Healthy Eating on a Budget: Steps to Take

In recognition of National Food Day, I have challenged everyone to take the Food Day Challenge.  Basically, the challenge is to feed your family real food on a budget of $5 per person per day for 3 days.  Can it be done?  Taking the Food Day Challenge can be overwhelming.  Eating healthy on a budget is possible but it takes planning and practice.

Take these steps to get started:

Step 1: Plan a menu

            What will you serve for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 3 days?

            Review grocery flyers.  Any items on sale?

            Choose produce that’s in season: it’s cheaper and fresher!

 

Step 2: Make a grocery list based on your menu.

            Check your pantry and freezer to see which items you already have.

Step 3: Shop.

            Buy only the items on your list.

            Compare prices.

Step 4: Cook and Enjoy

To plan, you need to create a meal plan.  Things to take into account are items you have on hand.   Check your fridge and pantry to see if any items need to be used.  Take your family’s food likes and dislikes into account, but don’t be afraid to introduce new things once and a while.  I took the challenge.  For my family of 4, I had a budget of $60 for 3 days.  I decided to keep things very simple for this challenge.  I planned the same breakfast and lunch items for the 3 days.  Then I chose 3 healthy dinners.  From my meal plan I made a list of all items I needed for the 3 days. 

Here’s my meal plan

	Day1	Day2	Day3
Breakfast	Egg Sandwich: whole grain English muffin, 1 egg, 1 piece low-fat cheddar cheese; pear slices	Egg Sandwich: whole grain English muffin, 1 egg, 1 piece low-fat cheddar cheese; pear slices	Egg Sandwich: whole grain English muffin, 1 egg, 1 piece low-fat cheddar cheese; pear slices
Lunch	Pizza Wrap: Whole grain tortilla, 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce; 1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup spinach + carrot sticks	Pizza Wrap: Whole grain tortilla, 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce; 1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup spinach + carrot sticks	Pizza Wrap: Whole grain tortilla, 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce; 1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup spinach + carrot sticks
Snack	1 Apple; 1 ounce cashews	1 Apple; 1 ounce cashews	1 Apple; 1 ounce cashews
Dinner	Baked Chicken thigh; 1/2 cup brown rice; 1/2 cup steamed green beans	Grilled Pork Chops; 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes; 1 cup spinach	Turkey Meatballs; 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta; 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce; baked green beans

Next week I'll demonstrate how I purchased the items needed within my budget.