Thursday, March 22, 2012

How I do it...

I've heard it a thousand times.  How can you be gluten free or have a whole foods diet on a budget?  Most people think it is too expensive to eat healthy and it is expensive, but not as much as people think. The truth is, our grocery bill has not changed very much.  I'll admit that it has gone up about $30 a month, but that's because I've added a butcher into the mix. So, how do I do it?

Step #1 - I plan my meals out in 2 week increments

It takes a lot of planning, but we spend about $150 to $180 every other week on groceries.  That adds up to about $300 to $360 per month, which is below the amount that a family of four receives on food stamps. Take a minute to let that sink in. The average family of four on food stamps gets a little over $400 for food, so it is quite possible to eat healthy on a tight budget.  Now, why did I mention that? Well, because eating foods that are not whole isn't about expense to me.  It is more about convenience. When you are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, or even sugar free (which I am not all of those things yet) you have to COOK or bake to cut cost. It's just that simple. The days of handing your child an Eggo waffle are GONE. I don't cut coupons. I shop at Earthfare and my grocery bill is not crazy, but I no longer have the convenience of processed food. I will admit there is not a lot of variety when doing this on a budget and it takes me a good amount of time to plan our meals in advance.

Here is an example of my 2-week menu plan (I've added links to some of the recipes too)


Date
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snack
Sunday 3/18
Grapes
Cheese Cubes
Monday 3/19
Eggs w/toast
Left-over Rogan Josh
Chicken w/rice and carrots
Grapes
Banana
Tuesday 3/20
Paleo Chicken Nugget w/Sweet Potato Fries
Granola
Wednesday 3/21
Apple
Cheese Cubes
Thursday 3/22
Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free) Yogurt
Quinoa Salad
Chicken w/rice and carrots
Apple
Yogurt
Friday 3/23
Fruit Salad
Grapes
Cheese Cubes
Saturday 3/24
Banana Bread or Pancakes w/paleo sausage
Quinoa Salad
Curry Goat (Paleo)
Apple
Granola

Sunday 3/25
Pancakes or Scones (Gluten Free)
Quinoa Salad
Left-over Curry Goat
Granola
Blueberries
Monday 3/26
Eggs w/paleo sausage
Fruit Salad
Granola
Yogurt
Tuesday 3/27
Pancakes
Gluten Free Pasta w/Fruit
Chicken w/rice
Granola
Yogurt
Wednesday 3/28
Granola Cereal or Gluten Free Chex
Gluten Free Pasta/ w fruit
Chicken w/rice
Apples
Cheese Cubes
Thursday
Granola Cereal
Quinoa Salad
Curry Chicken
Apples
Cheese Cubes
Friday
Banana Bread
Quinoa Salad
Apples
Granola
Saturday
Banana Bread
Paleo Chicken Nuggets w/Sweet Potato Fries
Not really sure
Granola
Yogurt



Step # 2 - I write out my grocery list according to what I am going to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks. 

Most people I know write their lists and then plan their meals, but in my opinion that will lead to more trips to the grocery store and more money.  If you sit down and write a menu plan, then you can look at recipes and actually save yourself from buying multiple ingredients or ingredients you will use for only one item.  For example, in my menu plan there is somewhat of an Indian/Carribean theme. That helps with buying seasoning, veggies, and other things needed to make meals. You aren't going to save money if your meals are all over the place, especially if you're just starting to change your eating style. Also, select days of the week to have certain items.  For example, we eat chicken (poor mans meat) Monday thru Thursday, Friday is vegetarian, and Saturday and Sunday include beef, goat, or something else crazy my husband likes.

Step #3 - Count out the items you will need

The hardest part for me when changing over to gluten free/paleoish was running out of food before the next scheduled trip to the store.  Now, I actually go through my menu/recipes and count out how many eggs, pounds of chicken, granola, or bananas I'm going to need.  It's time consuming, but it saves yourself from going to the store multiple times and you won't deviate from your menu.

Step #4 - Get a Pinterest account

If you're anything like me, then you want to try new things and even get quick go-to recipes.  Before I changed the way I ate it was quite simple to whip up a meal, but now I want to see what other gluten free people are doing and try out those recipes. In order for me to keep them in order and save the ones I like or want to try, I pin them to my pinterest account. It's quite easy and it will help you get organized.

Step #5 - Relax, but get informed!

It's quite easy to get overwhelmed, but the best thing to do is to take it easy.  I eat this way because I feel better when I do.  My health depends on my diet.  That isn't the case for everyone and if you just want to make changes because you're tired of processed food or for any other reason, then go slow and start eliminating things one at a time. My item now is gluten and I seriously need to incorporate more leafy greens and other vegetables to my diet. I'm working on it, but the plan is to go slow and not overwhelm myself to the point that I give up.

If this is about your health, then you need to inform yourself about all of the things food can do to you. For example, I just learned that certain raw veggies can inhibit thyroid function. WOW! I thought eating raw veggies was the best thing you could do, but that isn't true for everyone. 

Step #6 - HELP ME!

I need help.  I'm new at this, so if you have any tips then give them to me.  If you find a book that will be beneficial let me know.  I don't know everything and honestly, I'm doing this for myself, but also for my children.  I'm the 5th generation of women in my family to have a thyroid disorder.  That tells me that my children are predisposed to going through the same things and if changing their diet will help them, then that is my job as their mother.  I'm beginning to ramble, but I think you get what I'm saying. 
Next time I'll break down cost and show receipts.





2 comments:

  1. I LOVE it! Goes to show that you don't have to be wealthy to be healthy!!!

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  2. Um....AMAZING! Seriously, I am beyond impressed that you are able to feed a family on this budget. Your schedule is awesome. I try to do the same but I think now I am inspired to take it to another level like you do. It is so much easier because my thy-brain likes to often take the day (ok, week) off. Planning is key for me and thy-brain.

    Love your blog - you make me laugh and cry in the same post (especially the one on validation). And "go thyroid" is now my new favorite expression :)

    Very happy to have discovered your blog.

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