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We have $14 left to spend on the week. Probably on the following:
milk $6
bread $5
eggs $3, unless we have an “emergency” and need it for something else.
Valerie - September 21, 2008 at 12:22 am
Our menu:
Breakfasts: yogurt both store bought and home made; and cereal. The kids get their breakfast @ school
Lunches: My husband will have leftovers from dinner, kids get theirs at school (breakfast & lunch included in their pre school tuition) Myself: either bread topped with marinated cherry tomatoes and provolone; or a sandwich of grilled eggplant, tomato and provolone
Dinners: For the kids either breaded chicken, ramen noodles and carrots or fish sticks, broccoli and ramen noodles or home made pizza with olives and pepperoni
Adults: spaghetti in olive oil and garlic with greens and white beans or rice with black beans and greens or home made pizza with olives
The kids will drink water or milk, the adults will drink water. Desserts and snacks will be plums, apples and watermelon.
Valerie - September 21, 2008 at 12:30 am
I’m impressed with how much fresh produce you’ve been able to include in your menus!
Here’s what I bought so far. I’ve got $3 to spend later in the week.
$2 Peanut Butter
$1 Cereal
$1.40 Loaf of Bread
$3.00 6 chicken legs
$2.40 ½ gallon milk
$2.00 Dozen Eggs
$1.00 Pasta
$1.00 Can Spaghetti Sauce
$1.00 5 bananas
$3.00 Shredded mozzarella
$1.00 Can of tuna
$1.70 Apple Juice with Vitamin C
$1.50 Russet Potatoes
$22.00
My menus look like this:
Breakfast everyday — cereal with milk
Lunch
Sunday — Egg Salad Sandwich
Monday — Leftover Baked Ziti
Tuesday — Leftover Baked Ziti
Wed — Chicken Salad (leftover Chicken)
Thursday — Egg Salad Sandwich
Friday — Leftover Tuna Pasta Salad
Saturday — Whatever I have left
Dinner
Sunday — Baked Ziti
Monday — Baked Ziti
Tuesday — Chicken and Potatoes
Wed — Chicken and Potatoes
Thursday — Tuna Pasta Salad
Friday — Egg and Cheese Omelette with Potatoes
Saturday — Whatever I have left
We have $75 for 3 people, and we began on Sat. evening after doing our weekly grocery shopping. I went to Giant, the closest store, since I believe not everyone can spend the time and gas to buy different items at different stores. We had a guest for dinner already and this was difficult – we had a cookout and had to forego fish to serve burgers (we were able to offer either beef or soy, though) with corn on the cob. We could not afford whole wheat buns, which we usually buy. Dessert was a bag of $.99 cookies, with pretzels for an appetizer.
I think we are okay for dinners – planning on barbecue chicken, spaghetti with homemade sauce, and rice & beans. We also had our cookout one night, and eggs & fried potatoes last night, with cut fruit. Our family has 2 vegetarians, and someone with acid reflux and IBS so this is particularly challenging. We chose to buy plenty of fruits and vegetables, store-brand whole wheat bread, pasta, peanut butter, and rice, rather than less nutritious but cheaper staples such as ramen noodles or boxed mac & cheese, but I think we will run out of fruit and bread. We have $3 left for the week. We will take cheese sandwiches and leftovers from our dinners in our lunches.
We have had to forego many favorite foods – bottled water, specialty juices (we bought frozen orange juice), hummus, strawberries, fresh bread and rolls, bagels, and granola bars, all of which were too expensive.
Sheri - September 22, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Favorite foods are out such as hummus, raw nuts, olives, and fancy cheese. I bought regular pasta and not the whole wheat variety. I’m using frozen juice. If I had found a good price on juice oranges I would have made my own.
I also would buy local if I could but I work during the times they are open during the week.
I guess I could have found a market open this weekend but I wonder if this is feasible for most people using food stamps. Imagine trying to buy fresh, local produce when working 2 jobs, 6 to 7 days a week and relying on buses. NOT EASY.
It took me much longer to shop even with a list and an idea of the store’s specials for the week. I am buying for a family of 3 and I must admit I did add a tad for my high school aged daughter to cover her breakfast and lunch because technically she could receive free breakfast and lunch at school. But of course this plan foiled when my adult son came by and grazed through the pantry and frig. But what a reality check, this probably happens more times than not and it must force families to adjust for the rest of the week.
Breakfast: Cereal with milk and regular, plain “stove-top” oatmeal. Found good deal on very ripe bananas.
Lunch: Left-overs if not needed for the night’s dinner, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, grapes or apple (found a great deal at the store) and yogurt (bought a large container of lowfat vanilla yogurt (again a great price).
Dinner: Roast Beef (store special), Saute Kale (I have a good receipe), white rice, left over Roast Beef made into a Hash with potatoes and cooked carrots, Roast Chicken (again, a store special), frozen store brand veggies, cooked cabbage, left over chicken made with noodles, Grilled Cheese with semi-homemade tomato soup (recipe is cheap & easy), 1/2 lb. ground beef browned with herbs (from my container garden) with onion, diced carrots, garlic and small can diced tomatoes served over 1/2 baked potato. Last night leftovers if any with a salad (iceberg) & frozen veggie or scrambled eggs. Also I made a large pot of beans that can be eaten through out the week as needed.
This is a huge time commitment. I’m so use to buying most of my food in the fresh produce aisle and eating very little meat. I’ll probably feel ill by the end of the week.
karen - September 22, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I found it amusing to see everyone leave $3 as a buffer! I hard a hard time at the farmers market. I would normally spend twice what I spent and I wanted zucchini, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, green beans (for the kids) and raspberries.
In our CSA share we received cherry tomatoes. We tend to give them away as we don’t especially care for them. This week I marinated them in olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and topped them on bread that had been toasted with olive oil, garlic and provolone. A cheap lunch!
Overall, our menu this week is a lot starchier than our typical diet and includes a lot less protein, and mainly, a LOT less variety. It is the VARIETY I miss the most.
Valerie - September 22, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I must admit I’m cranky and have had a headache. I wonder if this is related to my new diet. And I miss the VARIETY too! Valerie I covet your cherry tomatoes.
Also, does a family of four with teenage children receive the same allotment as a family of four with much younger children? Wow, something for us all to think about.
I’m glad the challenge ends for me this weekend but it is not a choice for many other people and that is a sobering thought.
karen - September 24, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I knew we would lack variety and choice this week, but was not expecting to actually be hungry and yet each of us has experienced that. My daughter has gone to her friends’ houses to snack, which would be embarrassing to say the least if this were our constant situation. I don’t know how families manage, and what about when her friends come to our house? I found myself counting the slices of bread in a loaf today, as I had only $2 left for the week and needed a loaf that would last the rest of the week. I used my extra $1 to put another can of tomato sauce in our spaghetti so we would have enough for leftovers in our lunches.
Sheri - September 24, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Family of 2 – Monday to Friday morning so far ($40.90)
1.29 1/2 & 1/2
1.57 milk
1.53 eggs
2.10 bologna
1.15 1/2# ground beef
4.60 chicken thighs (10 pack)
.83 zucchini
.92 cabbage
1.54 potatoes
.66 onions
.49 carrots
.85 bananas
2.05 snap peas (splurged)
1.00 canned tomatoes
.79 can white beans
1.00 macaroni
2.59 coffee (I miss my Quartermaine’s)
.79 popcorn (I miss my Orville’s)
1.67 peanut butter
2.69 jelly
4.00 breads
1.79 honey
2.00 oats
1.00 4 ramen
2.00 bouillon cubes
Each morning:
Husband – Granola and coffee
Me – sandwich and coffee
Lunches-both
Sandwich
Banana
My snack – Ramen
Dinners
Monday: Elbows, sauce from beef, tomato sauce, onions, peppers
Tuesday: Big bowl minestrone
Wednesday: Chicken thigh, potato, snap peas
Thursday: Minestrone and crackers
Friday: Elbows, sauce
Night snacks (we are noshers) – big bowls of popcorn
Char - September 26, 2008 at 1:36 pm
This has been quite an experience thus far. We, too, shopped at Giant since it was the closest market. We spent $45 Saturday night and hung the receipt on the fridge. That way we could subtract what we did not use this week. On the other hand, every time we used something (e.g. peanut butter or eggs) we already had, we prorated and added it. Coming up with a final total after tomorrow night should be an interesting endeavor.
Mostly I have had peanut butter sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch (today I had cheese –a treat!). Larry had cold cereal for breakfast most of the time, occasionally skipping that meal completely and having a slightly better lunch (e.g. an omelet and toast). Dinners consisted of chicken for two nights, with a baked potato and peas; red beans and rice; spaghetti with not-really-great-due-to-omission-of-key-but-expensive-ingredients sauce; an odd pasta dish; and a pork chop with curried rice. We both ate bananas daily, as well as an occasional apple. No salads — sigh. Lots of hard pretzels and water. No juices or sodas, although Larry did make coffee for himself. I have no idea what we’ll eat tomorrow. We still have groceries left from the initial shopping trip, but we need to figure out if we are still under the allotted amount since we included some already-purchased items.
As someone who has been a social worker and someone who has taught in a less-than-affluent school, this opportunity alllowed us to “walk in the shoes” of those with whom we typically work. Interestingly, we looked up some recipes on the Internet but found little in the way of “cheap but healthy” — something else to think about.
Susan – September 26th at 7:15 PM
Susan & Larry - September 26, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Sunday
Breakfast: 2 jumbo eggs (A) ½ (uncooked) cup rolled oats (J)
1 cup of coffee
Lunch: 2 homemade pancakes each (1.5 C whole wheat flour; ¾ C coconut milk, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon)
2 slices of cucumber each
¼ C homemade hummous each (2 C chick peas; 2 cloves garlic; juice of half a
lime; salt; ¾ C purchased tahini)
1 T plain yoghurt
Snack: Alice: Cup of tea
Supper: 1 chicken thigh each
Baked pumpkin mixed with 1 T butter; 2 T sour cream, cinnamon, cloves and
pureed in food processor and sprinkled with black walnuts which were
gathered from beneath the nearby tree: free
Green Swiss Chard
Snack: Jerry: ½ popcorn kernals (popped)
Monday
Breakfast: 2 jumbo eggs (A) ½ C rolled oats (J)
1 C coffee
Handful of roasted pumpkin seeds
Lunch 1 C pumpkin pudding 2 eggs
1/4 C pumpkin seeds ½ C (unpopped) popcorn(popped)
2 small Jerusalem artichokes 1 apple
1 pear (gift of Obama campaign)
Dinner: Curry: (1/2 can coconut milk, left over beans, ½ inch of white radish, “eye” sized piece of pumpkin in little pieces, 3 okra beans from garden, ½ onion, coconut oil, couple T flour)
½ slice of fresh pineapple
Tuesday
Breakfast: same as Monday
Snack: ½ C popcorn (J)
Lunch 3 flour tortillas, ½ tomato, ¼ C hummus, 4T pumpkin puree, ½ C pumpkin pudding = A
1 tortilla, ¼ tomato, ¼ C hummus, 2T pumpkin puree, ½ C pumpkin pudding, tea= J
Snack cup of tea
Dinner 2 slices pork loin roast
¾ C apple sauce (with a little squash mixed in plus cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
Green beans
¾ C shredded white radish + shredded Jerusalem artichoke + 1 T mayonnaise +
½ green Romain lettuce leaf
Wednesday
Breakfast: 3 sunny side up eggs, a cup of coffee = A; ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats = J
Lunch: 2 tortillas: ½ green onion, ¼ C hummous, 1 green lettuce leaf, ½ cup pumpkin puree; tea = A & J
Snack: ½ C popcorn (unpopped to measure) = J, 2 T of hummous = A
Dinner: 2 chicken thighs, pumpkin chunks + cinnamon/cloves/cumin + thickened broth (from chicken bones), tossed salad (lettuce, shredded white radish, 1/c pineapple chunks, 2 T cubed cucumber, 1 T mayonnaise)
Thursday:
Breakfast: 3 sunnyside up eggs; 1 cup of coffee = A ; ½ c rolled oats = J
Lunch: 2 tortillas (1/4 C+ hummus, ¼ tomato, ¼ green onion), 1 c pumpkin pudding = A
3 tortillas (3/4 C+ hummus, ½ tomato, ¾ green onion) = J
Snack ½ C roasted pumpkin seeds = A; 1 C tea
Dinner: pumpkin stew (approx. 3 C pumpkin cubes, ¾ C Swiss Chard stalks, ½ C white radish cubes, 2 cut up chicken thighs, ¼ cup leftover gravy, ¾ C leftover pumpkin cubes with gravy, 1 Swiss Chard leaf, spices (5 spice, homemade curry)) = shard by A & J with a C left over.
Snack: ½ C (unpopped) popcorn = J
Friday
Breakfast: 3 fried eggs + cup of coffee = A, ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats = J
Snack ½ C popcorn (unpopped) = J, 1 C black tea = A
Lunch: 2 tortillas, (1/2 C hummus + ¼ small tomato + 2 slices cucumber + 2T pureec pumpkin), ½ slice fresh pineapple = A & J
Snack : ½ C (unpopped) popcorn = J
Dinner: 2 pork loin slices, ¾ C apple sauce, ¾ C green beans, 1.25 C tossed salad (cubed fresh pineapple, a green onion, ¼ C shredded white radish, 1T mayonnaise) = A & J
Saturday
Breakfast: 3 fried eggs, 1 C coffee = A; ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats
Lunch: 3 tortillas (3T hummus, ¼ tomato, 1 lettuce leaf in two; substitute 2 slices cucumber in third ), 1 raw apple = A
2 tortillas (3 T hummus, ¼ tomato, 2 slices cucumber in each)
Dinner: Navy bean salad: 2 C navy beans, l.5 C left-over pumpkin stew, 1/5 fresh tomatoes, 2 cut up green onions = A & J 1.5 pineapple slices = A
Unused: ½ package Navy beans, 1/2 of hummous, probably at least ½ of pumpkin, at least ½ of the bunch of Romain lettuce, 1 green onion, 2 beets, 1 slice of pork loin roast , 17 flour tortillas (these should more than balance out the food I picked from my garden: tomatoes, green beans, okra or used from purchased items I had purchased in bulk: peaches. a couple tablespoons of vinegar, home made curry powder, or that I had made prior to this week: mayonnaise
Now the question is: how can senior citizens eat a variety of foodstuffs when they mostly are packaged for families. Smaller allotments often cost more. To get a variety, it means keeping food longer than recommended—or throwing away things one has paid for.
Jerry is 60; I am 72. Jerry is diabetic and obese; I get an irritable bowel if I eat meat/fat at the same meal as any carbohydrate source so I have learned to cook so as not to mix them. I weigh about 114. We eat the same things in general.
We have $100 (as a family of 4)
$25 for our weekly CSA allottment:
Greens
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Garlic
Carrots
Turnips
Peppers
$14 at the Farmers Market:
Broccoli
Apples
Plums
Watermelon
$21 at Magruders (Instead of my usual Safeway)
6 packages Ramen noodles
1 lb black beans
Kashi crunch cereal
15 oz white beans
1 lb spaghetti
pepperoni
1 gallon lactose-free milk
7 oz provolone cheese
$26 at Trader Joe’s (as opposed to my usual Whole Foods)
Breaded chicken tenderloin
Fage Greek yogurt
Breaded Cod sticks
16 oz shredded mozzarella
2 20z pizza dough
kalamata olives
We have $14 left to spend on the week. Probably on the following:
milk $6
bread $5
eggs $3, unless we have an “emergency” and need it for something else.
Our menu:
Breakfasts: yogurt both store bought and home made; and cereal. The kids get their breakfast @ school
Lunches: My husband will have leftovers from dinner, kids get theirs at school (breakfast & lunch included in their pre school tuition) Myself: either bread topped with marinated cherry tomatoes and provolone; or a sandwich of grilled eggplant, tomato and provolone
Dinners: For the kids either breaded chicken, ramen noodles and carrots or fish sticks, broccoli and ramen noodles or home made pizza with olives and pepperoni
Adults: spaghetti in olive oil and garlic with greens and white beans or rice with black beans and greens or home made pizza with olives
The kids will drink water or milk, the adults will drink water. Desserts and snacks will be plums, apples and watermelon.
I’m impressed with how much fresh produce you’ve been able to include in your menus!
Good luck with the challenge!
Here’s what I bought so far. I’ve got $3 to spend later in the week.
$2 Peanut Butter
$1 Cereal
$1.40 Loaf of Bread
$3.00 6 chicken legs
$2.40 ½ gallon milk
$2.00 Dozen Eggs
$1.00 Pasta
$1.00 Can Spaghetti Sauce
$1.00 5 bananas
$3.00 Shredded mozzarella
$1.00 Can of tuna
$1.70 Apple Juice with Vitamin C
$1.50 Russet Potatoes
$22.00
My menus look like this:
Breakfast everyday — cereal with milk
Lunch
Sunday — Egg Salad Sandwich
Monday — Leftover Baked Ziti
Tuesday — Leftover Baked Ziti
Wed — Chicken Salad (leftover Chicken)
Thursday — Egg Salad Sandwich
Friday — Leftover Tuna Pasta Salad
Saturday — Whatever I have left
Dinner
Sunday — Baked Ziti
Monday — Baked Ziti
Tuesday — Chicken and Potatoes
Wed — Chicken and Potatoes
Thursday — Tuna Pasta Salad
Friday — Egg and Cheese Omelette with Potatoes
Saturday — Whatever I have left
Snacks
Bananas
Peanut Butter Sandwich
We have $75 for 3 people, and we began on Sat. evening after doing our weekly grocery shopping. I went to Giant, the closest store, since I believe not everyone can spend the time and gas to buy different items at different stores. We had a guest for dinner already and this was difficult – we had a cookout and had to forego fish to serve burgers (we were able to offer either beef or soy, though) with corn on the cob. We could not afford whole wheat buns, which we usually buy. Dessert was a bag of $.99 cookies, with pretzels for an appetizer.
I think we are okay for dinners – planning on barbecue chicken, spaghetti with homemade sauce, and rice & beans. We also had our cookout one night, and eggs & fried potatoes last night, with cut fruit. Our family has 2 vegetarians, and someone with acid reflux and IBS so this is particularly challenging. We chose to buy plenty of fruits and vegetables, store-brand whole wheat bread, pasta, peanut butter, and rice, rather than less nutritious but cheaper staples such as ramen noodles or boxed mac & cheese, but I think we will run out of fruit and bread. We have $3 left for the week. We will take cheese sandwiches and leftovers from our dinners in our lunches.
We have had to forego many favorite foods – bottled water, specialty juices (we bought frozen orange juice), hummus, strawberries, fresh bread and rolls, bagels, and granola bars, all of which were too expensive.
Favorite foods are out such as hummus, raw nuts, olives, and fancy cheese. I bought regular pasta and not the whole wheat variety. I’m using frozen juice. If I had found a good price on juice oranges I would have made my own.
I also would buy local if I could but I work during the times they are open during the week.
I guess I could have found a market open this weekend but I wonder if this is feasible for most people using food stamps. Imagine trying to buy fresh, local produce when working 2 jobs, 6 to 7 days a week and relying on buses. NOT EASY.
It took me much longer to shop even with a list and an idea of the store’s specials for the week. I am buying for a family of 3 and I must admit I did add a tad for my high school aged daughter to cover her breakfast and lunch because technically she could receive free breakfast and lunch at school. But of course this plan foiled when my adult son came by and grazed through the pantry and frig. But what a reality check, this probably happens more times than not and it must force families to adjust for the rest of the week.
Breakfast: Cereal with milk and regular, plain “stove-top” oatmeal. Found good deal on very ripe bananas.
Lunch: Left-overs if not needed for the night’s dinner, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, grapes or apple (found a great deal at the store) and yogurt (bought a large container of lowfat vanilla yogurt (again a great price).
Dinner: Roast Beef (store special), Saute Kale (I have a good receipe), white rice, left over Roast Beef made into a Hash with potatoes and cooked carrots, Roast Chicken (again, a store special), frozen store brand veggies, cooked cabbage, left over chicken made with noodles, Grilled Cheese with semi-homemade tomato soup (recipe is cheap & easy), 1/2 lb. ground beef browned with herbs (from my container garden) with onion, diced carrots, garlic and small can diced tomatoes served over 1/2 baked potato. Last night leftovers if any with a salad (iceberg) & frozen veggie or scrambled eggs. Also I made a large pot of beans that can be eaten through out the week as needed.
This is a huge time commitment. I’m so use to buying most of my food in the fresh produce aisle and eating very little meat. I’ll probably feel ill by the end of the week.
I found it amusing to see everyone leave $3 as a buffer! I hard a hard time at the farmers market. I would normally spend twice what I spent and I wanted zucchini, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, green beans (for the kids) and raspberries.
In our CSA share we received cherry tomatoes. We tend to give them away as we don’t especially care for them. This week I marinated them in olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and topped them on bread that had been toasted with olive oil, garlic and provolone. A cheap lunch!
Overall, our menu this week is a lot starchier than our typical diet and includes a lot less protein, and mainly, a LOT less variety. It is the VARIETY I miss the most.
I must admit I’m cranky and have had a headache. I wonder if this is related to my new diet. And I miss the VARIETY too! Valerie I covet your cherry tomatoes.
Also, does a family of four with teenage children receive the same allotment as a family of four with much younger children? Wow, something for us all to think about.
I’m glad the challenge ends for me this weekend but it is not a choice for many other people and that is a sobering thought.
I knew we would lack variety and choice this week, but was not expecting to actually be hungry and yet each of us has experienced that. My daughter has gone to her friends’ houses to snack, which would be embarrassing to say the least if this were our constant situation. I don’t know how families manage, and what about when her friends come to our house? I found myself counting the slices of bread in a loaf today, as I had only $2 left for the week and needed a loaf that would last the rest of the week. I used my extra $1 to put another can of tomato sauce in our spaghetti so we would have enough for leftovers in our lunches.
Family of 2 – Monday to Friday morning so far ($40.90)
1.29 1/2 & 1/2
1.57 milk
1.53 eggs
2.10 bologna
1.15 1/2# ground beef
4.60 chicken thighs (10 pack)
.83 zucchini
.92 cabbage
1.54 potatoes
.66 onions
.49 carrots
.85 bananas
2.05 snap peas (splurged)
1.00 canned tomatoes
.79 can white beans
1.00 macaroni
2.59 coffee (I miss my Quartermaine’s)
.79 popcorn (I miss my Orville’s)
1.67 peanut butter
2.69 jelly
4.00 breads
1.79 honey
2.00 oats
1.00 4 ramen
2.00 bouillon cubes
Each morning:
Husband – Granola and coffee
Me – sandwich and coffee
Lunches-both
Sandwich
Banana
My snack – Ramen
Dinners
Monday: Elbows, sauce from beef, tomato sauce, onions, peppers
Tuesday: Big bowl minestrone
Wednesday: Chicken thigh, potato, snap peas
Thursday: Minestrone and crackers
Friday: Elbows, sauce
Night snacks (we are noshers) – big bowls of popcorn
This has been quite an experience thus far. We, too, shopped at Giant since it was the closest market. We spent $45 Saturday night and hung the receipt on the fridge. That way we could subtract what we did not use this week. On the other hand, every time we used something (e.g. peanut butter or eggs) we already had, we prorated and added it. Coming up with a final total after tomorrow night should be an interesting endeavor.
Mostly I have had peanut butter sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch (today I had cheese –a treat!). Larry had cold cereal for breakfast most of the time, occasionally skipping that meal completely and having a slightly better lunch (e.g. an omelet and toast). Dinners consisted of chicken for two nights, with a baked potato and peas; red beans and rice; spaghetti with not-really-great-due-to-omission-of-key-but-expensive-ingredients sauce; an odd pasta dish; and a pork chop with curried rice. We both ate bananas daily, as well as an occasional apple. No salads — sigh. Lots of hard pretzels and water. No juices or sodas, although Larry did make coffee for himself. I have no idea what we’ll eat tomorrow. We still have groceries left from the initial shopping trip, but we need to figure out if we are still under the allotted amount since we included some already-purchased items.
As someone who has been a social worker and someone who has taught in a less-than-affluent school, this opportunity alllowed us to “walk in the shoes” of those with whom we typically work. Interestingly, we looked up some recipes on the Internet but found little in the way of “cheap but healthy” — something else to think about.
Susan – September 26th at 7:15 PM
Sunday
Breakfast: 2 jumbo eggs (A) ½ (uncooked) cup rolled oats (J)
1 cup of coffee
Lunch: 2 homemade pancakes each (1.5 C whole wheat flour; ¾ C coconut milk, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon)
2 slices of cucumber each
¼ C homemade hummous each (2 C chick peas; 2 cloves garlic; juice of half a
lime; salt; ¾ C purchased tahini)
1 T plain yoghurt
Snack: Alice: Cup of tea
Supper: 1 chicken thigh each
Baked pumpkin mixed with 1 T butter; 2 T sour cream, cinnamon, cloves and
pureed in food processor and sprinkled with black walnuts which were
gathered from beneath the nearby tree: free
Green Swiss Chard
Snack: Jerry: ½ popcorn kernals (popped)
Monday
Breakfast: 2 jumbo eggs (A) ½ C rolled oats (J)
1 C coffee
Handful of roasted pumpkin seeds
Lunch 1 C pumpkin pudding 2 eggs
1/4 C pumpkin seeds ½ C (unpopped) popcorn(popped)
2 small Jerusalem artichokes 1 apple
1 pear (gift of Obama campaign)
Dinner: Curry: (1/2 can coconut milk, left over beans, ½ inch of white radish, “eye” sized piece of pumpkin in little pieces, 3 okra beans from garden, ½ onion, coconut oil, couple T flour)
½ slice of fresh pineapple
Tuesday
Breakfast: same as Monday
Snack: ½ C popcorn (J)
Lunch 3 flour tortillas, ½ tomato, ¼ C hummus, 4T pumpkin puree, ½ C pumpkin pudding = A
1 tortilla, ¼ tomato, ¼ C hummus, 2T pumpkin puree, ½ C pumpkin pudding, tea= J
Snack cup of tea
Dinner 2 slices pork loin roast
¾ C apple sauce (with a little squash mixed in plus cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
Green beans
¾ C shredded white radish + shredded Jerusalem artichoke + 1 T mayonnaise +
½ green Romain lettuce leaf
Wednesday
Breakfast: 3 sunny side up eggs, a cup of coffee = A; ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats = J
Lunch: 2 tortillas: ½ green onion, ¼ C hummous, 1 green lettuce leaf, ½ cup pumpkin puree; tea = A & J
Snack: ½ C popcorn (unpopped to measure) = J, 2 T of hummous = A
Dinner: 2 chicken thighs, pumpkin chunks + cinnamon/cloves/cumin + thickened broth (from chicken bones), tossed salad (lettuce, shredded white radish, 1/c pineapple chunks, 2 T cubed cucumber, 1 T mayonnaise)
Thursday:
Breakfast: 3 sunnyside up eggs; 1 cup of coffee = A ; ½ c rolled oats = J
Lunch: 2 tortillas (1/4 C+ hummus, ¼ tomato, ¼ green onion), 1 c pumpkin pudding = A
3 tortillas (3/4 C+ hummus, ½ tomato, ¾ green onion) = J
Snack ½ C roasted pumpkin seeds = A; 1 C tea
Dinner: pumpkin stew (approx. 3 C pumpkin cubes, ¾ C Swiss Chard stalks, ½ C white radish cubes, 2 cut up chicken thighs, ¼ cup leftover gravy, ¾ C leftover pumpkin cubes with gravy, 1 Swiss Chard leaf, spices (5 spice, homemade curry)) = shard by A & J with a C left over.
Snack: ½ C (unpopped) popcorn = J
Friday
Breakfast: 3 fried eggs + cup of coffee = A, ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats = J
Snack ½ C popcorn (unpopped) = J, 1 C black tea = A
Lunch: 2 tortillas, (1/2 C hummus + ¼ small tomato + 2 slices cucumber + 2T pureec pumpkin), ½ slice fresh pineapple = A & J
Snack : ½ C (unpopped) popcorn = J
Dinner: 2 pork loin slices, ¾ C apple sauce, ¾ C green beans, 1.25 C tossed salad (cubed fresh pineapple, a green onion, ¼ C shredded white radish, 1T mayonnaise) = A & J
Saturday
Breakfast: 3 fried eggs, 1 C coffee = A; ½ C (uncooked) rolled oats
Lunch: 3 tortillas (3T hummus, ¼ tomato, 1 lettuce leaf in two; substitute 2 slices cucumber in third ), 1 raw apple = A
2 tortillas (3 T hummus, ¼ tomato, 2 slices cucumber in each)
Dinner: Navy bean salad: 2 C navy beans, l.5 C left-over pumpkin stew, 1/5 fresh tomatoes, 2 cut up green onions = A & J 1.5 pineapple slices = A
Unused: ½ package Navy beans, 1/2 of hummous, probably at least ½ of pumpkin, at least ½ of the bunch of Romain lettuce, 1 green onion, 2 beets, 1 slice of pork loin roast , 17 flour tortillas (these should more than balance out the food I picked from my garden: tomatoes, green beans, okra or used from purchased items I had purchased in bulk: peaches. a couple tablespoons of vinegar, home made curry powder, or that I had made prior to this week: mayonnaise
Now the question is: how can senior citizens eat a variety of foodstuffs when they mostly are packaged for families. Smaller allotments often cost more. To get a variety, it means keeping food longer than recommended—or throwing away things one has paid for.
Jerry is 60; I am 72. Jerry is diabetic and obese; I get an irritable bowel if I eat meat/fat at the same meal as any carbohydrate source so I have learned to cook so as not to mix them. I weigh about 114. We eat the same things in general.