How often do you grocery shop?

chani8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:06 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I don't have teens, but do they eat raw staples they make themselves or lots of snack foods?

They make themselves 'one man meals' at varying hours of the day.

Some are on diets to lose weight, some on diets to gain weight.

They want the food 'now.'

And they want to eat whatever they 'feel like' eating.

I don't keep too many snack foods in the house. Only crackers and bamba and fruit.

I serve dinner at around 5 pm, which they all eat. But by 8 pm they're asking for a 2nd dinner. Confused

black sheep

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:21 pm

chani8 wrote:

You're motivating me to get organized again. I used to have a two week menu plan. Then I would only need one big shopping spree every other week. Of course, milk and bread and veggies required mid-week stops at the makolet.

I just can't imagine being that organized again, though. It's the teenagers. They just grab food and eat whatever they see, whenever they feel like it. I don't even bother trying to plan anything anymore.

How do you manage being organized with teens around????

I have preteen boys so I know exactly what you mean. when they were all little, my weekly menu was very organized, and I knew exactly how much to buy each week. I only did one big grocery trip a week. but now, there is no telling how much bread they will go through in a day, and they throw everything they find in the fridge into a sandwich. there are times when I am still shocked at how quickly they go through all the food in the fridge and pantry! the good news is that I almost never have leftovers anymore, and if I do, they disappear into sandwiches within a day...

so, to answer OPs question, as my kids are getting bigger, my weekly grocery run has become a three-times a week grocery run. sometimes more. I am starting to understand why parents send their teenage sons away to yeshiva, it's cheaper than feeding them at home!!!!

chani8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:25 pm

I really can't buy enough bread and rolls, or chocolate spread, or cereal.

My pre-teen boy will sit down to 2 reams of crackers a day. And while he's making himself a meal of soy shnitzles, which take maybe 2 minutes in the microwave, he makes a chocolate sandwich 'for the wait'.

mommyof2boys

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:26 pm

I used to be great with a once a week shop when I was in Israel with no car.

Now in America I find I am going every other day!

Would love to get organized again. Those of you with meal plans- would you mind sharing? I have two toddlers and we tend to eat all together the same food. Think I may start making healthier options for DH and I too.

menu's anyone?

chani8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:38 pm

Yes. Menus anyone??

Here is my attempt at a menu:

1. eggs and tomato sauce (aka shakshooka)
2. hamburger zucchini chili
3. ground turkey and cabbage soup
4. fish stew
5. stir fry chicken
6. hamburger patties and mushrooms
7. whew, it's shobbos!

black sheep

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 2:51 pm

chani8 wrote:

lol! my preteen son also snacks while he waits 2 minutes for his food to warm up! I'm telling you, it is a bottomless pit in there.

I used to buy one loaf of sliced bread a week. now, sometimes one a day isn't enough! and I don't bother buying bakery cookies anymore, they are gone in a second and way too expensive. I have to bake myself or they can just have another sandwich... oh, and I don't buy crackers anymore because my boys will finish a box in one sitting, while waiting for me to finish serving dinner! each their own box! they should really rename the "family pack" - "good for one teenager."

will my daughter eat as much when she reaches this age? or is it just boys?

chani8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 3:30 pm

black sheep wrote:

chani8 wrote:

Girls eat a lot, too, only they cry about it as it starts sticking to their hips. They also cry when the boys eat up all the cereal. They cry, or throw things, when they can't find whatever it is they 'feel like' eating (usually because the boys ate it!).

For teen girls, just make sure to have (diet) chocolate bars and (low fat) potato chips for certain times of the month. Or diet yogurt and low calorie popcorn for the serious dieters.

amother

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 3:40 pm

I used to do two biggish shoppings a week based on sales and because I had time. Now, I don't really have time so it's a once a week big shopping and I work right near a cheap grocery for all the little things if I forget like bekelach, milk or eggs etc... Fruits and veggies last close to a week and by the next week's shopping, it's getting kinda sparse, but I manage. It's a shlep to go more often and I find myself spending more $$ too.

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 3:48 pm

I don't stick to the menu plan like I used to. When my dorming teens are home, they use a lot of raw ingredients to make their own food. I know that when everyone will be home I need to stock up on eggs, cheese, malawach, cereal, milk, and whatever else they're into at the moment. One son is into making shnitzel in the middle of the night, which works if we have a stocked freezer.

My little boys need a stock of corn shnitzel; that's their main real food source.

chani8

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 3:51 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

I think corn shnitzels are a 'complete meal'. I'm counting on it, anyway.

FASMA

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 5:35 pm

I go every other week to te kosher store and every other week to the grocery store. I also order vegetables and fruits every other week and ask them to bring ripe- ready to be eaten veggies and fruits and also stuff that will last longer. I cook around what I have at home because I always try to have the fridge full of meat, chicken, fish

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 6:28 pm

I think it's a factor of 1) # of people in your household, 2) how much storage space you have/if you have spare fridge, 3) if you have a car, and 4) how many grocery stores you have closeby.

Main grocery shopping (household items and basic ambient items)--once in 10days or so. I keep a list of things to stock up when the inventories run low.

Meat--once a week if we're expecting shabbat guests. Less if we don't have guests or have vegetarians.

I also top up once or twice during the week for fresh produces.

chani8

Fri, Jan 25 2013, 3:17 am

amother wrote:

I go every single blinking day. Sometimes twice. We are forever running out of food. I cannot store the food enough for one week in my home. I would need an extra kitchen! I feed 7 children .

We go just about every day also. It's crazy!!!

I think I'm going to put everyone on a calorie counting program, so that I can keep track of how much they ate for the day.

Lately, after they've eaten a whole bag of bamba alone and come looking for more 'real food', I've started pointing out, "You can't be hungry, you just ate 510 calories!!"

I am really wondering, Are they eating out of boredom, or do they really need so much food?? How can we know??

MMCH

Fri, Jan 25 2013, 9:21 am

ideally 1x a week but it ends up being 2x.
I work reaaaaly hard on being organized but fail mostly. lol
on sunday night I sit down and make a menu for ex-
monday-taco's and rice tuesday-salmon and quiche wednesady-turkey burgers and wtvr thursday-pizza bagels

I go down each menu item and right down wat I need and put it on the list
shabbos is seperate, bc the idea of making a shabbos menu the day after its over annoys me bc then I never get a break!!

I keep a running list on a white board on my fridge wenever something runs out. and I try to keep a typed list on the inside of my pantry of dry goods and staples that should always be there (ex flour, sugar, oils)

one tip I learned after I had my first is that I have to be more open minded to NOT making things I find a recipe for that day. bc that would mean lugging into the car to go get that random ingrediant that I dont keep handy, its starts to get old really quick.
look through recipes at the beg of the week that interest you

as for being a short order cook- break that habit now. if ur kids dont want wat u offer, offer ONE other choice, ex a cream cheese sandwhich something reaaly easy. thats it. dont start boiling noodles every night.