Kroger Kid-Friendly Meal Plan
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BUDGET RATIONALE
Why these meals: This week's plan leans on familiar, mild flavors your kids will actually eat, starting with slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork sliders on Monday that practically build themselves. Tuesday brings crispy baked chicken tenders with cool avocado slices, and avocado shows up again on Thursday in easy sausage and rice bowls, giving you a fresh ingredient that stretches across two dinners. Wednesday's meatball spaghetti with garlic bread is the ultimate cozy, no-fuss favorite, while Friday eases everyone into fish night with buttery baked salmon and sweet roasted peaches. Honeycrisp apples make two appearances too, as a crisp side on both Monday and Friday, so you get good mileage out of what you buy while keeping dinners simple and stress-free all week.
5-DAY MEAL PLAN
Monday
Meal: BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
Description: Slow-cooked pork butt shredded and tossed in barbecue sauce, piled onto soft buns for an easy, familiar dinner kids can build themselves. Served with crisp apple slices on the side.
Sale items used: Pork Butt, Ball Park Buns, Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, Honeycrisp Apples
Prep time: 20 minutes active (plus slow cook)
Serving note: 2 lbs pork butt, 1 pack Ball Park Buns, 1/2 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, 1 lb Honeycrisp Apples sliced. Make-ahead note: pork should slow cook 4-6 hours, so start in the morning or cook the day before and reheat.
Recipes:
- BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
- Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe
- BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders - Chelsea's Messy Apron
Tuesday
Meal: Baked Chicken Tenders with Avocado Slices
Description: Springer Mountain chicken breast cut into strips, lightly breaded and oven-baked until golden and crispy. Served with cool avocado slices for a mild, kid-approved plate.
Sale items used: Springer Mountain Boneless Chicken Breasts or Tenders, Large Avocados
Prep time: 35 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs chicken breast cut into tenders, 1 avocado sliced (4 servings). Pantry breading (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) needed.
Recipes:
- Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders with Guacamole Crema Dip
- Irresistible Low Carb Baked Chicken Tenders For Family Nights
Wednesday
Meal: Beef and Pork Meatball Spaghetti
Description: Homemade meatballs from the ground beef and pork blend, simmered in marinara and served over spaghetti with warm garlic bread. A cozy, familiar family favorite.
Sale items used: Ground Beef and Pork Blend, Artesano Bread
Prep time: 40 minutes
Serving note: 2 lb Ground Beef and Pork Blend formed into meatballs, 1 loaf Artesano Bread sliced and toasted. Pantry staples: spaghetti pasta, marinara sauce, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg.
Recipes:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- Spaghetti and Meatballs {Family Favorite}
- Mom's Spaghetti and Meatballs
Thursday
Meal: Sausage and Avocado Rice Bowls
Description: Sliced Kroger Dinner Sausage Links pan-cooked and served over rice with melted cheese and diced avocado on top. Mild, colorful, and easy for little hands to eat.
Sale items used: Kroger Dinner Sausage Links, Kroger Cheese, Large Avocados
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: 1 package Kroger Dinner Sausage Links sliced, 1 avocado diced, 1/2 cup shredded Kroger Cheese melted on top. Pantry staple: rice.
Recipes:
- Sausage Veggie Rice Bowls Recipe
- Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls with Chicken Sausage
- Spicy Black Beans with Sausage, Rice, and Avocado
Friday
Meal: Buttered Baked Salmon with Peaches
Description: Atlantic salmon portion baked with butter until flaky and mild, paired with sweet roasted peaches for a simple, kid-friendly special dinner. A gentle way to introduce fish night.
Sale items used: Atlantic Salmon Portion, Challenge Butter, California Yellow Peaches, Honeycrisp Apples
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: 1 Atlantic Salmon Portion (serves 4), 2 tablespoons Challenge Butter, 1 lb California Yellow Peaches halved and roasted, 1 lb Honeycrisp Apples sliced as a side.
Recipes:
- Glazed Salmon with Peaches
- Peach-Glazed Salmon Recipe
- Georgia Peach Glazed Salmon
🛒 Shopping List
SHOPPING LIST
Buy on sale:
- Pork Butt (2 lbs): $3.98
- Ball Park Buns (1 pack): $3.49
- Honeycrisp Apples (2 lbs total): $4.98
- Springer Mountain Boneless Chicken Breasts or Tenders (2 lbs): $7.98
- Ground Beef and Pork Blend (1 package, 2 lb): $8.00
- Kroger Dinner Sausage Links (1 package): $3.99
- Kroger Cheese (1 each): $2.99
- Atlantic Salmon Portion (1 each): $12.00
- Large Avocados (2 each): $2.98
- Private Selection Tomato Bowls (1 each): $5.00
- California Yellow Peaches (1 lb): $1.99
- Artesano Bread (1 each): $3.49
- Challenge Butter (1 each): $2.99
- Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce (1 each): $1.49
Pantry staples needed:
- Spaghetti pasta
- Marinara sauce
- Rice
- Flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs for breading
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking oil
🏷️ All sale items this week
SALE ITEMS FOUND
Meats on sale:
- Pork Butt, Bone-In or Boneless Pork Loin: $1.99/lb with card
- Boneless Strip Steaks, Family Pack: $11.99/lb with card
- Springer Mountain Boneless Chicken Breasts or Tenders: $3.99/lb with card
- Extra Large Cooked Shrimp: $6.99/lb with digital coupon
- Johnsonville Dinner Sausage: $4.49 each with digital coupon
- Kroger Dinner Sausage Links: $3.99 each with card
- Home Chef St. Louis Style Ribs: $14.99 each with card
- Ball Park Beef Hot Dogs: $5.99 each with card
- Private Selection Angus Beef Patties: $8.00 each with card
- Private Selection Chuck & Brisket Ground Beef: $15.00 each with card
- Kroger Breakfast Sausage or Kroger Pepperoni: $2.99 each with card
- Atlantic Salmon Portion: $12.00 each with card
- Private Selection Angus 90% Lean Ground Sirloin: $8.99 each with card
- Ground Beef and Pork Blend, 2 lb: $8.00 each with card
- Simple Truth Bacon or Eckrich Smoked Sausage: $5.00 each with card
- Home Chef Fried or Baked Chicken: $8.99 each with card
- Amylu Chicken Sausage or Meatballs: $5.00 each with card
- Simple Truth Natural Turkey Burgers: $8.99 each with card
- Tyson Frozen Chicken: $5.99 each with card
Deli and prepared on sale:
- Kroger Veggie Chip Tray with Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip: $5.00 with card
- Reser's Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad or Cole Slaw: $3.99 with card
- Oscar Mayer Lunchables Fun Pack: $2.49 each
Produce on sale:
- Large Avocados: $1.49 each with card
- Honeycrisp Apples: $2.49/lb with card
- California Yellow Peaches or Plums: $1.99/lb with digital coupon
- Kroger Bartlett or Bosc Pears: $3.99 each with card
- Raspberries or Blackberries: $2.99 each with card
- Fresh-Cut Fruit Bowls: $5.00 each with card
- Private Selection Tomato Bowls: $5.00 each with card
- Carving Pumpkins: $5.00 each with card
Dairy and eggs on sale:
- Velveeta Shells & Cheese: $1.99 each
- Chobani Greek Yogurt: $2.99 each
- Fage Greek Yogurt: 4 for $5.00 with card
- Coffee-mate Creamer: $2.99 each
- International Delight Creamer: $2.99 each
- Dannon Oikos Protein Shake: $1.99 each with digital coupon
- Kroger Cheese: $2.99 each with card
- Challenge Butter: $2.99 each with digital coupon
Bakery and bread on sale:
- Pumpkin or Apple Pie: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, Crescents or Cinnamon Rolls: $1.79 each with digital coupon
- Thomas' English Muffins or Bagels: $3.49 each
- Artesano Bread: $3.49 each
- Private Selection Widepan Bread: $3.49 each with card
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins: $5.00 each with card
- Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake: $6.00 each with card
- Private Selection Fall Variety Cheesecake: $19.99 each with card
- Pumpkin Spice Cake: $6.00 each with card
- Fresh Baked Cookies: $3.00 each with card
- Kroger Caramel Apples: $1.79 each with card
- Ball Park Buns: $3.49 each with card
Pantry on sale:
- Goldfish Crackers or Simply Fruit Drink/Ade: $1.99 each
- Cheez-It Family Size Crackers or Town House Crackers: $3.99 each
- Simply Orange Juice or Nature's Path Cereal: $3.49 each
- Pepperidge Farm Cookies or Kind Granola: $3.99 each
- Kellogg's Cereal: $1.79 each with digital coupon
- Quaker Chewy Bars: $1.49 each
- Party Size Lay's Potato Chips, Smartfood Popcorn or Sunchips: $3.49 each with digital coupon
- Jif Peanut Butter: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Ken's Salad Dressing or Cholula Hot Sauce: $2.49 each
- Planet Oat Oatmilk or Planters Peanuts: $2.49 each
- Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce or French's Yellow Mustard: $1.49 each
- Pringles: $1.49 each
- Smucker's Uncrustables: $9.49 each
- Malt-O-Meal Cereal or Kashi Cereal: $4.99 each
- Progresso Soup: 6 for $9.00 with card
- Starkist Tuna or Nissin Ramen: 4 for $5.00 with card
- Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough: $4.49 with card
- Swanson Broth: 2 for $5.00 with card
- Hormel Chili: 2 for $5.00 with card
- Bigelow Tea: $2.99 with card
- Chips Ahoy Cookies: 2 for $6.00 with card
- 42 ct Frito-Lay Multipack: $20.00 with card
- M&M's Sharing Size Candy: $4.99 with card
- Little Debbie Snacks: 2 for $6.00 with card
- Barebells Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars: $9.49 with card
- Built Puff Protein Bars or Clif Builders Protein Bars: $9.99 with card
- Lesser Evil Popcorn: 2 for $6.00 with card
Frozen on sale:
- Red Baron Pizza: $3.49 each with digital coupon
- Jimmy Dean Chicken Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches: $4.99 each with digital coupon
- Screamin' Sicilian Pizza or Kroger Frozen Meatballs: $5.99 each
- Outshine Fruit Bars or Totino's Pizza Rolls: $4.99 each
- Totino's Pizza Rolls, 130 ct: $11.99 with card
- Private Selection Ice Cream: 2 for $6.00 with card
- Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: $2.99 each with digital coupon
- Kroger Family Size Appetizers: $8.99 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.
$65.35
for 4 people · $16.34 per person
📍 Disclaimer: Prices and availability are based on the Kroger weekly sales flyer for the week of September 16, 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.