find it very helpful, and I'm so happy that you are here!
Here we go!
My first tip would be to order your groceries through the Publix app versus going into the store. This way you can check your kitchen to see what's needed without duplicating. You can also browse the sale and BOGO items within the app, and plug in and out as needed to stay on budget.
Next, let's prep.
It's important to prep some of your food so that it doesn't go to waste. Instead of letting that large pack of chicken sit in the fridge, take it out and let's do something with it! Same goes for the coleslaw. Prep it while you've got some time and use it throughout the week. Chicken salad, too! Now, I did have leftover grapes as well as nuts, so I didn't have to buy those this week. Use what you can from your kitchen to keep your grocery list small.
CLick on the photos for the recipes
Protein Prep
This chicken is flavorful and tastes great on it's own. The boys had it plain, but I used it for other dishes this week to cut down on time. This is also how I saved money. I usually pick up two rotisserie chickens, but instead I bought a large pack of chicken thighs for under $10 and was able to use it throughout the week in many different recipes/ ways.
You'll see that I purchased a spaghetti squash from Publix this past week. I was going to use it as my noodles if the family decided to have spaghetti instead of the Healthy Hamburger Helper. I always have the kids noodles (regular pasta), Banza Pasta/ a low carb option on hand for me.
Here, i'm sharing other breakfast bowls that could be made using the items from this past week's grocery order as well! Instead of the taco meat above, you could use the chicken that you prepped. I'd add seasonings, or even use the chicken from the leftover enchilada stuffing. Click the photos for the actual recipes!
Another tip is to use things that you have on hand, first. I had white fish in the freezer for the fish tacos. It was such a quick lunch!
I really enjoyed doing this! It kept me on track with my macros, and my husband was proud that I stuck this grocery budget. On weeks that you can, buy extra of frozen veggies, protein, 90 second rice bags, and kid food/ snacks. Hide the extra snacks from the kids if needed so that they don't blow through it in one week. This week, the kids did much better eating what I did, because they didn't have much else to choose from LOL. They did WELL.
