Question

Been working really hard to make solid lifestyle choice. Stopped drinking during the week, stopped smoking mj. Been exercising 3 times a week. Food prep is challenging for many reasons-getting two toddlers picked up and fed after a long, tiring day of work. We really want to move toward a Mediterranean diet lifestyle. And besides finding the time to cook the meals, I don’t even know where to start with the grocery budget. Our goal now is $800/month but have been getting by with $500/month for food. 2 adults, 2 toddlers. Anyone here eat Mediterranean? What does your grocery list look like? What is the tastiest evvo option that would blow the budget? What should always be stocked in my pantry (ie. Capers, olives, evoo) Feel free to share your recipes as well. I live near Aldi, Jewel, Woodman’s, fresh market (Hispanic grocery store ) and Costco Thanks ‍

Answer 1

We loooove ALDI Avocado oil and even Costco!  

Comments

@purificator do you cook with avocado oil instead of butter or extra vir olive oil? I could never use coconut oil cause everything tasted like coconut.  

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@maieutic1 we use butter and avocado oil. Husband is keto, so it has better fat content for him. The higher smoke point is also better.  

Answer 2

Maybe search on Pinterest for some menu ideas! Way to go with the lifestyle changes! Keep it up girl!  

Answer 3

Congrats on making healthy choices! I don’t eat a Mediterranean diet, but here are some things I purchase at our local Costco w/ pricing estimates. Hope it’s helpful! Also, before we got our Costco membership, I researched pricing for healthy items online (so many lists available! ) and it’s really helped me create a budget friendly shopping list. Best of luck!  Frozen wild-caught Salmon $30 Olive Oil $12 Avocado Oil $14 Couscous $12 Organic Pasta (6 bags) $11 Massive Kalmata Olive Jar $11 Refrigerated Olives (snacking) $15 Feta Cheese (two bricks) $12 Fresh Organic Spinach $6 Frozen Broccoli $11 Approx $144 w/ Tax.  

Comments

@redan16904 Thanks Rachel. This is helpful.  

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@maieutic1 you’re welcome!  

Answer 4

I went to the to the library for resources.  The Mediterranean diet incorporates more healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains, and fewer unhealthy fats. It also incorporates ingredients like olive oil and red wine that, when consumed in moderation, are good for lowering stress levels. I found this online

Answer 5

Get your greens and beans. Don't focus to much on meat. Meat is more expensive than beans and legumes.  

Answer 6

I’m pretty sure emeals. com has a Mediterranean plan

Comments

@bolshevist interesting. Is this a meal kit delivery plan? I’m going to look into it more.  

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@maieutic1 it’s a menu plan service, it gives you a menu each week and you make the food. Dave Ramsey actually recommends it!  

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@bolshevist Haha. Naturally I’m already getting ads on FB for it  

Answer 7

I really love pinterest for mediterranian recipes. Costco has great deals on frozen wild caught fish. I used to buy the wild caught salmon at Aldi but they went up in price. Costco also has great deals on organic olives, olive oil, and organic herbs. It's a lot up-front cost. The more I print recipes of things that I'll actually eat, the more likely I am to stick with it. OH! and Aldi and costco both has organic frozen veggies. A fish with veggies is so easy and adaptable. :) <3

Answer 8

We buy canned artichokes and jar olives at Walmart and they work great for our med. Skillet.  

Answer 9

First off you’ve conquered two huge challenges . drinking and smoking ! So good job self ! Mediterranean is excellent way to eat and delicious. There are tons If google it . lots of ideas . you can get totally good eevo right off the shelves these days . sometimes a bit more for 1-2 things though will make everything else better. Way to go !  

Comments

@polytypic and the oil (even though a tad pricey, goes a long way)

Answer 10

Regular non extra virgin olive oil can be used for cooking. The extra virgin is used for garnishing, dressing, etc due to its lighter taste.  

Answer 11

My husband and I eat a Mediterranean diet prescribed by his doctor for high cholesterol and it has been wonderful for us! As far as meats it’s simple- chicken, ground turkey and seafood that’s it. We do a lot of shrimp a large frozen bag can usually get us 3 meals. Other items to keep stocked brown rice, evvoo, lemon and herbs like parsley and basil. We do also go through a lot of olives and feta. We love chickpea bean salads. This is one of my favorite recipes   
https://www.budgetbytes.com/greek-t...llet/

Comments

@exasperate yumm. I’ll try it. Do you use fresh or frozen shrimp? Or does it not matter?  

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I usually use frozen and just run them under cold water for a few minutes before I Marinade them.  

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@exasperate just be cautious. shrimp is fairly high in cholesterol

Answer 12

Platejoy app also has a Mediterranean plan. This is my favorite app to use to meal plan, super easy & intuitive, add each family member and it will give you recipes that feed that number, option to have your lunches from dinner leftover, can import the shopping list straight into Instacart, has a pantry stock feature, etc. etc. Highly recommend! It has saved me so much time and money!  
https://www.platejoy.com/

Answer 13

A lot of chicken and fish. ground chicken or shredded chicken in tacos is good too. a bean salad is good, cheap and healthy