Food Day Challenge Part 3: Buying Food and Meal Preparation

 

We accepted the Food Day Challenge which is to feed your family for $5 per person per day for 3 days.  Last week, we made a meal plan and a grocery list.  Now it's time to shop!

I started at the Farmer’s Market.  I was able to buy almost all of the produce I needed for just $10.  In fact, I had originally planned to purchase frozen green beans but the Farmer’s Market had a nice big bag of fresh green beans for only $2.  Next I went to the grocery store.  I had my list and bought only the items on the list.  I purchased enough ingredients for 4 servings of each meal.

Here's a copy of my list and the amounts that I paid:

 

 

Grocery List
Produce		Meat
Item	Cost	Item	Cost
Pears  1.5# at 1.29/lb	$2.84	Chicken Thighs 1.5#	$6.21
Spinach 1 bag	$2.49	Pork Chops 1.5#	$6.86
16 ounces OJ (for pork marinade)	$1.00	Ground Turkey 1#	$4.49
Carrots 2#	$1.00
Sweet Potatoes 2.5#	$2.50
Apples 5#	$5.00
Green Beans 6 cups	$2.00
Total produce	$16.83	Total meat	$17.56
(items in italics purchased at Farmer's Market)
Dairy		Grocery
Item	Cost	Item	Cost
Eggs 1 doz large	$2.19	English Muffin 8 ct x 2 packages (BOGO)	$4.19
Cheddar Cheese Slices	$2.50	Whole grain tortilla 12 count	$3.29
Part Skim shredded mozzarella: 2 cups	$3.00	Jar of Spaghetti sauce	$1.89
		Cashews	$3.89
		Brown Rice	$1.00
		Whole wheat pasta	$1.29
Total Dairy	$7.69	Total Grocery	$15.55
			Total $57.63

The next step is to prepare the meals.  The second most common barrier to healthy eating is time.  We’re busy and many of us have trouble finding the time to prepare healthy meals.  I have overcome this barrier by setting aside about 2 hours on Sunday afternoon to prepare my meals for the week.  I usually start my food preparation as soon as I come home from the grocery store.  Here’s what you need to prepare this menu:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.      Designate an area for vegetable preparation.  You want a separate cutting board and knife for produce to avoid bacteria from uncooked meat.  Lay out all of the produce you plan to use.  Designate a different surface for you meat preparation.

3.      Place pork chops into ziplock bag along with 2 cups orange juice.  Put bag into the fridge to marinate for about 2 hours.

4.      Place 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups water into a rice cooker (if you don’t have a rice cooker, you can make rice on the stovetop following the package directions).

5.      Place ground turkey into a bowl.  I added oregano, basil, pepper and about ¼ cup tomato sauce and mixed.  Form small meatballs and place into a baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes. 

6.      Prepare the green beans for cooking.  Cut off the ends off and cut the remaining bean in half.  Steam the beans for about 10 min on the stovetop.  While the beans are cooking cut the carrots into sticks for your snack during the week.

7.       Place the chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes. 

8.      Microwave the sweet potatoes until soft (about 5 minutes).  Scoop the cooked insides into a bowl.  Mash the potatoes and add seasonings that you like.  I added ¼ cup almond milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder . 

9.      Keep an eye on the meatballs and chicken.  When done remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Then place into a storage container in the fridge.  I added some tomato sauce to the meatballs prior to storage. 

10.      Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on the stove top.  Cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side.  Cool and store in the fridge.

11.      Finally, spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and crack an egg into each cup.  Bake for about 10 min.  Cool and store in the fridge. 

  Now all you have to do is eat and enjoy.  You can have meals on the table in less than 10 minutes.  This is quicker than going through a drive-through.  It is cheaper and so much better for you.

Days 1-3

Breakfast: Toast 4 English muffins, reheat the 4 egg for about 30 sec and added a slice of cheese to each.  Cut up pear slices and breakfast is ready. 

Pack lunches and snack for the day (I usually do this the night before).  To make the pizza wraps, lay out the tortilla, place 2 tablespoons tomato sauce in middle.  Cover with spinach leaves and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.  Roll and cut into slices.  (As the week continues feel free to use leftovers in your wrap).  Include carrot sticks, nuts and an apple as snacks.

Day 1 and 2 dinner:  Just heat up the items and serve.

Day 3: Boil water and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes.  Heat up the meatballs and sauce.  Serve with green beans or spinach.

May you stay healthy and happy and use these tricks to have money left over for family fun and have time to enjoy it.