Gastography

This Week’s Menu

Monday

Breakfast: Green smoothies + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Leftover Chinese takeout

Dinner: Caramelized onion meatballs with zoodles and balsamic vinegar

Tuesday

Breakfast: Green smoothies + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Sauerkraut, Ro-tel and chicken bowl

Dinner: Roasted veggie salad with berry tahini dressing and pork chops

Wednesday

Breakfast: Green smoothies + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Leftover veggie salad with chicken

Dinner: Roasted broccoli and spicy tuna cakes – I had hoped to make bagna cauda, but didn’t check to see if I had anchovies. Boo!

Thursday

Breakfast: Green smoothies + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Leftover Spicy Tuna Cakes with apple/mint salad

Dinner: Roasted one-pan chicken thighs with brussels sprouts

Friday

Breakfast: Green smoothies + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Ate out

Saturday

Breakfast: 2 eggs with leftover pulled pork + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Out

Sunday

Breakfast: Brunch out + coffee with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Bunless burger with baked sweet potato fries

 

This Week’s Grocery List

Ground beef x 2 (bought 1 – $7.49 @ Trader Joe’s)
Chuck roast – TJs was out

Romanesco – TJs was out
Cauliflower – TJs was out
Broccoli ($2.79 @ Trader Joe’s)

Leek ($2.99 @ Trader Joe’s)
Beets ($2.29 @ Trader Joe’s)
Parsley – already had
thyme – TJs was out
scallions – TJs was out
Berries (6 ounces raspberries – $3.49 @ Trader Joe’s)

Lemon – already had

Sweet potatoes (4) (TJ’s only had 3 – $1.47)
Onions ($1.78 for 2 @ Trader Joe’s)
Garlic ($1.29 @ Trader Joe’s)

Dried figs ($3.99 @ Trader Joe’s)
Beef broth – All the broth at TJs had sugar
Tomato sauce – TJs didn’t have anything good looking here, either
10 oz tuna ($1.49 + $1.69 @ Trader Joe’s)
Almonds ($6.49 @ Trader Joe’s)
Smoothie Supplies

5 Apples ($3.45 at Trader Joe’s)
1 lb. limes ($1.99 at Trader Joe’s)
3 Avocados ($4.17 at Trader Joe’s)
Bagged kale (2) ($2.29 x 2 at Trader Joe’s)
Bagged spinach ($2.29 at Trader Joe’s)
Orange juice ($3.29 at Trader Joe’s)

Things that weren’t on the grocery list but I ended up buying anyways because some main items I needed weren’t in stock + I was hungry + snacks were needed

Pork chops ($4.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Ground turkey ($4.22 at Trader Joe’s)
Chicken thighs ($6.39 at Trader Joe’s)
Sauerkraut ($3.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Pre-cooked chicken ($5.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Roasted cashews ($7.99 at Trader Joe’s)
Shredded cabbage ($1.69 at Trader Joe’s)
Brussels sprouts ($2.49 at Trader Joe’s)
Sundried tomatoes ($3.29 at Trader Joe’s)
Gouda cheese ($6.48 at Trader Joe’s)
Brown mustard ($0.99 at Trader Joe’s)

 

Budget Breakout

This week, I spent $104.53; $4.53 over budget. This week’s pre-planned menu was shot all to hell and back while grocery shopping when Trader Joe’s was out of a good third of my grocery list. I’m quite proud of myself for only going over $4, considering I was flying blind and impulse-bought a bunch of random things for a snack dinner that night and to ensure we had enough food to cobble together dinner if plan A didn’t work out on any given night this week.

 

Leftovers From This Week

At the end of the week, I have carrots, 2 radishes, and shredded cabbage 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.