Skip to main content

Summer Salads--> 2025

 


Summer Salad


Grocery Prices are going through the roof with no end in sight!    Using healthy, nutritious, delicious, and inexpensive dining options always reduces your grocery bill.  I accomplish this in the summer by making various salads the star of our dinners.   Vegetables are either grown in the garden or at their rock-bottom price at the grocery store.  Therefore, we eat a lot of different salads over the summer.    


Having salads multiple times per week for dinner provides savings and advantages.   Here are a few benefits I thought of:


  • If you grill the protein(s) in advance, the oven is not turned on. 

  • The salads can be prepared ahead of time, so if you have a busy evening, no need to eat out —> dinner is done. 

  • Adding vegetables to your diet helps to keep you healthy. 

  • By using in-season vegetables from your garden or grocery store, you are saving money on your grocery bill. 


Steak Salad

My first salad is reducing the amount of meat and increasing the salad size as your entree.   


For example, I will make a huge green salad with any picked vegetables from the garden, or found in the refrigerator and top it with protein.   The meat protein portion of this meal is much smaller than if we were to cook 4 oz per person.      Normally, we can get away with 6-8 oz for the entire family.   Top with store-bought or homemade dressing, and dinner is done. 


Black Bean and Corn Salad


This money-saving salad focuses on using beans as the protein source.  I make a black bean and corn salad when we are feeling a little Tex-Mex.    I pair this yummy salad with a vegetarian quesadilla and fruit to complete the meal.  The recipe is linked to the picture. 


Chicken Salad

   

My final money-saving salad focuses on using cheap cuts of meat with onions and celery to stretch the meat.   You guessed it→ chicken salad.    I will pick up a whole chicken or thighs and legs when they go on sale for $0.99 a pound.   Then I will cook it by either baking it or boiling it.  However, when time is tight, I’ll pick up a roasted chicken from Costco for $5.00.    


The next step is to pick the chicken off the bone while it is still warm.   Then I add onions, celery, bell pepper, and sometimes grapes, depending on what I have in the refrigerator.   The next step is to add some mayonnaise and yogurt until the salad is wet, but not too wet.   Finally, I season it with salt and pepper.    This makes a great make-ahead salad for lunches or dinners. 


We eat it as sandwiches, on lettuce wraps, or crackers.    I’ll round out the meal with either chips or soup, depending on the season.   


As a bonus, I save the bones to make chicken stock later. 


TIP→ When using the stove, choose the time of day that is the coolest, such as the morning. 


Leave a comment below and let me know how your garden is growing.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menu Planning: #245

  NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan ccording to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: Check your sale flyers for loss leaders.   Each week grocery stores advertise specific products at a great price to get you in the store.   Recently, I have noticed a very specific time frame for getting these deals.   Good luck and happy hunting.   Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:   Refrigerator Clean Out Pre-cut all vegetables for the week Pulled older items to the front for easier consumption C...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Planning: #250

  NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      March USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week.  Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen.    Cost Saving Tip of the Week: When I purchase fruit for the week, it helps to calculate the cost per serving vs. the cost in general.   For example, this week a whole watermelon was on sale for $3.99 each.    When it is cut up, the watermelon will yield at least 20 servings which will place the cost per serving at $0.20.    Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: Breakfast Options:  Hard Boiled Eggs Yogurt Homemade Breakfast ba...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Plan #307

  Menu Plan #307 NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and location.      February 2025  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $189.30 per week. Since March has 4 weeks, our monthly budget is $757.20.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since we have health concerns and are active individuals, we limit our processed food choices.    Grocery Shopping Tip:     Utilize your grocery store’s loyalty program. This month, my 2 primary grocery stores have provided me with store coupons for bread, Silk milk, jelly candy, frozen vegetables, and Bali coconut water.  Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: ...
Post a Comment
Read more