By blog team member, Kiran. To learn more about Kiran, check out our team page!
Note: This post is not sponsored (paid for) by Target. It’s just something I hope can be useful for you.
I know I don’t have to give you another reason to head to Target. I mean, if anything, many of us try to stay away from the store for fear of all the impulse buying which adds up fast! But since I know you’ll be heading there anyway, I want to give you some good news (and it’s not that there’s a fantastic sale). :)
Like us, you may have noticed over recent months that Target has been beefing up their organic and better brand offerings. From Enjoy Life to Muir Glen, I’m giddy with excitement about brands I can now pick up there, often at prices that are better than or comparable to grocery stores.
So initially I was going to outline a bunch of products that we like to purchase from Target, but then I realized I could take things a step further. Instead of outlining real food brands to look for, I’ve put together three meals that you can make using ingredients that are all from Target. Yes, you read that right. This means that on the day that you are shopping at this beloved store and you’re out of ideas for what to make for dinner, or out of time to put anything too complicated together, you can get all of your products at Target and save yourself from another trip to your local supermarket!
A few disclaimers before the good stuff:
- These are not gourmet meals. But let’s face it – some days call for simple and quick thrown-together meals.
- One of the meals includes bread that is organic and whole grain but has a small amount of added sugar. Lisa suggests 100% whole grain with limited added sweeteners in the form of honey or pure maple syrup, so this is a slight rule-breaker. But again, we are saving you a trip to another store, and if you’ve read my posts, you know that I am a 90-95% girl anyway.
- My Target was out of Stonyfield Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, so you’ll see the French Vanilla version pictured below. Not all stores have the exact same offerings, so sometimes you may need to adjust, as I did.
- This post is not sponsored (paid for) by Target. It’s just something I hope can be useful for you.
3 Real Food Meal Ideas Using Ingredients from Target
Beans and Rice with Roasted Broccoli
Items to Purchase:
Simply Balanced Organic Pinto Beans or Black Beans (see recipe choices below)- Lundberg Farms Whole Grain Wild Rice
- Simply Balanced Organic Broccoli Florets
- Applegate Bacon (if doing the Red Beans and Rice recipe)
- Simply Balanced Organic Salsa to top the beans and rice (optional)
Possible Recipes:
For beans, you have two choices.
- You can follow this Red Beans and Rice recipe, but you’d have to omit the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery unless you have them on hand.
- Or, you can follow this Slow Cooker Refried Beans recipe, but again without onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper unless you have them on hand. I have made the refried beans without any onion in the past, and we still loved them. And I personally always have onion and garlic on hand, but in case you don’t, I do know it can work without the onion!
Cook rice as directed on package.
Roast broccoli by following this recipe (requires olive oil but you can omit the garlic).
Eggs in Purgatory and Mixed Vegetables
Items to Purchase:
Eggland’s Best Organic Eggs- Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
- Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce
- Simply Balanced Mixed Vegetables
Possible Recipes:
Never heard of Eggs in Purgatory? Then you must not have watched The Soprano’s. That’s okay. Google it, and you’ll find lots of recipes, all super simple. Some call for a homemade sauce, but we are going simple since we have a great sauce option. Heat the sauce and put eggs into it to cook, based on recipe directions.
Cook pasta according to directions on box.
Cook vegetables according to directions on the bag. Voila – meal #2 accomplished.
Blueberry Waffles, Bacon, and Frozen Fruit in Yogurt
Items to Purchase:
Kodiak Cakes Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix – Buttermilk & Honey- Applegate Bacon
- Simply Balanced Frozen Blueberries
- Simply Balanced Frozen Berries
- Stonyfield Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
Possible Recipes:
Prepare waffles or pancakes per directions on box, adding blueberries to the mix.
Prepare bacon.
Stir frozen fruit into yogurt and top with honey or maple syrup. If you have granola on hand, top it with granola for a fun parfait.
To Go with Your Meal
We’re also big fans of Traditional Medicinals Tea, and I think that any of these meals would be wonderful if served with a cup of their Peppermint Tea or followed up with their Ginger Aid to help with digestion.
Never thought you could pick up dinner at a regular Target store? Think again! What new brands have you been pleased to see at Target lately? It’s so fun to see all this change – and in the right direction thankfully!
Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pizza Recipe
I’m not so certain about your commitment to real food when you recommend buying Eggland’s Best Organic eggs. You do know that these are produced from a “farm factory.” Don’t you?
The post talks about using what’s available at Target. If you have local eggs available, I imagine anyone associated with the site would recommend you use those. However, some of us occasionally find that life gets the best of us, and we need to make due with what is available at Target on Sunday night as opposed to what would have been ideal from the farmer’s market on Saturday morning. Adding guilt is not helpful.
Thank. You.
Well said!!
While I’m sure all of us understand “life getting the best of us”, I think you can expect that those who read your blog are going to wonder about your Eggland Brand choice. In the future, when this kind of an issue comes up, you might write something like the following in your blog article thereby getting in front of the issue: “I understand Eggland Brand Organic Eggs, while organic, are factory farmed, however, some of us occasionally find that life gets the best of us, and we need to make due with what is available at Target on Sunday night as opposed to what would have been ideal from the farmer’s market on Saturday morning.”
Just to clarify for you, Nancy, I am simply another reader of this blog making a comment, not the author of the article. Nor do I have my own food blog. I don’t know what your Target offers, but Eggland’s Best is the best real food choice at mine, which was the stated purpose of the article. The purpose for my comment to Mr. Dennison was to ask that people stop giving others guilt when we are all trying the best we can. I know I fall short sometimes–comments crafted to induce guilt are not going to prevent that.
This is great, I’d love to see more posts like this! I’d also love for Target to bring back the Stonyfield plain whole milk yogurt, it appears they’ve stopped carrying it at my stores. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve found that many stores are open to requests/suggestions. Contact them and request it! It can’t hurt! :)
I just love Kiran’s posts. Keep them coming!
Thank you!! ;)
Love the post. Just to be sure is the broccoli that you are roasting frozen? I would have never thought to roast frozen veggies, but it’s a great idea!!
Yep, you can definitely roast it from frozen. Just keep a watch on it but I’ve done it many times. Doesn’t get any easier than that!:)
Do you thaw the veggies first, or put them in the oven directly from the freezer?
I put them directly into the oven from the freezer. HTH!
@KIRAN DODEJA SMITH |
Love the post. Just to make sure is the broccoli that you are simmering solidified? I would have never thought to dish solidified veggies, however it’s an awesome thought!!
regards
rakhi
Hi Rakhi (love your name, btw),
I roast the broccoli straight from being frozen. HTH! Kiran
Thanks for the post and taking the “guilt” out of shopping at Target. You know sometimes I have 30 minutes and need to get groceries, cat litter, toothpaste, and buy a pair of shorts for my son…so Target wins! I think they have stopped carrying the Stonyfield plain yogurt (bummer) but they have so many options now like fresh organic fruits and veggies, organic dairy products, a lot of applegate products, Bob’s Red Mill (steel cut oats) and an assortment of organic sprouted beans, lentils, rice…and don’t forget the grass-fed beef selection is pretty good too!
The reality is, all of us have been there at one point or another. Yes, we try to cook from scratch most days, but life happens and you just have to go with it. I love the fact that Target is making it that much easier for us to just roll with it!
just last week I was thrilled to find Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs at my Target! They have been previously a Whole Foods item, so I almost squealed with delight to find them at Target!
Great post, Kiran. I think posts like these are so valuable because they demonstrate (or remind us) that eating real food is so do-able. It just takes some effort and creativity and boom– dinner is done :-)
I’m also super psyched about the frozen broccoli straight to oven trick. I’ve never tried that!
Love this and your posts – thanks so much!!!
This is great and I would love to see a list of what you buy regularly at Target.
Plus one for this request – I’d like to see the list as well. Great post!
Thanks for taking a sensible approach to feeding your family. When you’re a busy mom, pressed for time with hungry kids with a shopping list that’s more than just groceries, it’s nice to have easy meals like these to fall back on rather than a frozen pizza! Even our small Target has some fresh veggies and a few organic selections for produce, too.
Thanks, Lisa for providing an example of resourcefulness. I think it’s great to point out that quality food can be found in the most unlikely places.
However, once I discovered that Target (along with Starbucks and Safeway) contributed millions to defeat Prop 37 Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food in California, I stopped shopping at those places. I think that any company that actively chooses to keep their customers uninformed about what they are consuming, doesn’t deserve my business. And it is sad too! I’m a busy single working mom and miss the convenience of Target. But shame on them.
It’s tough standing up for what you believe in, isn’t it? But good for you!!
I liked the meal ideas. My crew loves to eat breakfast for dinner. The Applegate bacon in your first picture has an awesome price at $4.49. My local grocer charges $7.00+ I will definitely check out my local Target to see if they have a better price, and if they do, I will stock up!!
Great ideas! It’s so nice that Target now carries more brands like these. I have to say I’ve never heard of eggs in purgatory so I had to google it. Very interesting… think I just might have to make it and surprise my family with something new. :-)
When cooking the eggs, do you suggest scrambling them in the sauce? When I googled it, there were numerous pictures of the eggs cooked over easy. This is a great way to get my kiddos to eat eggs…thank you!
Hi Melissa,
I wouldn’t suggest scrambling them in the sauce; I’d cook them directly in the sauce (over easy or poach) or follow the directions included in whichever recipe you decide to go with.
I love Target, so thanks for giving me a healthy excuse to go. I haven’t heard of Eggs in Purgatory either; We will have to try it.
One of the things I love about Target is the small discount they give for bringing your own bags. I wish more places encouraged folks to use these. Here is a blog we wrote about the impact of disposal shopping bags:
http://agreenleafhome.com/plastic-bags-facts/
Happy shopping!
Eating organic whole foods for our family is partly inspired by our smaller foot print goals. Eggs in plastic doesn’t fit with our real food menu :(
I’ve never shopped for food at Target. What are the prices like? That’s awsome the food is organic.
Hi. Some of the food is organic and most are very competitively priced.
My Target sells garlic, onions, and jalapeños.