Sometimes I look at the pictures of I take of my grocery trips and I think, “Man, do I buy a lot of mangoes.”
Or cheese. Or chicken.
Sometimes it’s not just a matter of meal planning getting into a rut, but a matter of the individual ingredients getting repetitive as well. We like the things we like, so we buy the things we like. Where’s the harm in that, right? If, like me, you have small children it can often feel like you’re buying the same six items on an endless loop. If, like me, you have small children who are very picky eaters, the situation can feel almost hopeless.
Just like the meal plan series had shown me that I was repeating the same meals, looking at my grocery trip pictures has revealed some unlikely repeat players. Some things I knew we ate a lot of, like tomatoes or bananas. Others were a little less obvious. Do we really eat that much pepperoni?
Turns out, we do eat that much pepperoni! And when I say we, I really mean the Little Bs. My Little Mermaid B is not big into meat, and for a family that eats mostly meat and vegetables, that can be a problem. The Sweet Apple B will eat whatever her big sis eats, so our quick and easy lunches tend to revolve around cured meats.
Pepperoni is delicious, but preschoolers cannot live on pizza toppings alone. But buying new foods can be so hard. If no one eats them, you end up feeling like you’ve wasted money. For folks trying to be smart with their dollars, wasted money cuts especially deep. If a new food doesn’t go over well, it can be expensive. Especially if your diet consists of mostly meat and veggies, the most pricey of the groceries. I went on a turnip kick once, after looking for a new vegetable to inject some zazz into standard meals. I found some great recipes. Turnip chips, turnip soup, mashed turnips…I was stoked. There was just one problem.
Everyone in my family hated turnips. The Little Bs took one bite and then left the table. They were so upset with the taste of the turnips, they refused to eat anything that had even been in proximity to a turnip. Mr. B, who is so good natured that he will eat anything I make, took three bites. Three bites and he turned to me with regret in his eyes, “Babe, I cannot eat these turnips. I’m sorry.”
“What if, I countered, “I make them a different way? Maybe you’d like them in a soup?” He shook his head. “You gotta get rid of those turnips.”
After TurnipGate, I’ve been reluctant to introduce new ingredients solo. I’ve usually introduced them as a part of a meal. The Little Bs had zucchini as part of zucchini lasagna, bell peppers as part of stuffed peppers. I’ve had tremendous success getting the Little Mermaid to eat chicken if I douse it in Buffalo sauce. But in an effort to wean the Little Bs off of pepperoni, I thought we could give it a try.
So, introducing to our line up…turkey! Small step in introducing new foods, but a step none the less! Turkey comes from the deli, same as the pepperoni. I bought the turkey with some pepperoni, to send the message that, like pepperoni, turkey is delicious. I’ll let you know how it goes, but I’m hoping this turkey opens doors to all kinds of new foods being introduced to the Little Bs.
- Bananas, 1.63 lbs-$.90.
- Boar’s Head Honey Turkey, ½ lb-$5.85.
- Boar’s Head Pepperoni, ½ lb-$3.22.
- Clementines, 3 lbs-$4.99.
- Heritage Farm Chicken Breasts, 9.34 lbs -$18.60.
- Honey Bunches of Oats (1)-$1.99. Originally $3.99, down to $1.99 with Buy 6, Save $3.
- Kraft Red Wine Vinaigrette-$1.99.
- Kroger Cream Cheese (2)-$2. 10 for $10 in-store sale.
- Kroger Mild Italian Meatballs, 1lb-$2.49. Originally $2.99, down with a *Digital Coupon* for .50 off.
- Kroger Milk, gallon-$1.89.
- Kroger Rice-$1.39. Remember when I used to pay $1.59 for rice that would last one meal? This bag will last me at least a month!
- Mangoes (3)-$2.97.
- Merry Irish Cheddar, ¾ lb-$3.49. Down from $7.70 on Manager’s Special.
- Private Selection Ribeye, ¾ lb-$6.66. On Manager’s special!
- Red Gold Canned Tomatoes (8)-$3.60. Originally .95, down to .45 with Buy 6, Save $3.
- Romaine Lettuce, 2.56 lb-$3.30.
- Sweet Baby Rays’s Buffalo Sauce-$1.49. Originally $3.29, down to $1.49 a bottle with Buy 6, Save $3.
- Vlasic Kosher Pure Pickles-$1.99. Originally $3.37, down to $1.99 with Buy 6, Save $3.
- Whole Pineapple-$.99.
- Apps I’ll Submit to-Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ( Any Item .25 Off)
Total Budget: $66.27
Total Spent: $73.29
Total Saved: $14.89
Deducted from the Next Trip: $7.02
How do you introduce new foods to picky eaters? Any tricks for offsetting the cost of buying products that aren’t sure things? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!