Family-style vacation food: lots of grilling, two Sunday Walmart deliveries, local seafood from the Cortez markets, a handful of planned meals out plus two ballpark nights, and enough convenience food to protect everyone from hangry beach-house chaos.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Sat Aug 8 | Arrival. Drive cooler, takeout dinner, do not cook. |
| Sun Aug 9 | Walmart Delivery + local stop. Big Sunday prep day. |
| Aug 10-15 | Week 1: taco night, pasta night, grill nights, photo day (8/12), boat day (8/13). Star Fish dinner out Friday. |
| Sun Aug 16 | Walmart Delivery + Publix steamed seafood night. Restock for Week 2. |
| Aug 17-22 | Week 2: Cortez fish night, two ballgames (8/18 + 8/21), breakfast-for-dinner, one more meal out. |
Cut-friendly portions, high protein, moderate starch, lighter sauces. Target: 1,450-1,650 cal/day if tracking.
Weight-loss portions but bigger. Add more protein, rice, potatoes, rolls, tortillas, corn, and snacks rather than making separate meals.
Normal kid portions: protein, fruit, carbs, easy snacks.
Soft foods: goat milk, eggs, chicken, rice, sweet potatoes, yogurt, fruit, cheese, cottage cheese.
Water, Zero Sugar Gatorade, sole water, protein shakes, cheese sticks, fruit, applesauce pouches, sandwiches or wraps, kid snacks.
Keep dinner intentionally easy: takeout, pizza, or a quick stop for rotisserie chicken, bagged salad, fruit, and rolls.
Use cooler food, bananas, protein bars/shakes, applesauce pouches, and coffee picked up on the way. Don't cook; delivery arrives mid-morning.
| Stop | What to Get |
|---|---|
| Publix Seafood Counter | Complimentary seafood steaming with Old Bay, Cajun, lemon pepper, or lemon herb seasoning. One no-cook dinner option. |
| Cortez Bait & Seafood | Fresh local Gulf shrimp, grouper/snapper, smoked fish dip. Confirm hours before going. |
| Star Fish Company | Fresh seafood market or dockside restaurant meal. Bring/check cash needs. |
| Lakewood Ranch Farmers' Market | Year-round Sundays 10am-2pm. Local produce, fruit, corn, honey, breads. |
Delivery Strategy: Sunday morning arrival window. Stock Week 1 plus easy backups. Follow with a local stop for produce.
| Date | Dinner | What to Serve |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 8/8 | Arrival | Rotisserie chicken, bagged salad, rolls. Do not cook. |
| Sun 8/9 | Grill night | Burgers + brats, corn on the cob, watermelon. |
| Mon 8/10 | Taco night | Double batch of taco beef, tortillas, cheese — salsa and tomato on the side. |
| Tue 8/11 | Pasta night | Pasta with alfredo or butter-garlic sauce + garlic bread (skipping red sauce). |
| Wed 8/12 | PHOTO DAY | Light 5pm dinner — leftover pasta or sandwiches. Two Scoops after photos. |
| Thu 8/13 | Boat day | Grilled chicken, rice, green beans. Foxi Coffee + pastries that morning. |
| Fri 8/14 | OUT: Star Fish Company | Cash only, arrive 4:30. Key lime pie there. Nachos with leftover taco beef for lunch. |
| Sat 8/15 | Pool easy | Frozen pizza for kids (one white/alfredo), chicken Caesar wraps for adults, fruit. |
Strategy: Smaller top-up order — refill the fast movers and keep dinners simple. Two ballgame nights and a meal out mean less cooking this week. Buy the fish fresh at the Cortez markets, not Walmart.
| Date | Dinner | What to Serve |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 8/16 | Publix steamed seafood | Shrimp or crab legs steamed free at the counter, corn, salad, rolls. S'mores after. |
| Mon 8/17 | Cortez fish night | Grouper or shrimp off the boat (Star Fish or Cortez Bait & Seafood market), grilled. |
| Tue 8/18 | BASEBALL game #1 | Light supper at 4:30, ballpark snacks at the 6:30 game. |
| Wed 8/19 | Breakfast-for-dinner | Eggs, bacon, waffles. |
| Thu 8/20 | OUT: Poppo's or Oyster Bar | Ginny's & Jane E's breakfast that morning; Joe's Eats & Sweets after dinner. |
| Fri 8/21 | BASEBALL game #2 (Y2K night) | Pasta or clean-out-the-fridge leftovers first, ballpark treat there. |
| Sat 8/22 | Departure | Cooler sandwiches for the road, dinner out in Chattanooga. |
| Person | Plate | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| You | 4-6 oz protein; 0.5-1 cup rice/potato; lots of veg/fruit; lighter sauces. | Cut-friendly portions. |
| Patrick | 8-10 oz protein; 1.5-2 cups rice/potato; rolls/buns/tortillas; bigger snacks. | Weight-loss but bigger. |
| Neasa (10) | Protein + carb + fruit; add cheese/sauce as desired. | Normal kid plate. |
| Lexie Mae (2) | Small chopped protein, rice/sweet potato, soft fruit, yogurt/cottage cheese, goat milk. | Toddler-friendly. |
Wraps, fruit, cheese sticks, applesauce, pretzels, water, Zero Sugar Gatorade, Diet Coke. Use disposable containers for island beach days if you don't want to carry containers back.
Watermelon, pineapple, berries, cucumbers, carrots, cheese, pretzels, popcorn, popsicles.
Pack cooler lunches. Plan an easy dinner that night: frozen pizza for kids + chicken wraps for adults, or Publix steamed seafood.
Publix Seafood Page — Complimentary seafood steaming with seasonings (Old Bay, Cajun, lemon pepper, lemon herb) at the seafood counter.
Official Website — Retail market at 12110 Cortez Rd. W. Fresh local Gulf seafood. Check hours before visiting.
Official Website — Cortez seafood market and dockside restaurant. Locally caught seafood emphasis. Bring cash if eating there.
Official Website — Year-round Sundays, 10 AM-2 PM. Local produce, fruit, honey, breads.
Check same-day hours for any local market or seafood stop. Beach-area businesses can change hours for weather, season, holidays, and staffing.
The quick category sweep for each Sunday — did we cover everything?