The Approach- Dinner ideas on $50 per week!

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from the family dinner table. My sisters and I competed to recount our stories from the day while eating the one meal my mom planned and cooked. She was not a short order cook. We were taught to eat the meal that was served or go hungry. Ever since our toddler began eating solid foods, I grappled with the idea of planning meals that the whole family could enjoy. I knew that what we had been doing wouldn’t work, and we would soon be dealing with a toddler who demanded his own dinner menu if we didn’t make changes, fast. I love the family values and eating habits that were instilled in me as a child, and I want the same for my son.

Bad Habits: Our old approach included as high as a $300 per week grocery bill. My husband and I were each planning and cooking 2-3 meals per week that the other one would not eat. We were spending too much and often throwing away leftovers that weren’t eaten before the next week’s cooking extravaganza commenced. Dinnertime was whenever we were ready to eat which was often at different times. I would eat when I got home from work. My husband would eat later in the evening.

The Challenge: The challenge we have always struggled with is feeding a carnivore, an ovo-lacto vegetarian and, now, a toddler. This challenge perpetuated our bad habits and, now, precipitated change.

New Beginnings: At the beginning of this year, we decided to change our approach. We made a new year’s resolution to prepare 3 nutritious dinners to eat on for the week on a $50 budget that appease each of our food preferences. At dinner, the goal is that we are all eating the same meal at the same time.

New Approach: Our approach is pretty simple. Each weekend we swap recipe planning, grocery shopping, and cooking duties. The dinner budget is $50 per week. Whoever is lucky enough to cook for the week does it all on Saturday and Sunday. At dinner, all we do is reheat, serve and eat!

You will find as you read Veggie, Meaty Baby! I will share tips, recipes, grocery shopping, cooking and dinnertime successes and mishaps! I hope to inspire other couples and parents to cook on a budget and preserve the sanctity of the family dinner.