Meijer Vegetarian Meal Plan

BUDGET RATIONALE

Protein ranking (most economical to most expensive per serving for 4 people):
- Bush's Ingredient Beans: $1 each per can, roughly 1-2 cans feeds 4 people - approximately $0.25-$0.50 per serving
- True Goodness Organic Extra Large Eggs: $6.99 per dozen, roughly 8-10 eggs feeds 4 people as a main - approximately $0.47-$0.58 per serving (using about 2 eggs per person)
- Meijer Cottage Cheese Single: $1 each per single-serve cup, used as a component - approximately $1.00 per serving if one cup per person
- Specialty Cheese or Crackers: $1.99/lb, roughly 0.5 lb needed as a component for 4 people - approximately $0.25 per serving as a supporting ingredient
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: $1 each per box, roughly 1-2 boxes feeds 4 people - approximately $0.25-$0.50 per serving (used as a base, not a standalone protein)
- True Goodness Organic Hummus: $2.99 each per container, used as a protein-rich component - approximately $0.75 per serving
- Cracker Barrel Bites: $1 each per unit, used as a cheese protein component - approximately $1.00 per serving

Why these meals: This week's vegetarian sale list is genuinely strong on budget-friendly proteins - Bush's Ingredient Beans at $1 a can are the anchor of two nights, giving you hearty, filling meals for almost nothing per serving. Eggs at $6.99 a dozen are the next best value and earn their own night as a satisfying skillet dinner. The Kraft Mac & Cheese at $1 a box gets elevated into a real meal with sale bell peppers and baby spinach rather than served plain. Specialty Cheese at $1.99/lb is the one premium-feeling ingredient this week, and it earns the Friday night spot as a stuffed baked potato bar where a small amount of good cheese goes a long way across four people. The produce deals - bell peppers, avocado, cucumbers, creamer potatoes, and baby spinach all at $1 or close to it - do the heavy lifting all week and keep the total comfortably inside budget.

5-DAY MEAL PLAN

Monday
Meal: Black Bean and Bell Pepper Skillet Tacos with Avocado
Description: Canned black beans are sauteed with diced bell peppers and Vidalia onion, seasoned with pantry spices, and served in warm tortillas topped with sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime. The combination of creamy avocado and savory bean filling makes this a satisfying, colorful weeknight dinner that comes together in about 25 minutes.
Sale items used: Bush's Ingredient Beans (black beans, x2 cans), Red, Yellow, Orange or Aloha Bell Pepper (x2), Bulk Vidalia Onions, Extra Large Avocado (x2), Meijer Split Top White or Wheat Bread (used as a wrap alternative if preferred, or pantry tortillas)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: Use 2 cans of Bush's Ingredient Beans (drained), 2 bell peppers diced, approximately 0.5 lb Vidalia onion, and 2 avocados sliced to serve 4. Each person gets roughly 2 filled tacos. Use pantry flour tortillas or the bread as a side if tortillas are not on hand.
Recipes:
- Black Bean Tacos Recipe
- Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos
- Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema

Tuesday
Meal: Creamy Egg and Baby Spinach Scramble with Creamer Potatoes
Description: A generous pan of scrambled eggs is folded with wilted baby spinach and finished with Sargento cheese slices melted on top, served alongside pan-crisped Little Potato Company Creamer Potatoes seasoned with onion and pantry herbs. This is a classic breakfast-for-dinner format that delivers real protein and comfort without any fuss.
Sale items used: True Goodness Organic Extra Large Eggs (x1 dozen), Fresh from Meijer Coleslaw or Baby Spinach (x1 bag, use the baby spinach), Sargento Cheese Slices (x2 packs, use 1), The Little Potato Company Creamer Potatoes (x1 bag), Bulk Vidalia Onions
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serving note: Use 8 eggs total (2 per person), 1 bag of baby spinach (wilted down), 4 Sargento cheese slices (1 per person), and 1 bag of creamer potatoes halved and pan-crisped in a skillet. Use approximately 0.25 lb Vidalia onion diced for both the eggs and the potatoes.

Wednesday
Meal: Upgraded Macaroni and Cheese with Bell Pepper and Baby Spinach
Description: Two boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese are cooked and stirred together with sauteed bell pepper, wilted baby spinach, and a handful of Cracker Barrel Bites cheese crumbled on top for extra richness. The result is a creamy, vegetable-loaded pasta bake that goes from stovetop to table in under 30 minutes.
Sale items used: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (x2 boxes), Red, Yellow, Orange or Aloha Bell Pepper (x1), Fresh from Meijer Coleslaw or Baby Spinach (x1 bag, use the baby spinach), Cracker Barrel Bites (x2 units)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: Cook 2 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese per package directions, stir in 1 diced bell pepper sauteed in butter, 1 bag of baby spinach wilted, and crumble 2 Cracker Barrel Bites units over the top before serving. Serves 4 generously with about 1.5 cups per person.
Recipes:
- One Pot Creamy Spinach Mac and Cheese

Thursday
Meal: White Bean and Red Gold Tomato Soup with Crusty Bread
Description: Bush's white beans are simmered with Red Gold canned tomatoes, diced Vidalia onion, and pantry garlic and Italian seasoning into a thick, hearty soup that eats like a full meal. Meijer Split Top Wheat Bread is served alongside for dipping, and a drizzle of olive oil finishes each bowl.
Sale items used: Bush's Ingredient Beans (white beans or cannellini, x2 cans), Bush's Ingredient Beans or Red Gold Tomatoes (Red Gold Tomatoes, x2 cans), Bulk Vidalia Onions, Meijer Split Top White or Wheat Bread (x1 loaf)
Prep time: 35 minutes
Serving note: Use 2 cans of Bush's white beans (drained and rinsed), 2 cans of Red Gold Tomatoes, and approximately 0.5 lb Vidalia onion diced. Simmer together for 20-25 minutes until thickened. Serve with 2 slices of bread per person from 1 loaf of Meijer Split Top Wheat Bread.
Recipes:
- White Bean & Tomato Soup
- White Bean and Tomato Soup
- Tomato and White Bean Soup: Garlicky & Unbeatably Delicious

Friday
Meal: Baked Russet Potato Bar with Specialty Cheese, Cottage Cheese, and Cucumber-Avocado Topping
Description: Large russet potatoes are baked until fluffy, then set out as a build-your-own bar with shaved Specialty Cheese, a scoop of Meijer Cottage Cheese Single, and a fresh topping of diced cucumber and avocado with a splash of pantry vinegar. The variety of toppings makes this feel like a special Friday dinner while keeping the cost per person very low.
Sale items used: Russet Potatoes (x4), Specialty Cheese or Crackers (use the cheese, approximately 0.5 lb), Dean's French Onion Dip or Meijer Cottage Cheese Single (x4 single cups, use Meijer Cottage Cheese Single), Seedless Mini Cucumbers (x2), Extra Large Avocado (x2)
Prep time: 60 minutes
Serving note: Bake 4 russet potatoes at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes (make-ahead tip: bake earlier in the day and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes at dinner time). Use approximately 0.5 lb of Specialty Cheese shaved or crumbled, 4 individual Meijer Cottage Cheese Single cups (one per person), 2 mini cucumbers diced, and 2 avocados diced for the fresh topping.
Recipes:
- Cottage Cheese Baked Potatoes
- Baked Potato Bar

SHOPPING LIST

Buy on sale:
- Bush's Ingredient Beans (x4 cans - 2 for Monday tacos, 2 for Thursday soup): $4.00
- Red Gold Tomatoes (x2 cans - Thursday soup): $2.00
- Red, Yellow, Orange or Aloha Bell Pepper (x3 - 2 for Monday, 1 for Wednesday): $3.00
- Extra Large Avocado (x4 - 2 for Monday, 2 for Friday): $4.00
- Bulk Vidalia Onions (approximately 1.25 lbs - used Monday, Tuesday, Thursday): $1.61
- Fresh from Meijer Coleslaw or Baby Spinach (x2 bags - Tuesday and Wednesday): $2.00
- True Goodness Organic Extra Large Eggs (x1 dozen): $6.99
- Sargento Cheese Slices (x1 pack at $1 each from the $2 for 2 deal): $1.00
- The Little Potato Company Creamer Potatoes (x1 bag): $1.00
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (x2 boxes): $2.00
- Cracker Barrel Bites (x2 units): $2.00
- Meijer Split Top White or Wheat Bread (x2 loaves - Tuesday side and Thursday soup): $3.78
- Russet Potatoes (x4): $4.00
- Specialty Cheese or Crackers (use cheese, approximately 0.5 lb): $1.00
- Dean's French Onion Dip or Meijer Cottage Cheese Single (x4 single cups, use Meijer Cottage Cheese Single): $4.00
- Seedless Mini Cucumbers (x2): $2.00

Pantry staples needed:
- Flour tortillas (for Monday tacos)
- Olive oil
- Butter (for mac and cheese and potato crisping)
- Garlic (minced or powder)
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- Cumin and chili powder (for Monday bean filling)
- Lime juice or lime (for Monday avocado topping)
- White or red wine vinegar (for Friday potato bar topping)
- Milk (for Kraft Mac & Cheese preparation)