- All my kids have different dietary needs, so I often run to multiple grocery stores.
- It's becoming too stressful and expensive, so I've decided to make some changes.
- I'm no longer buying specialty items, and I'm cooking dinners that have a base with toppings.
As a family of seven with widely differing dietary needs, grocery shopping is anything but easy.
I have to go to three to four stores every week to get the specific groceries my family needs. It's becoming ridiculous.
I typically shop at Costco for bulk items and meat, which cost between $800 and $1,000 monthly. I then head to Whole Foods every few weeks for dietary options, which cost $400 monthly. I also head to Kroger or Meijer weekly for essentials, like bread and milk. Sometimes, I'll also head to Aldi for cheaper everyday items.
As someone with a chronic illness, it can be difficult to get to all of the stores for my family. During those times, I turn to Instacart, which allows me to order from several supermarkets simultaneously. Still, it gets expensive thanks to subscription fees, tips, and food price hikes.
Recently, I decided to tackle my grocery shopping problem head-on and have been making small changes.
I have to accommodate multiple dietary needs
Each week, I must accommodate drastically different needs for my kids — some dietary and some picky kid-based.
For example, I have multiple medical conditions and can't have gluten. One of my five kids can't have dairy, one has higher protein needs than normal for headache prevention, and one is completely anti-fruit and veggies.
I have a neurodivergent kid who has to eat the same crackers every week. My husband, a former athlete, and my son can only eat extra high-protein diets.
If I accommodate one kid but not the other, I feel the all-too-familiar mom guilt, so I've convinced myself that running to multiple stores is the only way to keep everyone happy. It's starting to take its toll on me and the family budget.
I'm trying to change my shopping habits
Sometimes when parenting seems too complicated, I turn to the experts, like Madeleine N. Weitzner, a clinical dietitian in Los Angeles.
"For families managing various nutrition and lifestyle needs, food shopping and meal planning can feel overwhelming," Weitzner told me.
She taught me about an idea called "all foods fit," which helps create more balance, versus seeing foods as "good" or "bad." This has helped me feel better about spending a bit less on something that isn't perfectly organic or doesn't have the exact ingredients to accommodate everyone's needs.
For example, if a bag of chips at Aldi is $5 cheaper than Whole Foods, and I can't justify always buying the cleaner ingredient product, I can take it easy on myself and alternate.
"This encourages balance, variety, and adaptability while keeping mental and emotional well-being in mind," Weitzner said.
I'm focusing on making meals that each family member can build on
Weitzner also recommended trying a meal structure that has worked for food chains like Chipotle. It involves cooking a meal with topping options while just planning the base. I have now implemented a taco bowl night, pasta night, salad night, and DIY pizza night.
On taco night, I provide options for the base, such as rice and corn/flour tortillas. Then, I put out bowls for the meat, a few veggie topping options, cheese, and salsa. The kids then move through the line like a buffet, picking up the options that adhere to their dietary needs.
Though taco night might seem obvious, moving to the mindset of "what's the base for dinner tonight" was helpful. I did it again with pasta night, offering gluten-free pasta with two types of sauce, a meat, and a few veggies on the side.
I'm now avoiding specialty foods
I also realized how many specialty foods I was buying, and those $5 marked-up chips aren't really necessary. Instead, I now streamline some of those purchases by switching to gluten-free pretzels without many extra ingredients.
Wietzener also points to gluten-free breads, dairy-free cheeses, or low-sugar snacks as potentially expensive extras that can be cut, redirecting the family back to "whole food that naturally fits multiple dietary needs without the specialty price tag."
By limiting the number of specialty foods and rethinking many of our meals, I have now reduced the number of stores I visit each month, saving me time and money.
