Grocery shopping is truly one of my favorite things to do, so two-week hauls aren’t typically my practice. I love going once a week to pick out all the delicious things I’m going to cook with and eat!
When I know a super busy week is coming up, I can make my life a little easier by doing all my grocery shopping and meal planning ahead of time. That’s when I love a two week menu plan and grocery haul! Here are three things that help with this process:
- Choose simple recipes that can easily be doubled, frozen and reheated.
- Plan at least three of those for the first week’s menu and put the double portion in the freezer.
- Choose fruits and veggies that don’t require lots of prep and that last a long time in the fridge – apples and oranges instead of melons, spring mix instead of bagged salads or heads of lettuce.
Here’s my two week menu plan!
Breakfast:
- Smoothies
- Oatmeal
Lunch:
- Leftovers
- Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Salad Wraps
- Pre-Packaged Salads from Aldi
Supper: (meals prepared/eaten the first week are in bold)
- Baked Pasta/Salad
- Sloppy Joes with Fries/Corn OR Fruit/Chips (x2)
- Hamburgers on the grill/Fries/Salad
- Beef Enchiladas/Fruit/Chips & Salsa (x2)
- Countryside Chicken Bake/Rice/Peas
- BBQ Turkey Cups/Salad
- Skinny Salisbury Steak/Mashed Potatoes/Garlic Green Beans
- BBQ Chicken/Baked Potatoes/Southern Green Beans – I used chicken quarters and covered them in Italian dressing and BBQ sauce. They baked at 375 for an hour, and then I brushed a little more BBQ sauce on top before sliding them under the broiler for a couple minutes.
- Chicken Sausage Skillet/Brown Rice/Broccoli
- Supper Out
- Leftovers (x2)
Snacks:
- Breakfast Cookies
- Pretzels and Carrots with Hummus
I bought the bulk of my groceries at Aldi – I did two smaller trips (one each week) to Lowe’s Foods to supplement the things I couldn’t get at Aldi. See my Aldi haul below!
Are you a fan of two-week grocery hauls and menu plans?
Come Home For Comfort 
We have an Aldi but it’s not super convenient…I keep telling myself I’m going to go one Saturday but still haven’t made time.
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Before we had an Aldi nearby, I would go once a month and stock up on canned goods, baking supplies and whatever produce was on sale that week. Saturdays are my least favorite time to shop Aldi, though – it’s always crowded and low in inventory. Go early in the morning if you can!
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Just curious, do you also keep a stocked pantry? If so, I’d love it if you shared your tips!
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I do! I shared my pantry essentials here, and the list really hasn’t changed: https://comehomeforcomfort.com/2017/06/12/my-pantry-essentials/
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I’ve recently gotten back into menu planning and I’m so happy I did! I actually do two-week menu plans – mainly for dinner. We eat week one’s menu and then eat the exact same thing during week two. It’s been so easy because I only need to find 4-5 recipes total (they make enough for leftovers) … then I just make the same recipes again the following week. I got into the habit of two-week menu plans because payday is every two weeks. I plan my menu, shop, and then I’m done until next payday! It saves me trips to the grocery store and it helps with budgeting, too!
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I’m so glad that’s working well for you! You’re right that it saves time AND money.
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