A grocery shopping mistake that could be costing Americans money starts even before they get to the store, according to cookbook author Jenn Lueke.

"The No. 1 biggest mistake is just not taking the time to plan ahead," Lueke, Boston-based author of "Don't Think About Dinner," told Fox News Digital.

Making a grocery list and deciding what to cook for the week ahead can help shoppers save money and stress less about meals, she said.

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Another source of overspending may be the pressure to make a different, impressive dinner every night of the week.

Social media can offer inspiration but Lueke, known online as Jenn Eats Goood, said home cooks can lean on familiar meals and switch them up with ingredients already in their pantries.

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"You really can repeat meals," she said, adding that a "base recipe" can also be tweaked seasonally or depending on what is in your freezer at the moment.

One example from her cookbook is a one-pot chicken thighs and rice dish. Lueke said cooks can swap in different proteins or add seasonal ingredients such as squash in the fall or asparagus and peas in the spring.

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A bowl-style meal or vegetable frittata can also serve as a flexible starting point for using up any food that is about to go bad, she said.

Keeping pantry and freezer staples on hand can give shoppers more options during the week, Lueke also said.

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She recommends ingredients such as canned beans, rice, pasta and quinoa, which can be bought in bulk or picked up on sale. Frozen proteins can also help cut down on weekly shopping trips.

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For shoppers trying to stretch a $50 to $75 grocery trip, Lueke suggests bulking meals up with hearty, lower-cost produce such as carrots, onions, potatoes and sweet potatoes, along with proteins like chicken thighs, tofu and chickpeas.

She also recommends getting more than one use out of an ingredient. If a recipe calls for only part of a can of artichokes, for example, use the rest in another meal, she said. 

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Spice blends and homemade sauces can also change the flavor of a protein, allowing shoppers to prepare the same ingredient in different ways.

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"The biggest thing is having that plan, but also using one ingredient in more than one way, if you can," she said.

McDonald's is looking to expand its chicken offerings, including potentially bringing back grilled chicken sandwiches — a menu item the fast-food giant discontinued in 2020.

At a September investor meeting, McDonald's executives discussed plans to expand the chain's chicken lineup, including grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps, as demand for protein options grows, according to Restaurant Dive.

The renewed interest comes years after McDonald's pulled its grilled chicken sandwich from U.S. menus, raising questions about why the healthier offering disappeared in the first place.

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Chef Mike Haracz, who served as McDonald's manager of culinary innovation from 2015 to 2019, told Fox News Digital why the grilled chicken sandwich ultimately failed to make the cut — and whether it could find its way back to the menu.

The reason was simple: Not enough customers were ordering it, Haracz said.

"For many of the menu items at McDonald's, and this is true for any corporate chain restaurant, there is a certain sales threshold that means it will be profitable, and it makes sense to have in the restaurant," said Haracz, who is based in Illinois.

"Once sales dip below a certain level, it does not make financial sense to keep it on the menu, as you will end up throwing away product."

In 1993, McDonald's introduced a grilled chicken sandwich as a healthier menu offering, but it did not stand the test of time.

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The sandwich consisted of a marinated skinless chicken breast filet, lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, Monterey Jack cheese and a herb sauce, all piled on a bun, according to a 1993 press release about the menu item.

McDonald's unveiled a more natural preparation of its grilled chicken in 2015, announcing on its website that it would be cooked using only canola oil, olive oil, and real spices and herbs.

The chain revamped the sandwich that year, introducing the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

Ultimately, though, the grilled chicken sandwich lost its spot at McDonald's in 2020, when the chain also removed salads from its U.S. menus, according to Business Insider.

In his role at McDonald's, Haracz formulated new menu items for U.S. locations.

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People looking for healthier options at McDonald's appreciated the grilled chicken offering — especially parents, Haracz noted, because while their kids might have been excited about eating a Happy Meal, the parents were not as interested.

Like many other menu items, the grilled chicken sandwich was cooked on a flattop and held in the universal holding cabinets (UHCs).

Ultimately, it came down to simple dollars and cents.

Space is valuable at McDonald's, Haracz noted, with each location organized to make every square inch profitable.

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If an item is taking up space but not making money, it's probably not going to last too long, he said.

Consumer satisfaction played a big role, Haracz said, adding that he thinks the grilled chicken sandwich's flavor profile didn't always wow guests.

"McDonald's also realized once it gets to a point, there may be menu cannibalization, [which] means instead of ordering Chicken McNuggets, I might order the chicken sandwich," Haracz said. "Well, if we take the chicken sandwich away, are they still going to order Chicken McNuggets or other items? Most likely they are."

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Could the grilled chicken sandwich make a comeback? 

Haracz said he thinks it's possible.

"I do think there's a chance it could come back because many chains are dealing with the fact that beef prices are rising, and a way to offset that is to offer a more affordable protein option, which would be chicken," he said.

Haracz said he's not sure if there will be a renaissance of grilled chicken specifically. 

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"Certainly chicken items, in general, will be more popular, not only because of the beef prices, but also, that is a bigger profit margin if McDonald's develops it appropriately."

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's for comment.

The popular grocery store Trader Joe's is expanding with 30 new locations across 16 states.

Two of the stores — in Anaheim Hills, California, and West Jordan, Utah — are set to open this week, according to Trader Joe's website.

The other 28, which span states from Arizona to Washington, are listed as "coming soon."

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A spokesperson for Trader Joe's told Fox News Digital that stores are typically added to the list three to six months before planned openings.

Three of the newest additions — in Bend, Oregon; Boynton Beach, Florida; and Phoenix — are expected to open in 2027, according to local and national reports.

"We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country as we hope to open more new neighborhood stores each year," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Illinois has the most locations on the "coming soon" list, with four stores planned in Oswego, Chicago and Joliet. California, Florida and Texas have three each.

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Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Washington have two apiece, while Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio and Oregon each have one.

Trader Joe's operates about 660 stores nationwide. Shoppers can check the company's store-opening announcements for updates as more locations receive opening dates.

"Since Trader Joe's began in 1967, we have been in growth mode," the spokesperson added. "Some years we grow more than others, and our goal is always to bring delicious products at great values to as many people and neighborhoods as we can."

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The chain was founded in Pasadena, California, by Joe Coulombe. It has since built a following around its private-label groceries, from seasonal favorites such as Apple Cider Donuts, Pumpkin-Flavored Joe-Joe's cookies and holiday Jingle Jangle to affordable skincare that shoppers have called "dupes" of high-end brands.

The store's $2.99 mini canvas totes recently went viral, with shoppers lining up for new colors and some resale listings asking for hundreds of dollars.

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Its crew members, meanwhile, are known for their unusually warm, chatty checkout demeanor that some shoppers mistake for flirting, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Trader Joe's gets hundreds of requests each day for new stores but expands cautiously, prioritizing real estate and supply-chain efficiency, Entrepreneur magazine editor-in-chief Jason Feifer previously said in a viral post. He argued that the deliberate pace helps the chain keep prices low and preserve its in-store "treasure hunt" feel.

A McDonald's in Paris was left ransacked and heavily damaged after cost-of-living protests exploded into riots and widespread looting that also targeted restaurants, cafés and grocery stores across the French capital — with the city now issuing curfews in two places, The Associated Press reported.

The McDonald's on Boulevard de Magenta near Gare de l'Est suffered smashed windows and extensive damage inside, according to Le Monde.

Computer screens were damaged — while an ice cream machine continued spilling vanilla onto a ketchup-covered floor, the outlet reported.

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Intruders even attempted to cook french fries before a man and his dog drove about 20 people from the restaurant, a security guard told the publication.

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's for comment about the vandalism.

The American-based fast-food chain was hardly the only food business to be caught up in the destruction.

A neighborhood café was burned out, a wine shop was destroyed and supermarkets were among the businesses targeted as unrest swept Paris.

Among the hardest hit was La Barrique, a neighborhood café near Place de la République that was burned out, according to Le Monde.

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The son of the café's owners told the outlet his mother was inside when the business was attacked and was later taken to a hospital with a head injury.

Grocery stores were hit hard as well.

The Franprix, Monoprix, Picard and Carrefour City locations were among the grocery retailers targeted during the unrest, according to French news agency AFP.

At a Franprix on Rue Beaurepaire near Place de la République, shelves were emptied and products were either stolen or crushed on the floor. 

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Looters elsewhere were seen leaving supermarkets carrying bags filled with food, juice and alcohol, Le Monde reported.

An Intermarché Express on Boulevard de Magenta was also looted. A crew from Euronews said they were assaulted by masked individuals while reporting near the supermarket.

A Nicolas wine shop on Boulevard de Magenta was also destroyed — with shattered bottles and wine covering the area outside the store, according to Le Monde.

The destruction was part of widespread violence that followed demonstrations Saturday over the rising cost of living and other grievances.

French-born restaurateur Olivia Ostrow, who now operates Maison Ostrow in South Florida, told Fox News Digital the unrest reflects tensions extending far beyond the French capital.

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Ostrow, who was born in Paris and whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, expressed concern about what she described as rising antisemitism and the role of social media in fueling hostility.

She argued that some demonstrators have embraced political causes without fully understanding the history behind them.

"Those kids and most of those people couldn't point to Israel on the world map if it hit them in the face," she said.

Many on social media shared their dismay about what is happening in France.

"I have nothing but disgust for anyone trying to justify this," wrote one person. "Let me say it, the ones suffering the consequences are ordinary French people, not the government. It's ordinary citizens who will pay for this, whose cars were burned, whose businesses and homes were looted, and whose physical integrity were threatened."

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"These are not protests anymore," another person wrote.

Several European governments are now advising travelers to France to avoid large crowds and exercise caution during their stay, Reuters reported.