Our Journey
We have been on a journey all month long to keep my grocery budget from rapidly growing into an unmanageable, colossal giant! Traditionally, during the winter months I stretch the limits of our average budget for food way past where it should be. Then, during the growing season I count on the availability of fresh, seasonal, inexpensive produce to make up the difference. I was so tired of stressing myself out by May, that I decided to take the bull by the horns!
I've been bulk cooking for weeks now, and the savings are adding up! Here are my past three posts, in case you missed them and want to catch up on my progress thus far.
Menu Planning When Your Fridge Is Empty
Three Food Prep Techniques Guaranteed to Save You Money
I Cut My Grocery Budget in Half with Bulk Cooking
Today we tackle a topic that we haven't really discussed yet. How much does my average weekly food budget cost and what do we eat?
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This was my second week using The China Study All Star Cookbook. Not only have I been pleased with the flavor of the dishes that we have tried, they have also been very economical to make!
We'll make our way through breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll show you each dish that I created with my 14 year old sous chef son and then add up the average cost of each meal.
At the end, we'll see how well I fared with keeping my grocery costs down to a dull roar.
Ready? Let's go!
Breakfasts:
Hot Cereal
We
rotate between cream of wheat and oatmeal.
This is the most nutritious, cost effective way we have found to feed
our children. Real food keeps them full longer. We serve oatmeal topped
with either fresh or frozen fruit, raisins, a few nuts, and a drizzle of
real maple syrup.
I could probably cut breakfast costs by not allowing the boys to add fruit or nuts to their cereal. But, it's a great way to add more fruit to their diet and I just really don't want to take it out of their day. It makes breakfast a little less boring when they can pick whatever kind of fruit they want. Breakfast is also more expensive that it need be since I buy only real maple syrup. Trust me, you don't want the high fructose laden syrups. I'd rather had them add just a drizzle of the real stuff.
Old fashioned oats: $1.25 a pound from Aldi.
Oatmeal Add-ins: $4.25 total for week
Farina: about $1.00 a pound from Mediterranean Mart. I buy it in bulk.
Total Cost of breakfast for the Week: $6.50
Lunches:
Side Dishes
Lunch is nearly always a bowl of soup, served with the following options:
A slice of bread with natural
peanut butter
Raw veggies
Fresh fruit.
All items are
bought on sale (most often price matched at HyVee.)
Cost of Lunch Side Dishes: $8.00
Soups:
1. Smoky White Bean
This is by far the most requested recipe on Under the Median. I created the recipe years ago to mimic bean-n-bacon soup without the added salt, preservatives, or other added unpronounceable ingredients. You begin with a base of a pound of white beans ($1.25) , add tomato puree ($1.50), celery, onion, garlic, carrots, herbs, and spices ($.75).
Total Cost (10 servings): $3.50
2. Red Lentil Chili
Recipe from Forks Over Knives Website. Original recipe credit: Chef AJ
This recipe begins with red lentils! If you've never used them, these tiny orbs are amazing! Like regular brown lentils, they cook up quickly, but lose their red color as they cook. I admit to stocking up on a case of these beauties this week. I received two generous gift certificates for Christmas to my favorite ethnic grocery store, Mediterranean Mart. Owner, Sieed, gave me a slight discount on the price of each bag, because I purchased an entire case. Each two bag was just $2.49. after the discount. The recipe calls for 1 pound of red lentils ($1.25), diced tomatoes ($.50), onion ($.25), red pepper ($1.00), garlic, dates ($1.00), herbs, and spices.
Total Cost (12 servings): $4.00
Total cost of lunch for the week: $15.50
Dinner:
Entrees:
1. Baked Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy
Recipe from the Plant Based on A Budget website.
I
got a big 1.5 pound package of sliced white mushrooms on markdown at
GFS for $2.50 this week. Half of that package went into the mushroom
gravy recipe. I added onion, garlic, and unsweetened almond milk ($.25), along with seasonings and spices ($.25)
Cost: $1.75 - gravy
Cost: $1.00 - Potatoes
____________________
Total Cost: $2.75
2. Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice
This recipe rocks! I used the recipe from China Study All Stars Cookbook. But, I found a very similar one on-line. Here's a link.
I used 4 cups of the mixed frozen veggies ($1.10) that I got from GFS several months ago. Here's the story. I thought maybe I was "biting off more than I could chew", but I got 30 pounds of frozen veggies for just $.55 a pound. What a deal! I still have a few pounds left in the freezer. But, I've done an admirable job trying to use it up over the winter.
When I added the cost of a pound of brown rice ($.25 - on clearance at HyVee) the jar of pineapple (on clearance at SAMS for $.80) and the minimal cost of a few slices of onion, garlic, and soy sauce, and some spices ($.75), the cost is very reasonable and will feed us for two nights.
Total Cost: $2.90
3. Coconut Curry Over Brown Rice
Recipe from China Study All Star Cookbook
We took some liberties with this recipe. It calls for a can of lite coconut milk. I buy any coconut milk only rarely, because of the high fat content. So, we used unsweetened almond milk ($.50) instead and added some non-sweetened coconut flakes. Additional ingredients include: pineapple chunks ($.80), two colored peppers ($2.00) onions, and flavorings and spices ($.50). We will serve it over brown rice ($.25) for two evening meals.
Total cost: $4.05
4. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
HyVee put their cabbage on sale for just 19¢ a pound for St. Patty's Day! Whew hoo! I grabbed two heads for just $1.00. The first head wound up as cole slaw with a tangy lemon ginger dressing for Bible Study on Wednesday night. The second head ($.50) will be perfect for stuffing with rice ($.25) and tomato sauce ($.25). This has a serious "yum" factor!
Total Cost for 9 cabbage rolls: $1.00!
5. Twice Baked Potatoes
Recipe from Dr. Colin Campbell's website
The recipe I made was very similar to the link above. Theywere divine. I added a cup of mashed white beans ($.10) to the pulp that I removed from the baked potatoes ($.60). In addition, a bit of sauteed onion and red pepper, herbs, spices, and topped with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
Total Cost of 8 potato halves: $1.00
Side Dishes:
1. Homemade Baked Beans
Recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie
I've used this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie for several years. It's easy to make and taste delicious! I prepared the beans the night before and then put the whole thing in the crock pot insert and threw it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I took it out of the fridge and put the crockpot on "high". We left for church, returning at noon to a perfectly cooked pot of homemade baked beans. The house smelled amazing!
When I prepare beans, I insure that the cooked beans completely fill my 6 quart pressure cooker. I remove extra beans, leaving enough in the pot to make a nice batch of soup. These were the white beans ($1.50) that I removed from the pressure cooker. I put them immediately into my six quart slow cooker. I added 8 oz. of tomato sauce ($.25), molasses, a bit of finely minced onion, molasses, brown sugar, and spices.
Total Cost (12 servings): $ 2.00
2. Quick Apple Loaf
Recipe can be found in The China Study All Star Cookbook
This
was our first time trying this bread and it was a hit with everyone.
Moist, flavorful, and gluten free because we made it with almond and a
GF flour mix. The GF flours drive the price of this side dish up a
little bit.
Cost (8 servings): $2.50
3. Salad
Dinners
are always served with a large salad of leafy greens, a vegetable side
dish, and sometimes fruit for dessert. We go through at least 2.5 pounds
of fresh greens every single week. I get a large 2.5 pound bag of
spinach from SAMS for $3.50. If I get organic, the price per week
doubles. We add a handful of walnuts, a few raisins, 2-3 Tbsp of freshly ground flax seeds, and my homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Total cost: $6.00
Total Dinner Cost for the Week: $22.20
Snacks:
1. Gingerbread Granola
I
never cook on Sunday night. So, my boys will enjoy this homemade
granola for supper on Sunday evening and for snacks throughout the week. This recipe is amazing! It has no
oil and is sweetened by date syrup, molasses, and brown rice syrup.
Total granola Cost: $2.00
2. Popcorn
We buy a 50# bag of popcorn from SAMS about twice a year. Air-popped popcorn is great fun for the kids. We add no oil, no salt. Best of all, they can make it themselves and then clean up afterwards!
Popcorn: Cost (3 X per week) $2.00
3. Fruit
Fruit
is sometimes offered at snack time. It is always fresh, in-season,
and purchased on sale. I get the best price by going weekly to HyVee and
having them match the best prices from all the stores in town.
Fruit for 4 days: $3.00
Snack Total: $7.00
GRAND TOTAL FOR ONE WEEK: $51.20!
Bear in mind that the cost I gave you for each dish reflecst the priced I paid for individual ingredients. For instance, I got a wonderful deal a while back on marked down brown rice at HyVee. I paid just $2.00 for 8 pounds! So, depending on what you have on hand, the recipes may cost you a little more (or a little less) to make. My main goal was to show you that when you effectively combine whole foods (bought on sale), ingredients that you have on hand, and bulk cook, you can save a LOT of money on your grocery bill!
Your turn!
Do you have any goals for your grocery bill? What are the main areas that you struggle with in keeping your grocery bill on target and on budget? How can I best help you? Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section.
Hope
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