Food Lion Kid-Friendly Meal Plan

SALE ITEMS FOUND

Meats on sale:
- Cold Water Lobster Tail: $3/oz
- Fresh Chicken Tenderloins: Family Pack
- Raw Shrimp Peeled and Deveined Tail-Off: $16/oz bag
- Boneless Pork Loin Roast or Whole Pork Tenderloin: $1/lb
- Chop House Beef and Pork Burger: $21.28/oz pkg
- Pork Chops Center Cut Bone-In: sale price
- Beef Chuck Roast: sale price
- Thin Sliced Boneless Chicken Breast: Family Pack
- Chicken Drumsticks: $5/lb bag
- Swift Dry Rub St. Louis Style Pork Ribs: $19/oz pkg
- Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon: $16/oz pkg
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage: $12-14 oz pkg
- Johnsonville Fresh Dinner Sausage: $7-9 oz pkg
- Smithfield Marinated Pork Loin Filet: $23/oz pkg
- Cod or Haddock Fillets: $10/oz
- Flounder Fillets: $32/oz pkg
- Food Lion Cooked Shrimp: $16/oz bag
- Luke's Lobster Cakes: $6/oz pkg

Vegetables on sale:
- Strawberries: $1/lb container
- Blueberries: $1/pint
- Mini Potatoes: $14/oz
- Mini Cucumbers: $24/oz
- Yellow or White Nectarines: sale price
- Mini Watermelon: sale price
- Hass Avocados or Mangos: sale price
- Taste of Inspirations Tomatoes: sale price
- Broccoli Crowns: sale price
- Food Lion Baby Cut Carrots: $1/lb bag
- Fresh Express Salad Blends: $6-9 oz pkg
- Realsweet Organic Vidalia Onions: $3/lb bag
- Nature's Promise Organic Nectarines, Peaches or Plums: $2/lb bag
- Fresh Cherries: sale price

BUDGET RATIONALE

Protein ranking (most economical to most expensive per serving for 4 people):
- Boneless Pork Loin Roast or Whole Pork Tenderloin: $1/lb - roughly 2 lbs needed = ~$2.00 total, about $0.50/serving - most economical item on the entire flyer
- Chicken Drumsticks: $5 for a 5 lb bag - a full bag feeds 4 easily = $5.00 total, about $1.25/serving
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage: listed per pkg ($12-14 oz pkg, sale price) - one pkg feeds 4 as part of a dish = estimated ~$3.00-$4.00 total, about $0.75-$1.00/serving
- Johnsonville Fresh Dinner Sausage: $7-9 oz pkg, sale price - likely ~$4.00-$5.00 for two pkgs to feed 4, about $1.00-$1.25/serving
- Fresh Chicken Tenderloins: Family Pack, sale price - estimated ~$6.00-$8.00 for 2 lbs, about $1.50-$2.00/serving
- Thin Sliced Boneless Chicken Breast: Family Pack, sale price - estimated ~$6.00-$8.00 for 2 lbs, about $1.50-$2.00/serving
- Pork Chops Center Cut Bone-In: sale price, price not listed - estimated ~$6.00-$8.00 for 4 chops, about $1.50-$2.00/serving
- Beef Chuck Roast: sale price, price not listed - estimated ~$8.00-$12.00 for 2 lbs, about $2.00-$3.00/serving
- Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon: $16/oz pkg - single pkg ~$4.00-$5.00, supporting role only, about $1.00-$1.25/serving as add-on
- Smithfield Marinated Pork Loin Filet: $23/oz pkg - full pkg likely ~$7.00-$9.00, about $1.75-$2.25/serving
- Chop House Beef and Pork Burger: $21.28/oz pkg - full pkg likely ~$8.00-$10.00, about $2.00-$2.50/serving
- Swift Dry Rub St. Louis Style Pork Ribs: $19/oz pkg - full pkg likely ~$8.00-$12.00, about $2.00-$3.00/serving
- Gorton's Fish Fillets (frozen): $11-11.4 oz pkg, sale price - one pkg may not fully cover 4 people, two pkgs ~$8.00-$10.00, about $2.00-$2.50/serving - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Cod or Haddock Fillets: $10/oz - this reads as an unusually high per-oz price, making it very expensive per serving - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Food Lion Cooked Shrimp: $16/oz bag - at $16 for a 16 oz bag, ~$16.00 for one bag - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Raw Shrimp Peeled and Deveined Tail-Off: $16/oz bag - same as above, ~$16.00 for one bag - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Flounder Fillets: $32/oz pkg - this reads as a very high per-pkg price - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Luke's Lobster Cakes: $6/oz pkg - at $6/oz this is extremely expensive per serving - PREMIUM (seafood)
- Cold Water Lobster Tail: $3/oz - at $3/oz lobster tails run $12-$18 each, most expensive item on the flyer - PREMIUM (seafood)

Why these meals: The star of this week is the Boneless Pork Tenderloin at $1/lb - that is genuinely one of the best protein deals you will find anywhere, and it anchors Monday night for almost nothing. Chicken Drumsticks at $5 for a full 5 lb bag give you a generous Tuesday dinner for the whole family at about $1.25 per person, and the Eckrich Smoked Sausage keeps Wednesday's skillet meal hearty and affordable. For Thursday, the Fresh Chicken Tenderloins are a family pack ideal for kid-friendly strips that every child at the table will eat happily. Friday gets the one seafood night using Gorton's Fish Fillets from the freezer aisle, which are the most accessible and budget-friendly seafood option on an otherwise very premium-heavy seafood list - lobster tails at $3/oz, shrimp bags at $16, and flounder at $32 a pkg were all deliberately skipped because a sale tag does not change the fact that those are expensive ingredients for a weeknight family dinner. King's Hawaiian Rolls picked up for the burger and tenderloin nights add great kid appeal without much cost, and fresh strawberries and blueberries at $1 each make a simple fruit side that kids love.

5-DAY MEAL PLAN

Monday
Meal: Sliced Pork Tenderloin with Mini Potatoes and Carrots
Description: A juicy roasted pork tenderloin sliced into medallions and served alongside buttery roasted mini potatoes and tender baby carrots - a classic, familiar dinner kids will clean their plates for. Everything roasts together on one pan, making cleanup easy and the whole meal hands-off once it goes in the oven.
Sale items used: Boneless Pork Loin Roast or Whole Pork Tenderloin, Mini Potatoes, Food Lion Baby Cut Carrots
Prep time: 10 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook
Serving note: 2 lbs pork tenderloin (about 8 oz per person), 14 oz bag mini potatoes split among 4, 1 lb bag baby carrots split among 4

Tuesday
Meal: Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Baby Carrots
Description: Fall-off-the-bone baked drumsticks glazed with sweet and smoky Kraft BBQ sauce are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that kids ask for again and again. Serve with fresh baby carrots on the side for a simple, no-fuss Tuesday dinner.
Sale items used: Chicken Drumsticks, Kraft Barbecue Sauce, Food Lion Baby Cut Carrots
Prep time: 10 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake
Serving note: 8 drumsticks (2 per person) from the 5 lb bag, 1 lb bag baby carrots split among 4, roughly 1/2 cup BBQ sauce for glazing
Recipes:
- BEST Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe - Together as Family

Wednesday
Meal: Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet with Broccoli
Description: Sliced Eckrich smoked sausage sauteed with jasmine rice and tender broccoli florets makes a one-pan dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with flavors every kid recognizes and loves. The savory sausage gives this skillet a rich, satisfying taste without any spice.
Sale items used: Eckrich Smoked Sausage, Mahatma Jasmine Rice, Broccoli Crowns
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: 1 pkg (12-14 oz) Eckrich sausage sliced, 1 pkg (8.8 oz) jasmine rice cooked, 1 large broccoli crown cut into florets, all divided among 4 plates

Thursday
Meal: Crispy Baked Chicken Tenderloins with Heinz Ketchup Dipping Sauce
Description: Chicken tenderloins coated in a simple seasoned breadcrumb crust and baked until golden and crispy - basically homemade chicken fingers, which are the ultimate kid-approved dinner. Served with Heinz ketchup for dipping alongside fresh cucumber slices for a crunchy, fresh side.
Sale items used: Fresh Chicken Tenderloins, Heinz Ketchup, Mini Cucumbers
Prep time: 15 minutes prep, 20 minutes bake
Serving note: approximately 2 lbs chicken tenderloins (about 4-5 strips per child, 2-3 per adult), 1 bag mini cucumbers sliced, ketchup served on the side for dipping

Friday
Meal: Gorton's Fish Fillet Sandwiches on King's Hawaiian Rolls with Pickles
Description: Crispy baked fish fillets from Gorton's tucked into soft, slightly sweet King's Hawaiian rolls with pickles and a little Duke's mayo make a Friday fish night that feels like a treat but costs very little. Kids love the soft rolls and the mild, crispy fish - it is a fun build-your-own setup that gets everyone involved.
Sale items used: Gorton's Fish Fillets, King's Hawaiian Rolls, Vlasic Spears, Duke's Mayonnaise
Prep time: 5 minutes prep, 20 minutes bake
Serving note: 2 pkgs Gorton's Fish Fillets (2-3 fillets per person), 4 King's Hawaiian rolls (1 per person), pickles and mayo served on the side
Recipes:
- Crispy Family Fish Sandwich Recipe
- Fish Sandwich Recipe (Crispy Pan-Fried)

SHOPPING LIST

Buy on sale:
- Boneless Pork Loin Roast or Whole Pork Tenderloin (2 lbs): $2.00
- Chicken Drumsticks (1 x 5 lb bag): $5.00
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage (1 pkg): $4.00
- Fresh Chicken Tenderloins (1 Family Pack, approx 2 lbs): $7.00
- Gorton's Fish Fillets (2 pkgs): $9.00
- Mini Potatoes (1 x 14 oz bag): $3.50
- Food Lion Baby Cut Carrots (2 x 1 lb bags): $2.00
- Broccoli Crowns (1 large crown): $2.50
- Mini Cucumbers (1 x 24 oz bag): $4.00
- Mahatma Jasmine Rice (1 pkg, 8.8 oz): $2.50
- King's Hawaiian Rolls (1 x 12 ct): $4.50
- Vlasic Spears (1 jar, Buy 1 Get 1 Free - buy 1 at regular price): $3.50
- Duke's Mayonnaise (1 x 15 oz): $3.50
- Heinz Ketchup (1 x 24 oz): $3.00
- Kraft Barbecue Sauce (1 x 17.5 oz): $3.00
- Strawberries (1 x 1 lb container): $1.00
- Blueberries (1 pint): $1.00

Pantry staples needed:
- Olive oil or vegetable oil for roasting
- Salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Breadcrumbs for chicken tenders
- Eggs (for breadcrumb coating)