This Week’s Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftovers from last week
Dinner: London broil and a green bean salad with hard boiled eggs and lime vinaigrette
Tuesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftovers from last week
Dinner: Mole’d beef tacos with sriracha “sour cream” and a spiced carrot/jalapeno/previously frozen pepper combo since I had zero sides that ended up really gross for some reason and inedible
Wednesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover pulled pork with leftover stewed tomatoes fashioned into a chunky sauce because I was out of veggies
Dinner: Vietnamese popcorn chicken with roasted broccoli
Thursday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover pulled pork with sauerkraut, which was actually kind of fantastic
Dinner: Baked sweet potatoes with leftover pulled beef
Friday
Breakfast: Loads and loads of coffee
Lunch: The last of the sauerkraut with the last of the pulled pork – topped with a fried egg. Even better than yesterday.
Dinner: Grabbed takeout from the Whole Foods hot bar
Sunday
Breakfast: Out
Lunch: Out
Dinner: Another Whole Foods hot bar meal
This Week’s Grocery List
Grass fed chuck roast, 3 lb. ($35.99 @ Amazon Fresh)
Grass fed London broil, 1 lb. ($11.99 @ Amazon Fresh)
Green beans, 1 lb. ($1.69 @ Amazon Fresh)
Broccoli crowns, 1 lb. ($1.78 @ Amazon Fresh)
Coconut milk yogurt, 6 ounces ($1.79 @ Amazon Fresh)
Just Bare boneless skinless chicken thighs, 20 oz. ($5.49 @ Amazon Fresh)
Nature’s Yolk pasture raised eggs, dozen ($4.49 @ Amazon Fresh)
Bar-S smoked bacon, 12 oz. ($5.39 @ Amazon Fresh)
Organic sweet potatoes, 2 lb. ($2.46 @ Amazon Fresh)
Red onion ($0.99 @ Amazon Fresh)
Spectrum organic coconut oil, 14 oz. ($5.49 @ Amazon Fresh)
Smoothie Supplies
Zico Natural coconut water, 1 liter ($2.39 @ Amazon Fresh)
5 Apples ($3.95 @ Amazon Fresh)
1.5 lbs. limes ($2.77 @ Amazon Fresh)
4 Avocados ($4.49 @ Amazon Fresh)
Bagged kale, 16 ounces (2) ($11.98 @ Amazon Fresh)
Budget Breakout
This week, I spent $88.13; a draw. This week’s grocery shopping was a cluster. The meat was more expensive than anticipated, so I was unable to get 8 items on my list (herbs, coffee, a side dish and olive oil). I forgot that I had a credit sitting out there for last week’s London broil flub, so I went with the reduced list – actually, I completely forgot to add a few things back in that I know I really wanted — like the extra side dish, and coffee I don’t wince every time I come near. I’m calling this week a draw.
Leftovers From This Week
At the end of the week, I have a couple of radishes, a couple of jalapeños and an aging red grapefruit left over. I need to incorporate these items into my menu for next week.
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Think eating healthfully is too expensive for you? Think again. According to the USDA, to ensure a nutritious diet as of December 2014, a family of two aged 19-59 years should spend between $388.90 and $776.10 on food per month, or $89.80 – $179.30 per week. Source
For my family of two adults, I spend roughly $400 a month on groceries or $100 a week – and we eat well. Not caviar and lobster well, but I do manage to serve a predominately paleo diet with little to no processed foods, and I get to throw in a few luxuries here and there (like expensive snacks for the hubbs and the occasional ridiculously expensive bag of coffee). We even manage to buy “good” meat (grass fed beef and free-range chicken) most of the time – and I make this budget work even on the weeks we pay for convenience by getting delivery groceries. I make: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 10 dinners a week – plus enough snacks to satisfy and fuel two active adults.
I’m hoping that this series will help shed a little light on the day-to-day things a “paleo” person really eats — and how that way of eating can work on a budget. I want to nudge anyone sitting on the fence right over the edge by showing that it *can* be done and that you don’t just eat meat, meat, meat and more meat.
Gastography 