Meal Planning for Health and Wealth!

Each week I show you my weekly CSA box and tell you what I'm going to do with the produce. Why? There is one simple reason!  

I want to show you how easy it is to plan a week's worth of meals around just $25 of fresh produce!  

By making produce as the backbone of your menu, you will save some serious money and provide your family with more nutrients and better health.  It's a win-win!  

It's Healthier

 

Shop the produce aisle, where you'll find items full of fiber and free from fat and cholesterol.  

 According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), a 2017 study showed that just 9 percent of American adults were consuming the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables, putting them at increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.  

 On his webite, Nutrition Facts.org, Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not to Die, less than 3% of Americans get even the minimum recommended daily intake of fiber.  Those who eat a plant based diet get triple the amount of the fiber of that consumed by the average American.   Meat, dairy, and eggs contain no fiber. 

In addition to providing fiber, which keeps the gut clean, plants also contain phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals.  They reduce inflammation, are low in fat, and help you lose weight.

 It Saves You Money!

 

 

This blog isn't really about nutrition.  It's about encouraging families who live under the US national median.  It's about saving money and living lean.  

So, let me intrigue you with the idea that when you create your weekly menu plan around vegetables, whole grains, and beans rather than meat and dairy, not only will you'll be eating more of the healthy stuff that they AMA recommends, you'll also be saving money!

Even if you don't choose a vegetarian lifestyle, planning some "meat-lite" or meatless meals throughout the week, will save save money.  

In October of 2015 Money Magazine reported on a recent study, which concluded that vegetarians can save at least $750 more than meat-eaters per year.  These calculations were made using the USDA's recommended weekly menu plans.  

I don't know about you, but I think that's some serious money!

Don't have a CSA membership?  No problem!  

Take $25 bucks to your local farmer's market.  See what bargains you can score!  You can do the same thing at your local grocery store.  Hang out in the produce department and purchase items which are on sale.  Before you leave home, read  this article.  I give you six things do do before you head out the door.  The article tells you exactly what I do every single week.  These steps save me a TON of money and work like a charm!  Remember, I have a family of five and my monthly food budget, including our CSA membership totals just $450 dollars a month. 

Why not consider moving produce from the background into the foreground of your family's meals?   

Happy Eating!  

 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope