s/o What's in YOUR Shopping Cart?

[KingM]

The thread about food stamps made me think about my own shopping habits. I'm curious to see what people buy, whether it's premade foods or what. I have four kids plus DW and do most of the shopping and cooking. I go to the grocery store about twice a week.

 

Some of this stuff I might buy only every other week, while other stuff will be every trip. This is the kind of stuff you'll find in my cart:

 

Bunch of bananas, bag of apples (usually Fuji or Braeburn), some carrots, maybe some sugar peas for a stir fry or snacking. 10 lb bag of potatoes, garlic, onion. Coffee creamer, wedge of "desert" cheese like brie, plus maybe some high-quality cheddar in a block, yoghurt, 2 gallons of milk.

 

Usually three kinds of meat, depending what looks good and/or is on sale. I buy a high quality steak, but in a modest quantity (I'd rather have 3 ounces of sirloin per person than 10 ounces of chuck steak), maybe some chicken breasts for stir fry or curry or a whole chicken for roasting. I'll also buy pork chops, ground beef for burgers or meat loaf, maybe shrimp or salmon, depending on my mood, ribs in the summer, and occasionally something more expensive, like lamb, but not usually.

 

Some frozen peas, maybe some cans of corn, black beans, a jar of salsa, perhaps a box of cereal, some yeast and flour, some spices. Unsweetened peanut butter, maybe pickles. Usually one snack-like food like cracker packs, but no juice, soda, or packaged chips or cookies. I try not to buy premade pizzas and the like except to have something on hand in case I have a conflict and can't cook that night.

 

A baguette or other uncut loaf of good bread made that morning. About one bottle of wine per week, plus a six pack of beer of local beer about once a month. We drink a little, but not much.

 

I get some stuff from Costco that I draw on regularly. We have pancake mix, basmati rice, frozen OJ, cereal, and sausages on hand. We also get great bread delivered twelve loaves at a time (they freeze and thaw nicely), and egg delivery.

 

We spend a fairly high proportion of our budget on food, but I like to cook, and if I were making tuna fish and mac and cheese then we'd eat out a lot more.

 

How about you? What are your shopping/eating habits like?

[Jennifer in MI]

My list this week is quite small. Usually, I'll stock up on things that are on sale and then we'll get the fresh veggies and fruits that are on sale for that week. Occasionally, I'll need to fill in items here and there:

 

Fruits and veggies - all on sale this week:

apples

avacados

tomatoes

raspberries

strawberries

lettuce

cantaloupe

potatoes

spinach

lettuce

green beans

 

Meats (also on sale)

ground beef

whole chicken

 

Milk products

cream cheese (not on sale - need it for snacks with our celery)

cheddar cheese (sale)

yogurt (not on sale - eat this every day!)

parmesan cheese (not on sale)

 

other (all at Trader Joe's - so cheap!)

tomato sauce

corn chips

salsa

 

Most of it is organic. The cheese isn't because I can't justify the difference in cost.

[freeindeed]

OK, I just went to the store today, so I should be able to remember.:laugh:

 

Toilet paper

Milk-skim and 2%

Yogurt

Sliced cheese

Shredded cheese

International Delight flavored coffee creamer

Shaved deli ham

Baked Lay's

Sugar free lemonade

Sugar free cranapple juice

Apple juice

Grape juice

Velveeta

Spaghetti sauce

Spaghetti noodles

Ravioli

Canned spaghetti and meatballs

Real bacon bits

Granola bars

Cheerios

Oatmeal

Grits

Pancake syrup

Chocolate syrup

Hash browns

Frozen pancakes

Ice cream

Celery

Carrots

Grapes

Lite Caesar bagged salad

Bagels

Wheat bread

French bread

Wheat bolillio rolls

Headbands

 

**OK, I think that's it. I didn't have to buy much meat b/c dh is a hunter, and we use a lot of deer meat for our meals. Also, a lot of what I needed for this week's menu I already had.**

[caitlinsmom]

Here is my usual list:

 

Apples- 1 sweet red and 1 tart variety

Carrots

Lettuce

Radishes

Bananas

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Broccoli

Cabbage

Seasonal Berries

Tomatoes

Avacado

Spinich

Green Onions

 

Dried Fruits (for snacks)- Cranberries, Raisins, Apricots, and Banana Chips

Mixed Raw Nuts

Rice

Dried Beans

Dried Pasta

 

Cheddar, Mozzerella, and Parmesean cheese (1 of each)

Cream Cheese

Sour Cream

Yogurt (only if it is on sale and isn't filled with crappy fillers!)

 

Olives

Peanut Butter

Corn Tortillas

Tomato Sauce

Eggs

Butter

Tuna or canned Chicken somtimes

 

Thats pretty much it. I will occassionally pick up tofu, tempah, or even some chicken breasts but they have to be a dang good deal for me to do so. I will sometimes get bread but it isn't worth the cost to me so I make it fresh at home. My cart changes as the seasons do to accommodate in season eating for better prices and freshness. Summer I spend less because I grow a decent sized garden.

[Cricket]

We stick to basics around here--lots of fruit, vegetables, meat (whatever is on sale), dried beans, rice and pasta, milk and cheese, bread and corn tortillas.

 

Other:

yogurt

canned refried beans (dds love this)

potato chips and Coke (for dh--old habits die hard!)

condiments like salad dressing, mayo, ketchup, salsa

 

Once in a great while I'll get something like frozen breaded chicken strips or frozen sausage biscuits or ice cream. (But now I can make our own ice cream in my Vita-Mix!)

[joannqn]

I just came back from the store. I was only there to pick up a prescription and food for lunch since I don't have any bread or cheese or fruit or anything to prepare lunch with quickly. (At 1pm, you don't really want to spend a lot of time preparing food from scratch.)

 

I found myself thinking of the food stamp thread while I was there and how one on food stamps "should" shop based on responses to that thread.

 

Should I buy lemon juice concentrate so my kids can have lemonade? They've been begging for it for months but the store was out of the cheap kind. After all, juice is a luxury and not the healthiest thing to drink.

 

Should I buy the Oscar Meyer chopped ham that was on BOGO sale and have enough to last a while or should I buy something healthier but get less?

 

Should I buy canned peaches for $1 per 1lb can or should I get the fresh apricots my daughter is begging for that are $3.99lb? For $4, I can get enough canned fruit so my kids get a serving of fruit each day for four days or I can get enough apricots for one day. The latter is healthier but the former will feed them longer. Or should I only buy bananas because they are consistently the cheapest fresh fruit available? Is that a good idea since variety is suppose to be healthiest?

 

As for what I bought for $21.54...

lemon juice concentrate

bananas

apricots

peaches

ww bread

ham

cheddar cheese

[Pamela H in Texas]

One or two premade meals (Stouffer's Lasagna, SteamFresh Meals)

LOTS of spinach (we use daily, often a few times a day)

Broccoli (another fave)

Peppers (just enough for specific meals as I can't afford to snack on them, but would if I could)

Carrots (for juicing)

Onions

Apples (mostly for juicing)

Oranges (just a few)

Bananas

Fresh and Frozen fruit and veggies

Yogurt (we each have our own kind and enough for each to have one daily)

Oatmeal (mostly me)

Chicken breast (this is used almost daily)

Ground turkey (use when Chicken breast is not)

Cheese (slice, shredded, and snack--another fave here)

Tortillas (for meals. If they want more, they must homemake them)

flour

sugar (mostly for hubby's coffee; I use stevia)

eggs

beans (a couple kinds per week)

whole wheat pasta (unless I feel up to some sort of veggie pasta)

Tofu

brown rice

Good whole wheat bread for kids and me; the White Wheat for hubby

one package of wraps, pita bread, flatbread, or something of that sort

peanut butter (about every other week--different kinds depending on which one is out)

protein powder

powdered milk (every few weeks--we get the big box of it)

bagels (1-3 packages depending on who wants how many)

cream cheese (for bagels. LOL)

 

Of course, there are various other things for particular meals and if we just pick something up. But usually, we have a strict budget and a list so don't get much extra.

 

BTW, we don't generally buy much "stupid stuff." We might pick up gum (5 or Extra) or something at the check out. Usually, our "stupid stuff" is done stupidly also. Instead of getting it while grocery shopping, we spend 2-5 times more and get it at Sonic or the corner store <sigh> We have been doing this less lately since bills are done differently. But that is how we were doing it.

[rafiki]

.

[Quiver0f10]

I went shopping yesterday. It was actually a small shopping for us but we are well stocked. I will pickup milk and fruit next week but wont do another big shopping trip for 2 weeks. The majority of the stuff on my SAMS list below is part of what I get there every 2 weeks.. The WM list varies.

 

From Wal-Mart:

broccoli slaw mix

shredded carrots

spinach

tomatoes

lettuce

pita pockets

corn tortillas

jelly

coffee

salsa

canned beans ( 3 canseach of four varieties)

dry beans, lentils and split peas

lemon juice

boxed mac n cheese

tomato soup

saltine crackers

freeze pops

 

From SAMS:

cellery

carrots

four bunches of bananas

7 gallons 2% milk

two 5# bags shredded cheese

5 # sliced cheese

15 Doz eggs

4 # butter

ramen noodles

microwave pop corn for DH :glare::lol:

large bag frozen fruit

#10 can tomato sauce

25# white flour

large bag chocolate chips

Edited May 29, 2009 by Quiver0f10

[Crissy]

I probably got a few sideways glances today.

In my cart was a case of Mikes, four bottles of wine, a six pack of San Pellegrino Limonata, a six pack of Hansen's Raspberry, one large tub of spring greens, one large tub of baby spinach, two quarts of strawberries and a container of crumbled feta.

Not exactly a balanced meal. :D

[Carrie12345]

A typical list for me would include:

 

Bananas (usually 2 bunches)

3lbs of apples

Strawberries (or another fruit if the strawberries look ew)

random fruit

salad greens (varies)

2pt grape tomatoes

carrots

potatoes

yams

random green vegetables

bread

milk

coffee creamer

what seems like a ton of cheese

eggs

butter

and, yes, diet soda

 

I stockpile everything else, so there's no "typical" week. I might buy 10lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 5lbs of sausage. I'll stock up on brown rice and I'll stock up on regular boxed pasta. Frozen vegetables to frozen waffles and natural peanut butter to sugar laden jam.

We're not health food nuts, but we do aim for balance.

[JustGin]

Over the last couple of years we've been doing more and more cooking from scratch. We eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, but not all of those come from the store anymore :)

 

From a regular grocery store, or Costco we buy most of our dairy (except milk) bread, peanut butter, eggs, tortillas, tortilla chips, cold cereal, syrup, orange juice, grape juice, grapes, bananas, potatoes, baby carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, melon (in season) and apples. and special baking ingredients for treats like baking cocoa and chocolate chips. Occasional Ice cream and bakery treats, canned soup, chili, refried beans, condiments, pickles, ranch dressing, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Crystal Light (dh's) and lunch and breakfast meats are about the only prepared, convienence type foods we buy that I can think of. Once in a great while you might see a 2 liter of rootbeer, or some pizza pockets, but unless we're going camping when we have more treats, I can honestly say that most of our groceries carts contain pretty much some variation of what I've listed.

 

We buy our staples in bulk as much as possible things like dried pasta, dried beans, nuts, flour, sugar, steel cut oats.

 

We buy our meats - hamburger, chicken, pork and occasionally steaks or roasts, in large quantities at a food service supply store. We then break it down into meal size portions and freeze it.

 

Fresh produce: In the summer we u-pick or buy in bulk from a farmer market and freeze or can: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples for homemade applesauce, peaches, beans, corn, tomatoes, and beets.

 

This year I'm growing my own tomatoes and I'm seriously considering doing potatoes to add to my freezer stock.

 

Our milk is delivered once a week from a local dairy co-op.

[Cheryl in NM]

This is my grocery list for the next 2 weeks:

cat litter

puppy food

frozen oj

2# lentils

3 boxes mac & ch

3 packages Ramen

2# butter

2 cans tuna

salt pork

celery

hot dogs/sausage - whichever is on sale cheaper

The people food on this list will cost me about $25.

 

That's it. We are eating from Hillbilly Housewife's emergency menu plan for the next 2 weeks.

 

When money isn't tight and we have no emergencies my grocery list includes the following:

milk - it's been on sale for $1.69/gal, but when it's not Sam's usually has it for around $3.20/gal

cheese

flour

sugar

cornmeal

buckwheat flour

apples

oranges

lettuce

carrots

celery

potatos

pasta

rice

tortillas

bread

Whatever meat is on sale for $2.50/# or less

tuna

frozen fish fillets - not fishsticks

wheat crackers, ritz, triscuit - generics of course

Fritos only if Chili is on the menu plan

I have a source of lean ground beef for $1.25/# but they are often sold out

 

I usually don't buy boxed mac & ch, but it's cheaper than buying cheese right now as it's not on sale. We eat very simply, usually casseroles or meat/veg/starch combos.

 

Several months ago I bought a 25# bag of pinto beans & a 25# bag of rice. I buy flour and sugar in bulk. So when I couldn't afford much food this payday I had beans, rice, flour and sugar. I bake cookies, cakes, brownies and other deserts.

 

ETA: I can the veggies from our garden, but when we run out I buy frozen. The quality is decent and it's cheaper. Frozen from the grocery store is actually healthier than canned from the grocery store.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Cheryl in NM

[Emmy]

our usual stuff is:

 

fresh fruit - apples, bananas, pears, pineapple

- enough for 4 kids to have 2 servings a day each

bagged salad and bagged spinach (we eat a lot of spinach...)

avocados, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, garlic are staples

we get nearly every week

6 loaves whole grain bread a week

4 packages bagels a week

4 dozen eggs a week

1 tub earth balance a week (maybe a bit less)

1 container sunbutter a week

for meat we typically get ground turkey or boneless/skinless chicken at Sam's, we eat steak about twice a month (my dh...I could do without)

black beans - we love these

potatoes, brown rice

fresh broccoli

frozen peas

3 gallons juice a week

2 1/2 gallons soymilk a week

1/2 gallon chocolate soymilk a week

boxed mac n cheese

turkey hot dogs

 

That's the usual stuff I think. My kids eat either bagels, eggs & toast, homemade muffins, or oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is always sunbutter/jelly or a lunchmeat sandwich with fruit. Snacks are fruit or homemade cookies my mom makes for us and brings over for our freezer. Dinner is where we have some variety but I don't buy any packaged dinners - it's too expensive for a family of 6 and usually too salty for my taste. I buy the kids packaged chicken nuggets occasionally but usually for my own sake than theirs - they are content to eat grilled chicken or my own beer battered chicken. Our favorite meals are turkey burgers, meatballs in sauce, chicken and rice, lasagna and all of it's cousins (spaghetti casserole, spaghetti, chicken parmesan - you could throw red sauce on cardboard and my kids would cheer), breakfast casserole and taco casserole. The one thing I wish the kids would eat better is beans.

[Rosie_0801]

I have a baby who won't let me do anything and a toddler who trashes everything when I'm not looking, so I haven't been cooking in a while. It's "that time of semester" for dh, so it's one pot wonders all the way, to the point where we aren't even bothering to plan menus or write shopping lists.

 

At the moment our shopping trolley contains: (shopping carts are only for buying online at Amazon in my language ;) )

 

Fresh fruit

Salad ingredients

Pouring custard to eat with the toasted museli and tinned plums. Yum!

Lots of expensive bread because we are bread snobs

Some middle of the price range bread so dh can make jaffles

Peanut butter

 

Not a lot else because we have a pantry full of grain and legume type things, and did a big buy up from the cannery a few weeks ago. We got *lots* of tinned fruit, a big jar of sundried tomatoes, a big jar of marinated artichokes, box of pasta, a few boxes of ginger beer (hey, how did that get into the trolley!) a box of cranberry juice and a new hairbrush. Yeah, they were selling hairbrushes at the cannery...

 

:)

Rosie- currently growing sunflower lettuce on her kitchen bench. Tastes alright too.

[stripe]

I usually go to separate stores for produce. I also shop extensively at pseudo-ethnic markets (which includes regular markets in "ethnic" neighborhoods) and always buy my meat at such stores.

 

On my husband's last trip to grocery stores, he bought:

pineapple, papaya, mangoes, oranges, pears, apples, bananas, and lemons

eggplants, lettuce, carrots, bag of potatoes

2 gallons of oil

and about 1/3 lb each of cumin seeds, turmeric, and coriander seeds (total for the spices: about $2)

 

I'd previously stocked up on lentils and beans. I almost always stock up on sale items at the grocery store. As an example (besides the oil listed above), we have name-brand pasta, cereal, and juice, stockpiled. I never buy ice cream that's not on sale. And we always buy rice in bulk (usually 20-25 lb bags). When I buy bread (typically whole wheat), I almost always do so at an outlet store, and I do most baking myself.

 

When I used to shop at Sam's (I don't go there anymore), my favorite game was to compare the carts of Indians and Chinese immigrants with those of white American shoppers. With virtually no exceptions, the native born team had lots of meat products, processed meat products, giant amounts of cheese products, and lots of prepared food (megapacks of pizzas) and candies. The immigrant team had oil, rice, flour, and so on. It was really noticeable.

[OnTheBrink]

I went shopping yesterday. I got:

 

broccoli

tomatoes

cucumbers

strawberries

bananas

grapes

popcorn

2 loaves of bread

burger buns

cereal

paper towels

crackers

cheese

ice

lemons

sugar free ice cream

chocolate syrup

hot wings from the deli

cool dill chips

 

I don't normally buy chips, but they jumped out at me. Really.

[amy g.]

Dh does the shopping, and he gets odd stuff like a 4 lb can of stuffed grape leaves, and 3 kinds of imported olives and cheeses. What is funny is that he won't eat any of that stuff. He just gets it for the kids.

 

He buys lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned beans, flour, yeast, crackers, whole wheat noodles, natural peanut butter, beer for himself, Perrier for me and Ds, juice for the girls, decaf coffee beans, heavy cream for my coffee, ice, vegetable broth, dried beans, wild rice, meat if it is a good sale.....mmmm....I think that is about it.

[Garga]

I buy 10 boxes of mac and cheese and whatever frozen dinners I feel like eating that week. Along with double stuf oreos. And the family sized Doritoes.

 

I'M KIDDING.

 

But don't you think that people who buy lots of pre-packaged stuff aren't going to respond? They know they'll be tsk-tsk'd.

[Desert Rat]

I do a big shop every other week. This week was a little one.

 

Here's my little list:

 

light cream cheese

velveeta cheese slices (on sale)

take and bake pizza (12")

peaches

bananas

Malt o meal bag of cereal

margarine

lemonade

balloons (for this week's science experiment)

flushable wipes

 

Our staples are usually:

 

yogurt

pasta

tortillas

cheddar cheese

milk

low sugar juices

crackers

granola bars

cheese sticks

lunch meat

[newlifemom]

I have pre-packaged in my cupboard right now, so I'll respond. :D

 

My cart has been a jumbled mess lately. I try to get fruits and veggies fresh when they are not too expensive. Otherwise I do with frozen veggies and well, just a lot of apples and bananas. Before we moved to Oregon, I used to make my sauces almost entirely from scratch. Now I make them almost entirely from a jar. I don't really know why. I guess I am just busier now. So the average trip to the store would definately include whatever jarred sauces are on sale at the time. bread, milk, cheese, always some kind of salad material(prepackaged :blush:) and some extras to go with said bag, tomatoes, carrots. I buy whatever rice I find and feel in the mood for at that moment. Usually brown, but I have such a hard time getting kids to eat it. I occasionally buy potatoes but my kids are pasta eaters. I know, it's bad for you. OJ is always on the list. Occasionally apple juice will find its way on the list. We keep Capri Suns on hand for special occasions the same as gummies and chips. Lately we have had too many special occasions. I do have to say though, my kids eat very little to no candy at all. Recently we have switched peanut butter and now eat one that has only peanuts and salt. That has been a hard switch for the kids but they are making the most of it. I keep things like tuna, tomato soup, and [gulp] ramen noodles in the house for quick lunches. Meat is always a Costco size bag of Chkn breasts and whatever meat is on sale that week that looks good. Oh yeah, I forgot about cereal. I have been trying to get the kids to eat hot cereal but to no avail. Dh is always finding deals on things like honey-nut cheerios and quaker oat squares so we have a lot of that as well. Hmmm, we are kind of all over the place.:)

[TraceyS/FL]

Went to Sam's last night.

 

This will be the bulk of our shopping/food for the next month. It was expensive because toilet paper was on there! LOL!!

 

Scott Toilet Paper

3 packages of hamburger - about 13# (90/10 - it's worth the extra cost)

10# frozen chicken

25# flour

25# bread flour

big bag choc. chips (because STBXH was with me)

5# cheese

18 eggs

8# butter (this will last longer unless they get baking cookies, but i like to stay ahead on butter - and we were OUT)

baked beans

cascade

tator tots

breakfast sausage

oatmeal

honey

applesauce

crush tomatoes (the big can - makes a triple batch of spag sauce)

Pam

real bacon bits (STBXH wanted them)

Tomato paste

Oil

 

$213. If the TP hadn't been on there their would have been a pork loin to cut into chops on there. I"ll try to get that next week if he has money.

 

Odds and ends will get picked up at the store by STBXH.

 

They aren't carrying powdered milk at our store at the moment - and it's mucking my stinking cooking plans.

[Pretty in Pink]

Beer for dh

Bottled water for infant formula

 

Brown rice

Whole wheat pasta

Rolled oats or muesli

Whole wheat tortillas

 

2% Milk, organic, or rice milk

Yogurt, organic

Sharp cheddar slices, organic if I can find it, hormone-free if not

Butter, organic

Orange juice

Eggs, free-range

String cheese, organic or natural

Whipped cream cheese

 

Lentils, dried

Variety of legumes, dried

 

Spinich

Salad

Bananas

Apples

Oranges or grapefruit

Broccoli

Carrots

Garlic

Onions

Lemons

Tomatoes, vine-ripened

Variety of other seasonal produce items

 

MSG-free bullion

Honey or agave

Olive oil

Peanut butter, natural

 

Frozen vegetables

 

Canned tomatoes

Black olives

Marinara sauce, Newman's Own

Canned chicken breast, all natural

Canned tuna

 

Granola bars, organic

"Oreo" cookies, natural

Popcorn, microwave

Ramen noodles (!)

Freezie pops

Pretzels

 

Baby food

 

Cleaning products, Seventh Generation or other natural products

Paper products, recycled

 

Whole chicken or pieces, organic or natural

Sausages, natural

Fish, local

 

I try to buy as much organic produce as possible, especially items that don't have a thick rind or peel that you remove. Oranges or bananas I don't really worry about; tomatoes or lettuce I do.

 

We do the ramen noodles once a week; a few times a year (on somebody's birithday) I buy a half-gallon of Breyers. During the summer I keep freezie pops in the freezer. We eat very little meat at home but we aren't vegetarians.

 

I didn't list bread because we just purchased a grain mill and are baking our own now. We can also make grits and steel-cut oats, so I did not list those.

[Impish]

Typical grocery list:

Milk, 4 L jug (gallon)

1L coffee cream

Coffee

Margarine

Bread 2 loaves

Juice, frozen 6 cans

Cheddar

Cheese slices

Lunch Meat

Chicken thighs (2)

Lean gr beef (3)

Spaghetti sauce (2)

linguine (2)

apples

bananas

produce (whats on sale...broccoli, etc)

potatoes

carrots

sour cream

bacon

lasagne noodles

frozen mixed veggies

bisquick

 

Out of that grocery list, I can get two weeks worth of meals, combining it with the staples in the house, only needing to get more produce, dairy, bread and lunch meat the next wk. Add in a package of cookies, or doughnuts, or granola bars, since Wolf is incapable of grocery shopping with out adding something :glare:

 

We pretty much never buy chicken breast, as its almost ALWAYS viciously expensive. I shop sales as much as I can, and always recipe/meal plan when making a grocery list. All meals are a twofer pretty much...meaning that we eat two days from it. The chicken thighs for example...the first night, we usually shake n bake, veggies, and potatoes. Next night is home made chicken pot pie, or chicken noodle soup with dumplings. I stretch everything, out of sheer habit.

[BikeBookBread]

Just got back from the Commissary (Air Force Base grocery store for those who didn't know). This is what is usually in our cart every week or two:

 

Produce:

 

 

• Tart apples, whatever is the best price: Fuji or Braeburn
  
• Strawberries, no matter what the price as they are so healthy and are always eaten up
  
• 2 heads of romaine
  
• 2 english cukes
  
• bag of long carrots (the baby ones always go slimy on us)
  
• bag of celery with leaves
  
• oranges
  
• lemons
  
• limes
  
• when the garden isn't "going", Italian parsley and cilantro
  
• ditto above, tomatoes (we're up to our ears right now!)
  

 

Dairy/Eggs

 

 

• 18 pack of eggs
  
• shredded cheddar
  
• shredded mozzarella
  
• large wedge of Italian Parmesan (from Costco -- the real stuff)
  
• plain yogurt
  
• flavored big yogurt like strawberry
  
• cream cheese block for Saturday morning cinnamon roll frosting :)
  
• salted and unsalted butter (I bake everything from scratch so need unsalted)
  
• 1% milk
  
• 1/2 and 1/2 for our morning coffee...DH asks for so little, but fresh 1/2 and 1/2 is one of the few
  
• buttermilk (for baking -- I freeze in little ziplocks in 1/4 cup portions)
  

 

Pantry/snacks -- I usually buy these in bulk at our local "crunchy" grocery:

 

 

• whole wheat flour
  
• white all purpose flour
  
• jasmine rice
  
• oats -- I buy at Costco
  
• brown and white sugar - bulk at the crunchy store
  
• Raw sugar for coffee
  
• bulk elbow pasta for mac & cheese
  
• fettuccine
  
• good granola bars
  
• bulk granola for breakfast
  
• tortilla chips
  
• soft tortillas for wraps and quesadillas
  
• A variety of canned tomato products for sauces
  
• COFFEE...a must!
  

 

Frozen/Meats

 

 

• Frozen fish - economical and great quality
  
• Frozen bone-in chicken breasts or thighs -- it is SO HARD to find bone-in breasts anymore, and if you do find them, they are horrendously expensive. Costco is the best bet.
  
• Frozen broccoli
  
• Frozen green beans
  
• Frozen peas (all of these veggies are organic at Costco...I will get fresh if it's great, but these are convenient, and no nutrition is lost)
  
• Frozen OJ cans
  
• Occasional ice cream
  
• Good steak about once a month or less
  
• Kosher hot dogs for the occasional hot dog at lunchtime
  

 

I bake my own bread and other baked goods (cookies, rolls, buns, etc.). We just never buy them anymore, unless it's the odd bagel. I haven't gotten the knack of baking them. We just don't buy a ton of prepared stuff. I make my own salsa and pasta sauces for the most part. We do have a BUNCH of condiments because we eat a lot of ethnic foods: Indian, etc, and you need them for the sauces.

[ChristusG]

I just made a trip to Whole Foods about an hour ago....so I'll list what I got there. But I split my grocery shopping between Whole Foods and Wal Mart. We try to eat organically for the most part. But what we really try to do is stay away from HFCS and any food dyes. We also try to stay away from meats/fruits/veggies that may have been grown with pesticides, etc. However, sometimes we end up having to buy regular ones from the local Publix because Whole Foods is a bit of a drive for us.

 

And I might preface this by saying I ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE COOKING. There, I said it. I'm not afraid to say that I buy pre-packaged LOL. I counteract that by buying organic LOL. But seriously, I really hate cooking. I do it for two reasons....to save money (as opposed to otherwise going out to eat) and to be more healthy (because restaurant food is full of dyes and HFCS).

 

At Whole Foods I just bought....

 

organic ketchup

granola bars

cantaloupe

bananas

apples

lemon juice

lemonade

apple juice

juice boxes

dinner rolls (not for dinner, just cause my 2 year old loves them)

orange juice

BBQ sauce

crackers

tortilla chips

rice chips

organic spaghettio's

white and chocolate milk

sticks of butter

jelly spread

lasagna noodles

fruit/cereal bars

some frozen/fresh veggies

one premade pizza (quick dinner for the kids)

Cheddar bunnies

 

 

Wal Mart list usually looks like this:

 

quite a few loaves of HFCS free bread

peanut butter

velveeta shells

velveeta cheese

yogurt burst Cheerios

sliced cheese

frozen meatballs

some frozen/fresh veggies

other sides I may need for meals like rice, noodles, etc.

 

Then I also make the occasional run to Publix to buy their Greenwise meats....so there I'll get....

 

ground turkey

ground beef

chicken

And any other meats I may need

[DarlaS]

I try to make sure the bottom of the cart is covered with necessities (produce, meat, veggies, dairy etc) before adding any prepackaged foods, but I *do* buy them. I get mostly whole grain crackers, baked tortilla chips, salsa etc (and I have a thing for Velveeta Shells and Cheese. :D)

 

Mostly I shop 2-3 times a week and we are STILL always out of apples and bananas! :001_huh:

 

This is my favorite time of year for cooking by the way--grilling season! I just finally got a rotisserie for my grill! This is the best accessory EVER! For the first time in my life I made a pretty turkey breast--all lovely and golden brown. The best part is no roasting pan to wash!

:party:

[Audrey]

We don't grocery shop very much, but I did go a couple of weeks ago and here's mostly what I bought.

 

Paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues)

Aluminum foil

ziploc baggies

toothpaste

toilet bowl cleaner

Lysol

20 kgs. flour

several pounds each of dried pinto beans, chickpeas, yellow split peas, black beans, and navy beans

10 kgs. rice

5x 2 kg. bag of macaroni

5x 2 kg. bags of spaghetti

bell peppers

avocados

bok choy (it was on special, we bought lots)

an insane amount of broccoli

2 or 3 cantaloupes

bananas

big bag of apples

big bag of carrots

2 heads of cabbage

big bag of potatoes

various spices

 

The bulk of our food we grow and process ourselves. Fruit is our biggest produce expense at the grocery store because we can't grow much ourselves except for berries. We have a berry U-Pick operation in the summer and let me tell you, eating berries gets old pretty fast. LOL

 

We're just starting to get some garden produce again, but not much yet. I can loads and loads of stuff every summer -- around 250-300 quarts worth of food gets our family of 3 through to the next summer.

 

We get our beef locally, usually buying on the hoof and having it butchered at the local abattoir. We process our own hogs for ourselves. Dh is awesome at making sausage, and pepper/maple bacon -- that stuff is gold, baby! People go nuts over his smokehouse. We make better money at that than at actually selling the hogs. LOL! I get whole cleaned chickens from the Hutterite colony that neighbours us, and I cut them up myself, sometimes can some of them, too.

 

My freezer and cupboards look very bland and boring, but I also have one cupboard full of all kinds of spices and seasonings.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Audrey

[Wendi]

Prepared foods I've bought this week:

97% fat free hot dogs

buns, bread, bagels, English muffins, tortillas

American cheese slices

Mandarin Orange Chicken (a Trader Joe's favorite)

Frosted Flakes

baked potato chips (my weakness)

cookies

lunch meat (turkey)

shredded cheese

 

Other foods I've bought this week:

potatoes

Swiss chard

cilantro

bananas

apples

romaine lettuce

green leaf lettuce

eggs

strawberries

skim milk

grapes

shrimp

chicken

garlic

carrots

broccoli

stir-fry veggies

 

How did I do?

 

Wendi

[Ravin]

Hmm. Well, this week is an almost no groceries week, because I got paid Thursday and rent is due Monday, and food stamps kick in Tuesday.

 

On Tuesday we stopped at Frye's because they were supposed to have $1 strawberries. They were out, so we bought some peaches and plums that were on sale, then went to Marketside for:

2 gallons of milk,

a 32 oz. vanilla yogurt (I never buy the little cups, just a big tub of vanilla to mix with fruit or plain to cook with)

a $1 container of blueberries (consolation prize for no strawberries for DD)

A 12 pk of coke because it was on sale for $2.

 

Wednesday night, in addition to some household items, I bought:

 

A 20oz. Mt. Dew

A noodle bowl for lunch

 

Last night, I bought a packet of sloppy joe mix and an onion (for tonight's dinner), and a steam bag of cheesy rice and broccoli and a packet of tuna for my lunch.

 

The thing about working at a store is, some of the shopping gets done in dribs and drabs.

 

For bread, I got to a local outlet store that has $.50 and $1.00 loaves, bags of buns, etc., whole grain and organic, that retail for $4 or so a loaf. They're "day old" or whatever, but I'll buy enough to last a month or more and throw it all in the freezer.

[RoughCollie]

Just went shopping yesterday:

 

3 gal. skim milk

1.5 dozen eggs

10 low fat or fat free yogurts

1 can whipped cream

2 gal. orange juice

 

red grapes

bell peppers

corn on the cob

1 green leaf lettuce

2 bunches bananas

5 lbs. apples

2 lbs. carrots

2 quarts strawberries

 

2 Tasters Choice instant coffee

2 pkgs beef hot dogs

1 pkg liverwurst

1 jar salsa

1 jar peanut butter

1 jar grape jelly

 

2 loaves bread

1 hot dog buns

1 hamburger buns

2 pkgs. soft tacos

1 box Ritz crackers

2 pound cakes (buy one, get one free) for strawberries

2 pkgs. cookies

1 pkg. lemonade packets for water bottles

 

Cereal was 1/2 price & we had none, so I bought 5 boxes:

2 Mini-Wheats

1 Cocoa Puffs

1 Captain Crunch PB

1 Honey Smacks

 

1 bone for the dog

1 frozen meal

1 frozen pizza

 

No meat, no canned goods, no rice or pasta because we are moving and I have a goodly amount stored. No good homecooked meals this week because I'm not around to cook and bake -- busy packing the office.

[Laura Corin]

Suppers

Usually two chicken meals, one fish, one red meat - all fresh. The other evening meals are veggie - lentils, beans, etc.

 

Lunches

Fish sticks

tinned tuna

tinned mackerel

100% chicken breast breaded things

we also have leftovers for lunches

 

Fresh veggies and fruit (mostly organic)

Other

Bread

Pate

Orange juice

Crumpets

Dips (tzatziki, houmous, mushroom)

Milk (skimmed, 2% and full fat)

Butter

Cheese

Sausages for boys' breakfasts

Eggs for boys breakfasts

Hash browns for boys' breakfasts

muesli

oatmeal

rice crispies

whole grain pasta

white pasta

brown rice

fresh pasta sauce

tinned tomatoes

olive oil

mayonnaise

dark rye crackers

cookies x 3

chocolate x 3 bars

peanuts

 

Laura

Edited May 30, 2009 by Laura Corin

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

A lot of plain food

 

Fruits and veggies:whatever is in season and reasonably priced plus, always- bananas, potatoes, onions, garlic, when the garden is not producing- lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli

 

Meat: whatever is on sale for under $2.00 a lb., bacon if it is under $3.00 a lb.

 

Lunch meat: prepackaged high quality (no fillers or HFC) sliced smoked turkey or ham

 

Dairy: Milk, eggs, real butter( I stock up on sales), The on sale brand of - Cheddar, MJ, Mozarella, Pepperjack, American (for dh)

 

Canned: beans, tomato products, tuna

 

Frozen: 100% juice concentrate, peas, corn, spinach (when I don't have greens in the garden)

 

Pasta, rice, flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, spices, condiments

 

Whole wheat or rye bread, tortillas, plain tortilla chips, pretzels, graham crackers

 

The one thing I do buy that I wish I could avoid is boxed cereal. However, I aim for as healthy as I can get on the cheap, usually store brands of shredded wheat and bran flakes.

[Jean in Wisc]

Produce: carrots, celery, broccoli, lettuce (mine did not come up well in the garden). Rhubarb and asparagus are up in the garden, so they provide a lot of great nutrition these days! Yeah!

 

Eggs (cleaned out the chicken coup and can't get pullets for a few more weeks)

Bagels (a child's special request)

7 gallons of milk

 

Tomato sauce

Great Northerns

Pintos

Chili Beans

Whole tomatoes

A few cans of green beans for my shelves downstairs since they were on a great sale

...and peaches, too.

 

A couple boxes of cereal

Frozen pizza (4 for $10--my boys' fast food restaurant)

 

Salsa

Cooking Spray

T-shirts (Hey! They had irregular Fruit of the Loom T's for a buck!)

Hamburger buns

 

I suppose I missed a few items. I need to go to the little store down the road today for honey.

 

:)Jean

[Maria from IN]

Thanks to my food allergies my grocery bill is always expensive--and I'm on food stamps, too. Needless to say, $176/month is not going to feed the two of us (and sometimes the Tall Bald Guy) the healthier foods I wish we could afford.

 

For example, I keep buying eggs because right now they're on sale for .98--but eating hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and egg salad is probably not the thing for someone to eat very often if she has a big family history of cholesterol problems...not to mention that if I make egg salad I have to use mayo made out of canola oil, which currently costs $5.79...

 

A typical sandwich for me is with almond butter instead of peanut butter, with natural fruit spread instead of jelly, and on bread made of tapioca and rice flours...so we're talking at least $7.00/jar for the almond butter and $3.00 for the natural fruit spread, and $4.69/loaf for the tapioca bread...I have to spend $15 if I want to make sandwiches to take to school, instead of $.88 for bread, $2.00 for peanut butter, and $1.50 for store-brand jelly...

 

Usually the only fresh fruit we have around here is apples and bananas. Last night I was so happy to find apples at 4/$1.00, I bought an even dozen! I would love to have more fresh vegetables in the house, but I can't bring myself to get it when the frozen versions are at Wal-Mart for .98/bag.

 

If I want pasta, I have to go to the natural foods store here and pay $4.19 for a 12-oz bag of Tinkyada brown rice pasta. Needless to say, I don't eat pasta that often...

 

I buy chicken thighs mostly, because they're cheap. I would love to get back in the habit of buying boneless/skinless chicken breasts and lean cuts of beef, but again, that takes money. I can get ground turkey at a reasonable price from Wal-Mart--usually it's cheaper than ground beef.

 

I eat a lot of rice because it's cheap, and about the only grain I can eat. I would love to select whole grains again and balance my diet with all those things I used to eat...the Young Man and the Tall Bald Guy kinda get cheated on that one...I used to buy oats and make granola for them, but even the dust triggers a reaction--they're going to have to learn to make their own now! In one way or another, rice is a part of every meal around here.

 

I have a container garden here in my condo, so I'm not buying any fresh green beans, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, or radishes because eventually I will have my own...even if green onions are only .55/bunch right now!

 

I try to keep in mind what The Tightwad Gazette said about people only eating what's in season because that's what's coming out of their gardens at the time...that way I only buy the produce that's on sale.

 

As far as the Young Man, he has become very aware of food choices because of my allergies, and some of his favorite foods are gluten-free. However, I still have to buy cheap versions of chicken patties, cereals, and meals that he can cook himself (think Ramen noodles and mac-n-cheese) just to be able to afford everything else with our food stamps. I feel I'm cheating him out of healthy eating, and I'm tired of making two separate meals. I'd just feed him what I'm eating, and I often do, but it gets expensive.

[TammyinTN]

Heres my cart this week:

 

12 weight watcher meals - for me

12 pink lady apples

1 bunch of bananas

tomatoes

cucumbers

2 bags romaine lettuce

onions

mushrooms

1 dozen eggs

quick cook oatmeal

mineral water

ff coffee creamer

Ham/Turkey -Deli Select

wonderbread

 

I had plenty of stuff in the pantry to cook for the kids.

[Pamela H in Texas]

But don't you think that people who buy lots of pre-packaged stuff aren't going to respond? They know they'll be tsk-tsk'd.

 

I kinda felt funny mentioning pre-packaged...esp after both food stamp threads (one being about whether we should apply).

 

But I'm honest. And it's not much. I honestly don't see a problem with a family buying SOME pre-packaged. I am concerned about the idea of mostly pre-packaged though.

 

But if someone isn't on welfare? It'd be sad if their diet was just mac-n-cheese, frozen dinners, oreos and doritoes, but I don't think we have the right to tsk-tsk them.

[laughing lioness]

tub of Kiwi

10 #oranges

2 bunches of bananas (ds 14 lives on these lately)

watermelon

5 # carrots

2 boxes of 12 flavored yogurt cartons (great sale)

1 gal of milk

bag of boneless, skinless chix breasts

5# grated fresh parmesan

doz eggs

box of T.P. (up almost $19!! egads, I was paying $14 for it in Dec!!).

5 gal olive oil

gal dish soap

4 #butter

10# potatoes

block of cheddar cheese

large bag of tortillas

2 large bottles real lemon juice (dh makes sugar free lemonaide- he is running again and craves the vit c).

 

Also a flat of marigolds and a hanging pot both ridiculously prices, along with a Wee Sing set of 3 (folk songs) for the notsolittles and a box of stationary for my dd.

"If you have 2 loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily" - or 2, or a book :001_smile:

 

I have flour, sugar, oats, salsa at home, plain yogurt to make more with. Lettuce in the garden and a bit of sausage left. Still canned applesauce, tons of jellies.

[peachskittles]

I went yesterday and grabbed a few things from Whole Foods (80 miles away from me btw)...My lil one has multiple food intolerances and a couple more that are more like food allergies, so running to 5-6 different stores to make sure there is food in the house for him is so annoying...I did have some flours for him shipped, along with his hemp milk so we don't have to worry about that as often...

 

Let's see...I got 5 boxes of cereal (these are his snacks and occasional breakfast), 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, a box of quinoa, a pound of ground pork and ground lamb (I hope this tastes good...it's our trial item of the week), a few more flours for him, bananas, pears and apples (pink lady which are really good), 2 boxes of corn spaghetti and 2 boxes of quinoa pasta, raw honey for his quinoa flakes in the morning, a big thing of real apple juice and a tube of Tom's toothpaste...This will last combined with whatever is in the house (like I have a poor pathetic artichoke that I bought a whim last week...Not sure what I am supposed to do with it yet...)...

 

We do buy prepackaged for my SO and I...There is no way in the world I can afford to feed all of us exactly like my littlest one, so my kids eat amazing healthy meals and me, well, not so much....It's harder that we are limited in the meats we can eat (like no beef/fish and try finding ground chicken/turkey/pork/lamb without "natural flavors" added...I'd buy the off limit meats if I didn't worry that I would cross contaminate, because I have a tendancy to be a bit ditzy in the kitchen)...In addition, all those amazing low cost foods (like beans and rice) are a big no no with the lil one so we don't even buy them at this time (all though I'm really craving a big pot of white beans right about now even though it is like really warm outside)...

 

Next week we will need to buy pork chops, boneless skinless chicken breast, some more ground meats, coconut oil, random vegetables and fruits, etc...Our kitchen looks like a science experiment at times, I swear...I don't know how many times my sister walks in and points to the food and asks "What exactly IS that?"...LOL She amuses me...

[Renee in NC]

This morning:

 

16 lbs potatoes

3 lbs carrots

2 lbs onions

4 lbs oranges

5 links italian sausage

9 pork chops

5 lbs chicken

2 packages totillas

1 lb cheese

8 lbs sugar

4 packages frozen veggies

2 cans mushroom soup

large can green beans

2 lbs bacon

2 bottles ranch dressing

3 cans spaghetti sauce

2 lbs spaghetti

toothpaste

24 tea bags

sour cream

peanut butter

strawberry preserves

bread

 

Last night I got:

 

4 boxes jambalaya

2 lbs turkey kielbasa

lettuce

cucumbers

[ereks mom]

Fruits & Vegetables

 

• fresh cabbage, carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, apples, bananas
  
• other in-season fresh fruits and vegetables when they're on sale cheap (such as grapes for 99¢ per pound, etc.)
  
• prepackaged salad mix (around $1 for a 12-oz. package at Save A Lot).
  
• canned tomatoes, beans, green peas, peaches, pears
  
• frozen green beans, corn, broccoli, lima beans
  
• We also get produce (peas/beans, corn, squash, okra) for our freezer each summer from my FIL's garden.
  

 

 

Meat

 

• fresh ground beef, chicken, pork loin, turkey breast, beef roast (but I buy only what's on sale at or near my target price of $2 per pound or less)
  
• packaged hot dogs (made from chicken), turkey ham, turkey smoked sausage, thin-sliced sandwich meat (prepackaged, not from the deli)
  
• frozen fish
  
• canned salmon, canned tuna
  
• Dh & ER are hunters, so we usually have at least a little bit of venison in the freezer.
  

 

 

Dairy/Eggs/Juice

 

• cheese, margarine, milk, sour cream, eggs
  
• orange juice or apple juice when it's on sale
  
• lowfat ice cream (everyday price of 99¢ per half gallon at Kroger)
  

 

 

Other

 

• peanut butter, jelly
  
• bread, hamburger & hot dog buns
  
• sugar, flour, coffee
  
• oatmeal, grits, rice, pasta
  
• graham crackers, saltines or snack crackers
  
• granola bars (about $2 a box)
  
• store brand/generic cold cereal (around $2 per box)
  
• tortilla chips, flour tortillas
  
• catsup, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, pickles
  

 

Edited May 30, 2009 by ereks mom

[phathui5]

Yesterday I got:

 

apples

oranges

bananas

potatoes

lettuce

 

macaroni & cheese

pasta sauce

peanut butter

wheat bread

cake mix

icing

cupcake wrappers

chips (d's work lunches)

little pies (dh's work lunches)

Cherry Coke Zero

 

frozen peas

frozen broccoli

Morningstar veggie ground

garlic bread

spinach munchies

 

chocolate soymilk

eggs

[mazakaal]

My grocery list is pretty regular

milk

yogurt

butter

sometimes cream if a recipe requires it

apples

bananas

any other fruit that's on sale

carrots

bell peppers

cucumbers

potatoes

onions

garlic

other veg that are required for a particular recipe

frozen peas, corn, green beans

bread flour

yeast

sugar

eggs

lunch meat

tuna

peanut butter

jam

cheese

pasta

rice

ground beef

frozen chicken

frozen sausage sometimes

cereal

toiletries

paper towels

toilet paper

cleaning products

laundry detergent

any other cooking ingredients that are needed for particular recipes

candy (the kids are allowed a couple of gummy candies after lunch)

cookies (kids are allowed a couple of cookies in the middle of the afternoon)

tea, coffee

crackers

 

The only premade, convenience foods we get are occassionally frozen pizza.

[Ravin]

For the poster that mentioned having to use almond butter to avoid peanut...is there a Trader Joe's near you? We have to avoid peanut, too, so I buy sunflower seed butter from TJ's. It's still more expensive that peanut butter, but a LOT less expensive than almond butter.

 

For the poster who has been eating a lot of eggs...have you ever tried baking things and adding extra egg? I get sick of eggs in a hurry, but I like french toast and pancakes!

[stripe]

We have to avoid peanut, too, so I buy sunflower seed butter from TJ's. It's still more expensive that peanut butter, but a LOT less expensive than almond butter.

And a lot yummier. That stuff is dangerously good.

[nukeswife]

This is a hard one for me to answer, because I don't shop week to week. My cart will usually look odd to many. We like to buy a lot of stuff at once so I don't have to go buy the same thing week after week. So somtimes it will be all meat , other times all kinds of staples.

 

Yesterday I ran to Walmart and here's what I got

3 bags of rold gold cheddar cheese pretzels

2 bags of ruffles

4 bags of mini pringles (Sour cream and onion)

3 6 packs of trix or yoplait kids yogurt

6 6 packs of drinkable yogurt for kids

bunch of bananas

small watermelon

2 boxes of entenmans small bites brownies for ds

 

So as you can see I look like the junk food queen, but what all that may look at me like I'm a wacko don't know is that 2 weeks ago dh and I went to the commissary and wholesale club and bought 12lbs of ground beef, 12 (2) breast packages of BLSL Chicken breasts, 2 (5) count packages of porkchops, 4 packages (2 steaks each) of tenderloin steaks (on sale for about $9/pack) 2 huge boxes of cheerios, 2 large boxes of instant potatoes (we don't eat enough to make mashed from fresh) and 8 loaves of bread (it's been too hot to bake my own) or that the shwans delivery man stops every 2 weeks to deliver our frozen tortellini, frozen veggies and frozen strawberry fruit bars (maybe not the best but better than somethings out there)

 

I will usually stop twice a week though for things like milk (usually 4 gallons or so each time, we drink A LOT of milk) and whatever fresh fruit looks good, tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

I know it may seem weird but I hate having to buy the same thing week after week if I can buy a bunch at one time and it will keep just fine on the shelves in the pantry.

[Closeacademy]

I can and freeze a lot of fruits and veggies so our shopping cart usually includes items like:

 

milk, diet coke, butter, cookie dough (we freeze it to eat), promise fat free spread, eggs, fat-free cottage cheese, fat free sour cream, yogurt, gogurt, low fat string cheese, low fat cheese, mexican blend cheese shreds, italian blend cheese shreds, extra sharp cheddar cheese, fat free wrapped cheddar or swiss cheese slices, baked tortilla chips, pretzels, a variety of cereals, slow cook oatmeal, unbleached bread flour, spices, sweet n low, sugar, corn meal, masa, generic canola oil spray, olive oil, fat free pudding, marshmallows, juicy juice, capri sun (for picnics), cheap cheesy crackers, canned black and dark red kidney beans, good spicy baked beans, tomato soup, chilie sauce (both red and green), fat-free refried beans, brown rice (the kind that takes an hour to cook), wild rice, lentils, barley, whole wheat pasta, A-1 sauce, cheap ketchup and mustard, fat-free ranch & italian dressing, vinegar, coffee, vanilla coffee, natural peanut butter, whole grain bread, whole grain low fat tortillas, corn tortillas, frozen pizza, french fries, ice cream, cool whip free, lettuce, out of season fresh veggies, bonless skinless chicken breasts, top sirloin steak, Laura's lean hamburger, smoked turkey deli meat and ice by the bag.

 

We use a lot of fat-free, low fat, low carb items and I make a lot of Tex-Mex. We do a lot of whole grain too. The kids do usually get a candy bar or an overprocessed sugary treat when we go.:001_smile: