April: Meal Plan on a Budget!
It’s April!
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2025, a family of 4 will spend $16,833.67 on food this year — that’s up $801.56 from 2024!
That’s $1402.81 a month.
That’s roughly $350.71 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 16 year old and our 12 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $175.00!
Ninja and I keep a running tab of all our grocery expenditures. This is our spending for March! We clearly kept to our budget and actually came in $126.08 under for the month, and so far we are under budget by $497.98 for the year!
Here is the April weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $175.00! I want you to have all the tools to be able to feed your family 7 healthy(ish) meals, while not putting yourself into the poorhouse! I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you follow this weekly plan and if you were able to stick to the budget! Click on the recipe listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to the recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa and Grilled Potatoes
Monday: Pork Ginger Rice Bowls
Tuesday: Creamy Spring Tortellini with Peas, Asparagus and Bacon
Wednesday: Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
Thursday: Best Fluffy Pancakes
Friday: Navy Bean Soup
Saturday: Smash Breakfast Tacos
If you need a side dish to add to any of these dinners, here’s my Mom’s Feta and Spinach Salad
Staple Items
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you. Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below on the left. The items that I need to buy are listed on the right.
SHOPPING LIST:
STAPLE ITEMS:
3 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1/4 cup red onion
4-5 potatoes
2 1/2 onion
7 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup basmati rice
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup peas
2 pickles
3 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons grainy dijon mustard
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoon white vinegar
1 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
1 package three cheese tortellini
1 pound ground pork
6 green onions
1 jalapeno
3 limes (or 6 tablespoons of lime juice)
1/4 cup cilantro
3-4 chicken breasts
2 cups strawberries
1 cup asparagus
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup radishes
½ cup cherry tomatoes
4 large tortillas
1 package of bacon
8-12 chicken tenders
1 cup bagged coleslaw mix
1 cup lettuce
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 ¼ cups milk
5 eggs
3 cans navy beans
3 cups baby spinach
1 pound ground breakfast sausage
4 small soft taco shells
Garnish (optional):
Pickled veggies, chopped peanuts, hot sauce, lime wedges, sesame seeds, berries, whip cream, butter, syrup, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, diced onion
SUNDAY: Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa and Grilled Potatoes
I am a big fan of savoury strawberry dishes. As soon as the time springs ahead, I am in full-blown spring fever! I want bright flavours, fresh fruit, and the barbeque blazing. This Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa satisfied every one of my spring cravings and our first Grilled Potato Packet of the season was a big success too!
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
4
servings20
minutes10
minutes1/2-24
hoursIngredients
3-4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
- Strawberry Salsa
2 cups strawberries, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
1 lime, juice and zest
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
Directions
Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the lime juice, oil, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and pepper for 30 minutes to overnight.
Mix together all the strawberry salsa ingredients. Set aside.
Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked, about 3-5 minutes per side.
Serve topped with the strawberry salsa.
MONDAY: Pork Ginger Rice Bowls
These Pork Ginger Rice Bowls were also a fabulous introduction to spring with their delicious flavours, sticky jasmine rice, and topped with yummy pickled vegetables. This quick and easy dinner will make your tastebuds pop!
Ingredients
2 cups rice, cooked
6 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnish: Pickled veggies, chopped peanuts, sriracha sauce, lime wedges, sesame seeds
Directions
Whisk the green onions, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Stir in the pork and cook, breaking up the meat as you go, until pork is cooked through. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until liquid is slightly reduced. Stir in sweet chili sauce and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve rice in bowls, topped with pork mixture and any optional garnish.
TUESDAY: Creamy Spring Tortellini with Peas, Asparagus and Bacon
Nothing says spring to me more than asparagus and peas! This Creamy Spring Tortellini with Peas, Asparagus and Bacon delivered comfort, freshness, and satisfaction in every bite.
Creamy Spring Tortellini with Peas, Asparagus and Bacon
4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 package three cheese tortellini
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup peas
1 cup asparagus, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
5-6 slices, crispy slices of bacon
1 tablespoon oil
Directions
Cook tortellini according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil. Add onions and saute until transparent. Add peas and asparagus. Saute until asparagus starts to soften. Add garlic and season with some salt and pepper. Mix well and cook veggies for about 5 more minutes.
Pour in heavy cream while stirring. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Stir in tortellini until completely mixed in and cook for a couple of minutes. Add chopped crispy cooked bacon and stir it in right before taking the pan off heat.
WEDNESDAY: Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
With our busy schedule, sometimes sandwiches and wraps are easy, tasty, and healthy alternatives when you need a quick dinner on the go. By using bagged coleslaw and chicken tenders in the air fryer, this Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap is a delicious spring dinner that will be ready in no time!
Ingredients
8-12 chicken tenders
1 cup bagged coleslaw mix
1 cup lettuce, thinly sliced
2 pickles, diced
¼ cup radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
4 tortillas
- Honey Mustard Sauce
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoon white vinegar
Directions
Make your air fryer chicken tenders following the instructions.
Make the honey mustard sauce by whisking together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, shredded lettuce, pickles, radishes and cherry tomatoes.
Drizzle with about ¾ of the honey mustard sauce (save some for drizzling at the end of making your wrap).
To the center of each tortilla, add 1/4 of the coleslaw mixture, top with 2-3 chicken strips, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese and finish with a drizzle of the honey mustard sauce.
Wrap up your tortillas by folding in the sides, bringing the bottom flap up and continuing to roll gently pressing down to ensure the wrap is tight.
THURSDAY: Best Fluffy Pancakes
At the beginning of every month, I ask my family if they would like to put anything on the menu and SBean usually says waffles, hotdogs, or poutine lol this month she asked for pancakes! I was out of our Kodiak mix (and need to find a new Canadian alternative) so we made homemade and these were the Best Fluffy Pancakes that we have had in a long time! Topped with a little maple syrup and whipped cream, it was like eating dessert for dinner!
Ingredients
1 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
Garnish: whip cream, butter, syrup
Directions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Break up the egg first with a fork, and then begin to combine the flour, working from the outside of the bowl in, until just combined and mostly smooth.
Heat a griddle somewhere between 300 and 350F. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface.
Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute on the other side.
Remove the pancakes from the pan onto a plate and keep them warm while you cook the rest of the batter. Top with your favourite toppings and syrup.
FRIDAY: Navy Bean Soup
I know more soup? Lol yes! Honestly, I could eat soup every week all year round. This Navy Bean Soup struck the perfect balance between late winter and early spring. It was bright and flavourful, loaded with tons of beans and yummy veggies.
Ingredients
3 15 oz cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 cups baby spinach
Directions
In a blender, blend 1 can of beans with 1 cup of water.
Saute the bacon in a large pot until crisp. Set aside on paper towels.
Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste then add the pureed beans, beans, broth, rosemary and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low until the beans and vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes. Use immersion blender to blend together the consistency you choose. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Serve topped with bacon.
SATURDAY: Smash Breakfast Tacos
Ninja was scared of this dinner because he thought it looked hard, but he was happily surprised to find out that it was ridiculously simple to make these absolutely delicious Smash Breakfast Tacos! We don’t normally have breakfast for dinner twice, but I am so glad that we did because these tacos were amazeballs!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb ground breakfast sausage
1 ½ cups cheddar, shredded
4 small soft tortillas
4 eggs
Garnish: Hot sauce, cilantro, tomatoes, salsa
Directions
Divide the ground sausage into 4 equal sections. Take one section and spread it evenly over one side of a taco shell making sure to cover the entire taco shell, it will be thin. Repeat with all taco shells and ground sausage. Set aside.
Put half of the butter onto the cooking surface, spread around with the back of the spatula. Place taco shells with meat side down on the hot cooking surface. Cook 3-4 minutes, flip taco and top with some cheese on each taco. Cook an additional 3 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through to 165 degrees. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove from the pan.
Melt the other half of the butter in the pan. Cook the eggs to your liking. Once eggs are done put on top of taco. Top with taco garnishes and fold in half.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #421 Canada’s Goose. After a week off, we get together to discuss: pop, milestones, LARPing, empty homes, I Heart Radio, Scotch tasting, JJ, SOW, Spring playlist, & late 90’s CanCon.
Last week of Spring Break is in the books! HBear had a busy week of Songwriting Camp with PAMDA, she went to The Beach Boys concert in Kelowna with Papa, and performed at The Dream Cafe for Ignite the Arts Festival. I read in the sunshine and won a new book from a new author while Ninja ramped up the work season. SBean had dress rehearsal for MT, got manis with her besties and chilled out before school started up again today.
