We used to spend a ridiculous amount on groceries every week only to find ourselves stumped as to what to make for dinners, wasting produce or running out of convenient snacks too quickly (or just running out of the basic snacks we constantly relied on). Things were getting expensive, fast and boring, we also found ourselves running to the grocery store sometimes twice in a week and spending even more on last minute cravings or things we would forget in the “big grocery shop”. It was exhausting and honestly stressful – it put such a damper on our finances and we needed to make a plan – a solid plan. We buy our groceries on our American Express Platinum Card so we can earn Membership Rewards points that can be redeemed towards travel, but did you guys know that we also redeem these points to pay off our grocery bill (or just about anything else on our bill, actually!)?? We just recently started to do this and it got me so excited for my meal planning & grocery “list-ing” haha!

So, we started meal planning. Now for us this doesn’t mean prepping recipes once a week and having frozen meals ready in the freezer. For us it’s having a plan when we grocery shop and a planned recipe for everyday of the week so that when we grocery shop we have a good list of everything we will need. We even started planning for an entire day – what would we have for breakfast, for lunch, for snacks, for dinner…for dessert too! I do prep some meals, I will get to that shortly. Something to keep in mind is that for most of the week I am working from home which does mean I can slow cook a meal while I am home. It’s my favourite way to cook, but you could always use a trusted crock pot! We also don’t have picky eaters, our kids for the most part eat anything we put in front of them. We have never made an extra meal for them if they didn’t like a dinner, they have either eaten it all or just the items on the plate that they do want.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with ordering in or eating out, you just want to avoid doing that too often during the week because you are out of groceries or because you are overwhelmed with all of the ingredients with no plan. We order in or go out for dinner 1x a week. Also, if you are planning ahead for dinners you can plan to make enough so you have lunch leftovers the next day.

Feeding a family of 4 and a dog, that gets expensive but it doesn’t need to be crippling. There is a smart way to grocery shop so you are spending on what you need and not wasting what you’ve bought as well. On top of that, one of the biggest saving tips is redeeming Membership Rewards points earned from your American Express Platinum Card to pay off purchases on your statement. It’s so easy and can be done with quickly both online and in the Amex App!

 

What does a standard week of meals look like for us?

 

Monday:

Oatmeal with almond butter & sliced bananas

Veggies, Crackers & Hummus

Whole Chicken slow cooked with carrots & quinoa. + Spinach & Cucumber Salad.

 

Tuesday:

Scrambled Eggs & Avocado

Quinoa Salad

Hummus & Raw Veggies

Pasta & Homemade Pasta Sauce

 

Wednesday:

Cereal

Apple Slices & Almond Butter

Fresh Veggie Juice

Leftover Pasta for Lunch

Homemade Soup for dinner with fresh bread

 

Thursday:

Smoothie & Homemade Breakfast Muffins

Veggies & Hummus & Guacamole

Homemade Slow Cooked Meatballs & Spaghetti Squash

 

Friday:

Cereal

Apple Slices & Almond Butter

Homemade Quiche or Eggsalad Sandwiches

Pan fried fish with rice & vegetables + sweet potato fries and Salad

 

Saturday:

Homemade Pancakes

Fresh Veggie Juice

Tortilla Chips & Homemade guacamole

Yoghurt & Granola

Dinner out or Ordered in

 

Sunday:

Eggs & Avocado Toast

Smoothie

Greek Pasta Salad & Homemade Sweet Potato Fries

Apple Slices & Almond Butter

Homemade Pizza

 

We don’t eat the same thing every week but this is a great example of 1 out of a month.

What would a grocery list look like for a week like this?

 

PRODUCE

• 6-8 Avocadoes
• Bundle of Organic Bananas
• Bag of Apples
• Bundle of Celery
• Bag of Whole Carrots
• 5 Large Sweet Potato Fries
• 2 Cucumbers
• Large Bag or Container of Baby Spinach
• 3 Tomatoes on the Vine
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• 1 Spaghetti squash

Dairy/Dairy-Free

• 1 Carton or Eggs
• 1 Container Almond Milk
• 1 Container of Coconut Milk
• 1 Container of Whole Plain Yoghurt
• 1 Container of Sheep Macedonian Feta

Bakery

• Fresh loaf of bread (sliced)
• Wraps

Meat

• 1 Whole chicken
• 1 package of ground beef or ground meat alternative
• Choice of fish for 4 people

Other

• 1 Jar of Almond Butter
• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 1 Box of Crackers
• 1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
• 2 boxes of quinoa pasta
• 1 Package of all-purpose flour
• 1 Jar of REAL maple syrup
• 1 Bag of Frozen blueberries
• 1 bag of frozen mixed berries
• 1 Bag of chia seeds

I hope this helps to give you an idea of a list of groceries for a nice simple week of meals & snacks. The trick is to make sure you have a plan and a list, make sure the list is categorized on how to shop your grocery store. I start in produce so I know how to start my list. Write the list in your notes section of your phone as well just in case you forget your paper list (I forget mine almost ALL of the time). Watch the Membership Rewards points you earn from your grocery purchases grow when using your Platinum Card, and use those points to help pay off your bill… or even towards an upcoming family vacation. That’s the beauty of how flexible the Membership Rewards program is.

There are a few things I prep once a week to make things easier on all of us and I hope they can help you too!

Things to prep & tips:

• Slice your sweet potatoes into fries or cube shapes after peeling them. Divide them into glass containers in the fridge OR put some in freezer bags for future dinners or lunches.
• Wash and or peel, up all of your celery and carrots. Because of doing this I can grab from these containers for Ella’s lunches or when setting up a veggie tray at home or to use towards dinner meals.
• Make a chia pudding over night or cook overnight oats in your slow cooker for oatmeal breakfast the next day…so handy!
• Make your own “trail mix” of nuts and superfoods like goji berries
• Breakfast muffins can last an entire week if you make a big batch, the entire family can enjoy them all week long!
• Homemade granola bars or protein balls are a life saver on the go!
• Homemade hummus is way easier than you think and you can make a huge batch for the family.
• If you are a family that enjoys chicken, buy a large portion at the grocery store and divide it into meal portions into the freezer.
• Pre make your meatballs (you can even freeze them) that way you can pop them into the slow cooker whenever you need them with your homemade or favourite pasta sauce.
• Don’t forget your American Express Platinum Card!

 

This blog post was made in collaboration with American Express Canada, all opinions and words are my own.