Construction update.
January 15, 2015
Construction update.
Whole30 #3 – Day 14
Despite a minor dinner snafu, today was good. A little light on calories, but good.
Breakfast
My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
A repeat from dinner: roasted veggies with berry tahini dressing and chicken (instead of the pork in the picture – I forgot to take a picture of lunch).
Dinner
Nom Nom Paleo’s Spicy Tuna Cakes with what was supposed to be bagna cauda until I found out I didn’t have anchovies. Roasted broccoli with lemon was good too.
Snack
1/4 cup roasted cashews
Plus the rest of the raspberries as an after-dinner snack.
January 14, 2015
I have a Jetsons microwave! Pop a couple sweet potatoes in, push potato, and it makes perfect baked potatoes. I’m fairly amazed and delighted.
Whole30 #3 – Day 13
I’d been looking forward to playing with this dinner recipe for weeks – and then it was less stellar than I’d planned. Not bad, but not stellar.
Breakfast
My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
I don’t even know what I was thinking, but lunch actually wasn’t terrible. Sauerkraut, Ro-tel & chicken breast.
Dinner
Lots of effort – too little sauce to be as exciting as I’d hoped. Broiled veggies (cauliflower, leek, beets & carrots) with a berry tahini dressing, avocado & dukkah. Served with quick pork chops.
Snack
1/4 cup roasted cashews after lunch.
And then another 1/4 cup after dinner.
January 13, 2015
Reading Rainbow Kickstarter swag!
Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of January 5 – 11
This Week’s Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover meat with guacamole
Dinner: Instant Pot pulled pork with spiced roasted parsnips
Tuesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Cruciferous Crunch salad with leftover meat
Dinner: Instant Pot green curry chicken with cauliflower rice
Wednesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Cruciferous Crunch salad with leftover meat
Dinner: Ginger sesame chicken zoodles
Thursday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover dinner from last night
Dinner: The plan was to make pulled pork tacos in cabbage wraps with an apple/mint slaw, but that fell through when Trader Joes didn’t have cabbage. I improvised and made a killer bowl out of the apple/mint slaw and pork.
Friday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Cruciferous Crunch with pulled pork and a light hazelnut oil/lime dressing.
Dinner: I had planned on eating out tonight, but the hubby had to work so I cobbled something together – the last of my big chicken thigh pack, with a quick sweet potato hash and eggs
Saturday
Breakfast: I actually ate breakfast in today (I usually brunch both days or grab something quick from the bodega/Starbucks). I made a semi-successful bowl consisting of half a can of Ro-Tel, 2 eggs and half an avocado.
Lunch: Out
Dinner: Out
Sunday
Breakfast: Out
Lunch: Out
Dinner: I had intended on making burgers and sweet potato fries, but we had a large lunch and picked up things to snack on while grocery shopping.
This Week’s Grocery List
Cabbage X (I wanted this to make tacos with the pulled pork but they were out)
Apple ($0.79 at Trader Joe’s)
Mint ($1.69 at Trader Joe’s)
Veggie for side (1 lb. parsnips – $1.79 at Trader Joe’s)
Coconut milk (2) ($1.98 at Trader Joe’s)
Radishes ($0.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Cauliflower ($2.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Cucumber or zucchini
Sesame oil ($2.29 at Trader Joe’s)
Cilantro ($1.79 at Trader Joe’s)
Sweet potato ($0.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Ghee ($4.79 at Trader Joe’s)
Coffee ($4.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Nuts for snacks ($7.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Lunch veggie (1 bag Cruciferous Crunch – $2.29 at Trader Joe’s)
Ground beef ($7.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Zucchini ($1.50 for 2 at Trader Joe’s)
Carrots ($2.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Smoothie Supplies
Ginger ($1.39 at Trader Joe’s)
Coconut water ($3.69 at Trader Joe’s)
4 Apples ($2.76 at Trader Joe’s)
1 lb. limes ($1.49 at Trader Joe’s)
2 Avocados ($2.78 at Trader Joe’s)
Bagged kale (2) ($4.58 at Trader Joe’s)
Bagged spinach ($1.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Budget Breakout
This week, I spent 64.52; 36.48 under budget. This week’s budget was helped immensely by the pork shoulder and chicken thighs I picked up last week at Whole Foods while they were on sale. The chicken was about $12 and the pork was about $25. With the meat added in, I would have hit right at my budget limit. I watch meat sales closely and stock up when I can for weeks when I have to buy high-dollar items like fats and snack nuts.
Leftovers From This Week
At the end of the week, I have carrots, celery, half a bag of radishes, ground beef and 1 small sweet potato 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.
Whole30 #3 – Day 12
Back to the grind and starting Week 2 strong.
Breakfast
My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
Leftover delivery Chinese – steamed veggies and chicken with coconut aminos & Choula for taste.
Dinner
Caramelized onion meatballs with zoodles and aged balsamic drizzle.
Snack
1/4 cup of roasted cashews after lunch.
January 12, 2015
Acceptable workout on a day when my wrist was bugging me and I couldn’t wear my contacts because something jumped in my eye as I slept and it took half an hour of half-sleeping trying to (hopefully) get it out. I was able to hang on tight, take my glasses off to rest my face, and close my eyes so I wouldn’t get dizzy/nauseous.
Whole 30 #3 Week 1: What We Ate
This month, I’m doing my Third Whole 30 – and this time, I’ve got reinforcements in the form of a few Nerd Fitness friends who are taking the plunge and committing to starting 2015 out on the right foot with me. Let’s take a look at a few of this week’s highlights! everyone ate this week!
Weekday work snacks! Plain almonds and fresh green beans from kweber05
Green Pepper/Radish Salad with Smoked Chicken from kweber05
Balsamic Beef Wraps with Sunshine Sauce from Fonzico
Dinner with extended family *can* be successful and *doesn’t* have to be full of anxiety as kweber05 found out – grilled chicken breast with steamed veggies and a hard boiled egg.
Flavor boosters like salsa kick up breakfast and sanctum staples (kweber05)
Delectible looking shrimp pad thai with cabbage noodles and sunshine sauce courtesy of Fonzico
Fancy after dinner drinks (club soda, lime juice, oranges and pomegranate seeds) from Fonzico
More fancy drinks! Club soda with orange and lime from (kweber05)
Smoked chicken and avocado egg salad (kweber05)
Fonzico made Nom Nom Paleo’s Bagna Cauda and she reports that it was amazing. I’m totally making this next week.
Salmon with Nom Nom Paleo’s Cherry BBQ Sauce from Fonzico – this sauce is delicious! Kwebs also made this sauce this week, and loves it. I will have to get on the ball and cave to peer pressure soon!
And my favorite meals from this week:
My weekday lifesaver: green smoothie + coffee with almond milk.
Capicola with roasted brussels over the weekend
Ratatouille with merguez and a fried egg over the weekend
Instant Pot Pulled Pork with Spicy Roasted Parsnips
Instant Pot Green Curry Chicken with Carrots
Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles
And hive mind Sunday Steak dinners!
kweber05 had NY Strip with cabbage steaks
Fonzico had sirloin with chimichurri, peppers & onions, and a side of salsa and sweet potato with ghee
And I hit up Outback for a wood-fired sirloin & shrimp with grilled asparagus and a plain sweet potato
Week 1 was a success all around – everyone feels lighter and on the right track nutrition-wise, and aside from some crazy food dreams, general anxieties about mindless eating, and cigarette cravings, we are all faring well and on track for Week 2.
Whole30 #3 – Day 11
Today’s food was much more satisfying.
Breakfast
Gas station breakfast on the go: hard boiled eggs, a fruit cup and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
Outback for wood fired sirloin & shrimp, grilled asparagus and a plain baked sweet potato. With unsweet tea to drink.
Dinner
A concoction of sauerkraut, sundried tomatoes and chicken breast. An odd combo but it worked.
Snack
No snacks.
Gastography 