I am not a planner–which is a good thing in my house, because “certain” people will eat all the fresh veggies and cheese out of the fridge without regard for any meal for which it might be designated… I just buy fruits and veggies in season when they’re cheaper, and keep a pretty standard stock of supplies in the pantry such as rice, lentils, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, etc. As long as I have a bunch of “standard items”, I can take just about any protein and some veggies and make something with it.
We are semi-primal over here (i.e. very little processed foods, tons of fruit, veggies, and meat, not a lot of grains except white rice). I serve white rice, potatoes, turnips, or sometimes noodles with almost every dinner–once everyone has had first helpings, you’re expected to fill up on mostly those if you want seconds; make large batches of vegetable soup–I often sprinkle sausage crumbles, chopped bacon, or diced ham over the top for a satisfying “meat hit” without a lot of cost. We also eat a lot of eggs–my weekly quiche is often one of our dinners before becoming breakfast the rest of the week (I make a BIG batch!) (Quiche is also a great way to stretch a pound of bacon over several meals…)
If people in your family tend to eat all the meat or cheese (the pricey stuff!) and leave behind too much of the cheap stuff (the starches or veggies), casseroles and crockpot meals are your best friend 🙂
One other thing that I think has helped our budget a lot–don’t be afraid of fat!! As long as it’s healthy fats (e.g, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or animal fats from pastured animals), it’s not bad for you–calorie-dense, low price-per-calorie, provides fat-soluble nutrients like omega-3s and vitamin D, and doesn’t raise your blood sugar…. And it is filling and satisfying. Portion sizes naturally drop a bit once you start eating that way. (We hardly ever snack anymore, aside from “teatime”! We used to graze all day!)
