Kroger Kid-Friendly Meal Plan
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BUDGET RATIONALE
Why these meals: Hi there, this week gives your family a different protein every night: chicken strips on Monday, smoked sausage mac and cheese on Tuesday, barbecue pork sandwiches on Wednesday, a cheeseburger beef pasta bake on Thursday, and a breakfast-for-dinner egg scramble on Friday. Everything is mild and familiar, so picky eaters should be happy, and the 2 lbs of chicken breasts at $3.98 and 2 lbs of pork half loin at $3.98 stretch into hearty dinners. Wednesday's roast takes about 75 minutes, so season the pork in the morning and let it cook while the kids do homework. Friday is the easy finish, with a 24 count carton of eggs at $5.49 turning into a 15-minute supper with toast and strawberries.
5-DAY MEAL PLAN
Monday
Meal: Baked Chicken Breast Strips with Ready Rice and Mini Sweet Peppers
Description: Boneless chicken breasts are cut into strips and baked until golden and cooked through, then served over Ben's Original Ready Rice. Mini sweet peppers on the side add crunch and sweetness kids like.
Sale items used: Fresh Heritage Farm Boneless Chicken Breasts or Wings, Ben's Original Ready Rice or Campbell's Cooking Sauce, Private Selection Snacking Tomatoes or Mini Seedless Cucumbers or Kroger Mini Sweet Peppers
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs Fresh Heritage Farm Boneless Chicken Breasts or Wings, 2 packs Ben's Original Ready Rice or Campbell's Cooking Sauce (use rice), 1 pack Kroger Mini Sweet Peppers (2 for $6.00 deal, buy 2 packs total for the week, use 1 here).
Recipes:
- My kids can't get enough of these crispy baked chicken fingers!
- Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders {Super Crispy & Easy to Make}
- Easy Oven Baked Chicken Strips for the Whole Family - Toddler Dietitian Tiff
Tuesday
Meal: Sausage and Mac and Cheese Skillet
Description: Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Ropes are sliced and browned, then stirred into prepared Goodles Mac & Cheese. A simple one-pot dinner with familiar cheesy flavor.
Sale items used: Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Ropes or Cocktail Smokies, Ken's Salad Dressing or Goodles Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serving note: 1 package Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Ropes, 2 boxes Goodles Mac & Cheese for 4 people.
Recipes:
- This One-Pot Sausage Mac and Cheese Is My Go-To Busy Night Dinner
- Easy One-Pot Italian Sausage Mac & Cheese
- Sausage Mac And Cheese - Plowing Through Life
Wednesday
Meal: Slow-Roasted Pork Half Loin Sandwiches with Barbecue Sauce
Description: Boneless pork half loin is roasted until tender, sliced thin, and piled onto Ball Park Buns with Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. Served with a Dole Salad Kit on the side.
Sale items used: Pork Butt Bone-In or Boneless Pork Half Loin, Ball Park Buns or Nature's Own Perfectly Crafted Buns, Prego Pasta Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, Dole Salad Kits
Prep time: 75 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs boneless pork half loin, 1 pack buns, 1 bottle barbecue sauce, 1 Dole Salad Kit. Total time is about 75 minutes, so season the pork in the morning and roast while the kids do homework.
Recipes:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Loin - Plain Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Pork Loin Recipe)
- BBQ Pulled Pork Loin - Slow Cooker Recipe
Thursday
Meal: Cheeseburger Beef Pasta Bake
Description: Browned Kroger 85% Lean Ground Beef is mixed with Barilla Pasta and Bertolli Pasta Sauce, topped with Kroger Cheese, and baked until bubbly. A mild, familiar family favorite.
Sale items used: Kroger 85% Lean Ground Beef (1 lb package), Barilla Pasta, Bertolli Pasta Sauce, Kroger Cheese
Prep time: 45 minutes
Serving note: 1 lb Kroger 85% Lean Ground Beef (1 lb package), 1 box Barilla Pasta, 1 jar Bertolli Pasta Sauce, 1 package Kroger Cheese.
Recipes:
- Cheeseburger Pasta Bake
- Cheeseburger Pasta
- No Boil Baked Cheeseburger Pasta -- almost no time to prep!
Friday
Meal: Turkey Pita-Free Egg Scramble Supper with Toast
Description: Fluffy scrambled Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs are served with toasted Sara Lee Bread and fresh strawberries. A fun breakfast-for-dinner night kids love.
Sale items used: Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs, 24 ct, Sara Lee Bread, Strawberries or Blackberries
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serving note: 12 eggs from 1 carton of 24, 1 loaf Sara Lee Bread, 1 pack Strawberries or Blackberries (use strawberries) from the 2 for $5.00 deal, buy 2 packs.
Recipes:
- Ground Turkey Eggs Breakfast Scramble (Brunch) - Life's Little Sweets
- High-Protein Turkey Egg Scramble: A Delicious and Easy Breakfast Option
- Turkey Salsa Scramble
🛒 Shopping List
SHOPPING LIST
Buy on sale:
- Fresh Heritage Farm Boneless Chicken Breasts or Wings (2 lbs): $3.98
- Ben's Original Ready Rice or Campbell's Cooking Sauce (x2): $2.98
- Private Selection Snacking Tomatoes or Mini Seedless Cucumbers or Kroger Mini Sweet Peppers (1 pack): $3.00
- Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Ropes or Cocktail Smokies (x1): $2.99
- Ken's Salad Dressing or Goodles Mac & Cheese (x2): $4.98
- Pork Butt Bone-In or Boneless Pork Half Loin (2 lbs): $3.98
- Ball Park Buns or Nature's Own Perfectly Crafted Buns (x1): $3.49
- Dole Salad Kits (x1): $3.67
- Kroger 85% Lean Ground Beef (1 lb package) (x1): $5.99
- Barilla Pasta (x1): $1.79
- Bertolli Pasta Sauce (x1): $1.99
- Kroger Cheese (x1): $2.99
- Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs, 24 ct (x1): $5.49
- Sara Lee Bread (x1): $2.99
- Strawberries or Blackberries (1 pack): $2.50
Pantry staples needed:
- Salt, pepper, cooking oil, butter, barbecue sauce, breadcrumbs or flour for the chicken coating, milk for mac and cheese
🏷️ All sale items this week
SALE ITEMS FOUND
Meats on sale:
- Fresh Heritage Farm Boneless Chicken Breasts or Wings: $1.99/lb with card
- Boneless New York Strip Steaks: $11.99/lb with card
- Kroger 85% Lean Ground Beef (1 lb package): $5.99 each with card
- St. Louis Style Pork Ribs Bone-In: $2.99/lb with card
- Deli Kitchen St. Louis Style Ribs, Fully Cooked: $14.99 each with card
- Kroger Chicken Party Wings or Kroger 80% Lean Beef Burgers: $9.99 each with card
- Tyson Frozen Chicken: $6.99 each with card
- Pork Butt Bone-In or Boneless Pork Half Loin: $1.99/lb with card
- Wild-Caught Lobster Tails: 2 for $12.00 with card
- Wild-Caught Snow Crab Clusters: $11.99/lb with digital coupon
- Simple Truth Organic Grass-Fed 85% Lean Ground Beef: $20.00 each with card
- Butterball Turkey Roast (3-day sale): $10.00 each with card
- Butterball Turkey, Frozen: $1.28/lb with card
- Simple Truth Natural Turkey Burgers: $9.99 each with card
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage or Smithfield Lunch Meat: $5.00 each with card
- Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Ropes or Cocktail Smokies: $2.99 each with digital coupon
Deli and prepared on sale:
- Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunch Meat, Family Pack: $6.49 each with card
- La Terra Fina Dip: $3.99 each with card
- Fresh Baked Cookies: $3.00 each with card
- Private Selection Fresh Baked Butter Croissants or Bakery Fresh Glazed Donuts: $5.00 each with card
- Private Selection Detroit Style Pizza: $12.00 each with card
- Guillermo's Salsa: $3.99 each with card
- Armour Lunchmakers: 5 for $5.00 with card
Produce on sale:
- Medium Avocados: $0.77 each with card
- Strawberries or Blackberries: 2 for $5.00 with card
- Private Selection Snacking Tomatoes or Mini Seedless Cucumbers or Kroger Mini Sweet Peppers: 2 for $6.00 with card
- Kroger Seedless Grapes or Simple Truth Organic Grapes: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Kroger Honeycrisp or Envy Apples: $5.99 each with card
- Asparagus: $3.99/lb with card
- Dole Salad Kits: 3 for $11.00 with card
- Jumbo Blueberries: $5.99 each with card
- Fresh-Cut Fruit Bowls: $5.00 each with card
- Adorbs Seedless Mandarins (3-day sale): $4.99 each with card
Dairy and eggs on sale:
- Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs, 24 ct: $5.49 each with card
- Kroger Milk (3-day sale): $2.49 each with card
- Noosa Yoghurt: $1.99 each with card
- Fage Greek Yogurt: $6.49 each with card
- Fairlife Core Power Protein Shake: $3.99 each with card
- Natural Bliss Creamer or Starbucks Creamer: $3.49 each with digital coupon
- Tillamook Ice Cream: $3.99 each with digital coupon
- Kroger Cheese: $2.99 each with card
Bakery and bread on sale:
- Sara Lee Bread: $2.99 each with digital coupon
- Private Selection Wide Pan Bread or Buns: $3.49 each with card
- Ball Park Buns or Nature's Own Perfectly Crafted Buns: $3.49 each with card
- Dave's Killer Bread Organic Bread or Starbucks Iced Coffee: $4.99 each with card
- Nature's Own Bread or Hormel Spam: $2.99 each with card
- Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, Crescents or Cinnamon Rolls: $1.99 each with card
Pantry on sale:
- Post Cereal: $1.49 each with digital coupon
- Swanson Broth: $1.79 each with digital coupon
- Ken's Salad Dressing or Goodles Mac & Cheese: $2.49 each with card
- Pepperidge Farm Cookies: $3.99 each with card
- General Mills Cereal or Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks: $1.99 each with card
- Nabisco Family Size Oreo or Chips Ahoy Cookies: $3.99 each with card
- Progresso Soup or Barilla Pasta: $1.79 each with card
- Bertolli Pasta Sauce or Rao's Pasta: $1.99 each with card
- Prego Pasta Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce: $1.49 each with card
- Ben's Original Ready Rice or Campbell's Cooking Sauce: $1.49 each with card
- Keebler Cookies or Hostess Multipack: $2.99 each with card
- Pop-Tarts or Kroger Cranberry Juice Cocktail: $1.99 each with card
- Kroger Coffee: $12.99 each with card
- Gold Medal Flour or Kroger Canola Oil: $3.99 each with card
- Kroger Brown or Powdered Sugar: $2.00 each with card
- Nabisco Party Size Oreo or Chips Ahoy Cookies: $5.99 each with card
- Nestlé Toll House Morsels: $4.99 each with card
- Kettle Brand Potato Chips: $1.99 each with digital coupon
- Clif Bars or Kroger Breakfast Sandwiches: $5.49 each with card
- Lipton Tea or Kind Bars: $6.99 each with card
- Lay's Potato Chips or Fritos: 4 for $10.00 with card
- José Olé Taquitos or Impossible Entrée: $5.99 each with card
- Clif Builders Protein Bars or Built Puff Protein Bars: $9.99 each with card
- Starbucks Coffee: $7.99 each with card
- Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels or Stubb's Sauce: 2 for $7.00 with card
- Totino's Pizza Rolls: $11.99 each with card
Frozen on sale:
- Freschetta Pizza: $3.99 each with digital coupon
- Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Screamin' Sicilian Pizza: $5.99 each with card
- Stouffer's or Lean Cuisine Entrée: 4 for $10.00 with card
- Bob Evans Family Size Sides: $4.99 each with card
🛒 Estimated Shopping Cost
Based on sale prices for items in this plan
Some sale prices require the store's loyalty card or a clipped digital coupon. Check the flyer before you shop.
$52.81
for 4 people · $13.20 per person
📍 Disclaimer: Prices and availability are based on the Kroger weekly sales flyer for the week of October 14, 2026. Flyers are sourced from store websites and weekly flyer aggregator sites. Actual prices may vary by location. Always verify prices at your local store. We are not affiliated with Kroger.