A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning.
A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it.
Last Week (Week of May 19 – 23)
The Plan vs. Reality
This week we were on vacation. We brought our Vitamix with every intention of making breakfast smoothies … and then didn’t make it to the grocery store. So, that didn’t happen and our amount spent on actual groceries was $0.
This Week: May 26 – 30
After coming back from vacation, orderly and budget-regimented grocery shopping was the last thing on our minds. I didn’t plan a menu for this week and we spent under our budgeted allowance. How much under, I can’t remember.
This Week’s Proposed Menu
- Monday: Road junk driving back from vacation
- Tuesday: Ate out before grocery shopping
- Wednesday: Adobo chicken with broccolini
- Thursday: Pork chops with peas and leeks
- Friday: Burgers with sweet potato fries
- Lunch: Cruciferous crunch and chicken
- Extras: Strawberries
Shopping List & Cost Breakout
Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows
We’ll see this feature again next week.
Shopping List – 1 week of smoothies
No real grocery store plan for this week. I picked up smoothie supplies and staples for quick and easy meals.
I spent under my budget allotment, but no idea how far under since I forgot to save the receipt.
Gastography 