Groceries and Meals

This is the first of many questions that you all were so kind to leave for me.

Melissa S asks: I always wonder what the grocery list is like for a family of 8. I know you posted the kids' annotated list a few weeks ago, but how 'bout posting some of your shopping lists?

and UKCrafty Sal wants to know: I'd like to follow on from the grocery list idea with "how on earth do you plan your meals for the day/week?". I have 2 fussy teens (but who don't like the same as each other, of course!), and one has weight issued like me, so I try to do healthy stuff. Sometimes I even succeed! I assume that with all your varying allergy issues, many different family likes/dislikes and your healthy eating efforts, you could help lots of us with ideas.

Ok. So, uh, shhh. I don't exactly plan meals.

I don't not plan meals.

I know, that's vague. I try to limit my grocery shopping to one big trip and then four or five smaller ones. This month has been a bunch more small trips - go get milk, grab the Italian seasons that you forgot, oops we're out of straws type trips. But my PLAN is usually  to do the one trip and plan at least three weeks of meals that way. When I shop, I generally have an idea of what I'm going to make for at least 8-10 days. The list might look like this: pot roast, pork tenderloin, chicken enchiladas, cream cheese chicken. I try to ask people what they'd like to eat for the next couple of weeks, bearing in mind that my little kids will always say, "Macaroni and cheese", Allegra will ask for cream cheese chicken, Mackenzie doesn't care, and Nik and Hubby ask for many things. No one asks for soup. :)

So I buy the things I need for those recipes and I decide about ten more meals while I'm in the store. I see things that look good and add them to the list. (For example, I bought a ham this past trip - it was $15, which seemed like a lot of money - but we've eaten it for FIVE meals. Seriously.) Then when I'm walking around the store, I grab noodle packets, rice packets, and form meals in my mind. I jot them down on the list and then cross check them with ingredients and what I know I have at home. Probably not too different from the way many of you shop, yes? Except I doubt that most of you buy eight or more loaves of bread at once. :)

If you want amounts, that's a bit harder. You can safely think that in a week we use approximately five loaves of bread, 5-6 gallons of whole milk, 3 gallons of skim milk, about 10 pounds each of apples, bananas, pears or other fruits, 5 pounds of carrots, 2 pounds of lunch meat, and 4-6 containers of either Welch's grape juice or V-8 V-Fusion. And maybe 2 containers of ice cream and a large container of vanilla yogurt and 2 dozen eggs.  My kids eat a LOT. I don't buy a lot of junk food, because a) it's not good food and b) the containers are so small that they go through them in a day. Box of crackers in the day, seriously.

Now, meal time is pretty solid. And simple. You eat what I make. Period.

I have a few really picky kids. I have one kid that would live on chicken nuggets and mac and cheese if I'd let him. But he has to eat what everyone else has to eat. He doesn't have to like it, but he's not aloud to complain more than a bare minimum. I do let him eat meat - his least favorite food ever - with lots of non HFCS ketchup. :) The funny thing about this kid, though? He's discovered that he really does like some stuff he thought he'd hate. A prime example is Parmesan Cheese Tilapia. It's one of his favorite dishes. (Broil tilapia fillets a few minutes on one side. While they broil, mix up a bit of melted butter, a bit of mayonnaise, juice of a lemon and a bunch of parm cheese. Spread it on the fillets when you flip them and pop back under the broiler just until the cheese is bubbly. No, I don't know measurements - it's really pretty goof proof. And my kids INHALE it.)

I cook healthy probably 75% of the time. Lunch and dinner both have fruit and veg. Breakfast has protein. Between meals, you can have a pb sandwich, a slice of cheese, a piece of fruit, carrot sticks, a yogurt cup or a fruit smoothie. Don't want those things? You probably aren't hungry. I make probably 95% of the cookies and cakes and brownies that we eat, so that I know they are safe for my FA kid. And if there is something I make that is NOT safe for his allergies, I try to make an option for him that is safe. Like granola - I make a batch and before I add the nuts/coconut, I pull out some for him. My kid with texture issues just has to work through it. She's really pretty good at that.

One other thing - I make the meals as healthy as I can, keeping in mind that not all of my kids have the same growth curve. I try to serve correct portion sizes and I encourage those that are really small/slim/in need of growing to eat an extra sandwich or add protein powder to their milk.

I don't know if this what quite what you were looking for, but I hope so! Do you have any ideas? Lay 'em on me!

Comments

[Headless Mom]

How's Nic doing on his high cal. eating regimin?

[kyooty]

Headless Mom Beat me to my question.

[ArdenLynn]

Family of 10 here and I actually use the produce distributor for a lot of our produce. I buy apples, oranges, bananas and potatoes by the case.
Bread is a pain in the neck. We are pretty picky about bread and good bread is EXPENSIVE when you are going through a loaf (or two) a day. I can find double fiber, no HFCS for 3 for $5 at one store that I don't like...figures.

[sarah k]

ArdenLynn, I'm actually thrilled to say that I've started baking my own bread - makes it very easy to go no HFCS and milk product free. I really thought baking bread was for master chefs - its not. I didn't even own a wooden spoon.

[ArdenLynn]

Carmen, I got the produce company idea from a mom with a big family. Look in the yellow pages and you will find them. Or look around and you will probably see deliver trucks with the company names on them to give you an idea of what is available. It saves us a ton of money and I don't have to ration.
sarah k, I do make bread but usually for dinner. I can't keep up with demand or get those nice thin slices they like for school lunches.

[UKCraftySal]

Thank you for answering my nosy question so comprehensively. And for confirming what I already knew, but which I still find hard in practice: I am not a bad mother if I only cook one kind of dinner and expect my kids to eat it!

Oh, and I'm so glad I don't have to put away your groceries for you!!!