I’ve come across a lot of “meal plans” lately in both magazines and online. They’re always inspiring with so many different and creative ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner (each meal requires a separate recipe of course and never utilizes “leftovers”). Sure, if someone else was doing all of the cooking for me I would sign right up for one of those plans.
Then some other meal plans tell me that their dish made with goat cheese only costs $2 per serving. Well guess what, you can’t buy goat cheese by the serving (it costs $4 a container at best!). So rather than complaining about it, I’ve decided to come up 
with my own meal plan – two of them actually. And this is what you’ll find:
- Two 7-day practical “real food” menu plans designed for busy families
- Complete meals listed each day for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner
- Food quantities calculated for a family of four
- Corresponding grocery lists showing what to buy (in order of the store) and actual cost for each item
- Budget-friendly prices compatible to what a family of four would receive on full food stamp (SNAP) benefits – $167/week – with additional cost-saving opportunities because…
- Coupons were not used
- Sale prices were not used
- Prices for organic items were used in most cases
- All underlined recipes are available on 100DaysofRealFood.com – check out the Recipes & Resources Page for a full list
- All recipes are working mom/dad-friendly including tips on what to make in advance over the weekend
- Almost every item listed follows our strict 10-day pledge rules, with just a few minor exceptions to keep the plan realistic for those busy working parents
Here’s the scoop on how to download these two FREE meal plans:
- Go to the “Meal Plans” link on the 100 Days of Real Food Facebook Page
- Click “like” if you are not already a fan
- Click on the image you would like to download. The top image is “Meal Plan 1” and the bottom image is “Meal Plan 2”
[Entered in Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday]
Thank you!!!! Especially for making the menus budget friendly!!!
I love these meal plans for me — but my husband? He would “starve” eating only a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with raisins and a banana. He is 6’2″ and 190 lbs, we are really active and he works out almost everyday. What would you suggest for meals for people who need to consume more?
Hi! I’m so excited to have come across your site ~ we’ve just started to really revamp our eating habits and incorporate more real, whole foods.
I was thrilled to see you have some meal plans avail. I noticed Triscuits on the meal plan with egg salad, and I’m wondering, do you make your own “triscuits”? I imagine that store-bought Triscuits are a processed food, aren’t they?
Thanks for the wonderful site! Your family and easy approach make change seem so manageable. All the best!
Hello there –
Triscuits are actually only 3 ingredients so we use the store-bought ones. The oil is not ideal (refined), but the ingredients are a far cry from what most brands contain. I hope that helps!
i’m late to the party i know but i had to comment about the food stamp amount! for my family of 9 i get $464 a month so your calculating is a bit off. it bothers me that people think those who receive food stamps are rolling in dough!!
My calculation is for those who get FULL food stamp benefits. If you have any other sources of income then you would not be eligible for the full amount.
Lisa, this may be a silly question (sorry, my brain is foggy from reading your site for a week straight, THANK YOU for all you do by the way) but do the grocery lists include the ingredients for things such as the muffins and the granola? They seemed to but I wasn’t entirely sure so I figured I’d ask. Didn’t know if you just assumed they be made beforehand. Thanks again!
Every single ingredient (for each recipe) is accounted for in either the grocery list or pantry items. I hope that helps!
[...] and they did it on just $125 per month. On her blog you can find cheap (and kid-friendly) recipes, meal plans and a diary of the first 100 days on this [...]
Thank you for taking the time to do this for people. It is so incredibly helpful to already have this done. You are appreciated!
I would love to try the Sport Mixer in purple! It would be great for peanut butter banana smoothies.
I am currently forced to no processed foods (dr. orders)
Due to a terrible car accident that i am still dealing with back and neck pains. who knew processed food keep your inflamation full force.I am very new to what is not processed and is. SO i am more then grateful for this blog please email me the mean plans. I would like to start asap
First let me say that I love the concept of your site. We use mostly real foods and have found tips to easily take the next step so thank you. However, I’m having a huge problem with the food stamp thing. $167 a week is not the norm, not where I live. You also have to take into account that not everyone has the knowledge necessary to eat this way. Their priorities are different. They dont have the time to research and plan. It seems very much like you’re saying that people on food stamps should be eating this way because they have enough money to do so (through the benefits program). You’re not taking into account that many of these people, especially those in lower income urban areas don’t even have access to whole foods, farmers markets or specialty stores. Yes I believe people on food stamps should be encouraged to buy real foods over highly processed items. Yes I believe people need to make better nutritional choices in general. However you cannot compare your situation to someone else’s.
I appreciate your feedback, but I actually don’t recall saying that people on foodstamps should eat this way (or do anything for that matter). It was merely a price comparison of our budget (that readers voted on) vs. a full food stamp budget. That was all!
A friend recently introduced me to your site, and I am inspired and excited to begin eating only real foods. (It was a struggle to avoid putting coffee mate in my coffee this morning, but I did it!) I also don’t have a Facebook account. Is it possible for you to email me the recipes? Thank you!
Hey–just was told about your site… I am also not a FB’er. When your kids say are you on the PC again/phone I gave it up!!! That’s was over 3 years ago!!! So how do I get these meal plans LOL I did sign with an email to you blog… Has anyone ever found a database where you click EVERY FOOD your family eats (all the real food items) then a menu is created based on that what you eat and need daily nutritionally. Now that I’d pay for!!!!
My daughter is allergic to eggs and I am wondering if there is something I can substitute in place of the eggs like on the pancakes and some of the other recipes.
Hi Jennifer. I have read that you can use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water per egg. My understanding is that it’s not recommended for more than 2 eggs in a recipe. Jill
Applesauce is also a great replacement for eggs. It works very well in pancakes especially. Homemade, or all natural. Very good substitute.
I cannot get to the meal plans via Facebook could you please e – mail them to me? I live in Ontario,Canada
and have some family members taking the pledge. Thank you for all this great information.
my son is allergic to eggs, wheat, soy, corn, peanut and almonds. we use the flax seed = egg method and it works quite well for us. I just wipe out our coffee bean grinder and put the flax seed in and grind it. When I empty it out I add the water to the ground seeds and mix well. Just wipe out the coffee grinder with a dry paper towel
Hope this helps someone out.
After reading the comments, I’m thrilled to know that I am not the only one struggling to find the meal plans on your FB page. I came across your blog via Pinterest and am excited to start our new year with a new food view. We already eat healthy, but I let a few things slip. Can you let me know where or how to find those meal plan links? Thank you!
Can I make a tiny suggestion? I substitute anything that requires mayo, for fat free greek yogurt, literally NO ONE can tell the difference and the health benefits are worth it! I make all my creamy sauces with it, ranch, tartar sauce,chipolte sauce, or just straight mayo for a turkey sandwich and tuna. Its a great substitute, I haven’t had mayo for over a year and neither has my family and they dont even know!
I’m not on Facebook but I’d love to try your 100 day pledge. Could you please send me meal plan 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. I printed off plan 5. Thanks you I’m so excited to try this. We eat pretty good for a family of 6 but I’d like to step it up.
I too am having difficulty finding the menu plan from facebook, can they be emailed or is there a different way to find them.
Hi Rachael. Have you tried subscribing to the blog? They are also accessible that way. ~Amy
[...] asked and I listened…here’s yet another free “real food” meal plan! This one utilizes produce that’s typically in-season during the summer months, and since so many [...]
Unfortunatly my family of four is on a weekly budget of $60. Its nearly impossible to feed us, let alone all natural foods. Any suggestions?
Hi Annabelle. Be sure to go through Lisa’s posts on 1000 Days on a Budget: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/100-days-on-a-budget/. Even though your budget is different, there is plenty of information that will help guide you. And here are some other resources with good easy to apply advice: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cheap-healthy-15-nutritious-foods-about-2-dollars, http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_on_budget.htm, http://www.livestrong.com/article/555855-the-best-healthy-foods-on-a-budget/, and http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/eat-smart/healthy-foods-on-a-budget/. Best of luck! ~Amy
Thank you for your reply! Got some great advice and ideas from these links! :0)