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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/24/2013 11:37:56 AM

AthenaSurrenders

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I did three of the yoga sessions from that free site. When I was doing them, I thought they were way too easy for my level. The next morning I can feel it everywhere, so obviously I was wrong. I find it interesting that some moves/poses I can do the full version and not feel a stretch, and others I can barely do the beginner modification.

Huh, I never knew you could freeze raw eggs, that's good to know.

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/25/2013 10:58:36 PM

LittleGirlHeart

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we have the capability to grow a lot of our own fruits and veggies and I want to do that this year.

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/26/2013 12:41:18 AM

AthenaSurrenders

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You had best get moving quickly if you want to grow anything to eat this year. Most vegetables and fruits needed to be in the ground a couple of months ago.

We are going to have a lot of courgettes (zucchini). I went out this morning to help pollinate them but almost all my flowers are female so I hope I did enough. My one and only pumpkin plant now has tendrils spreading a good five or six feet across my patio, feels like we're being taken over by a creature from a horror B-movie.

Anyone have any tips of how they plan their weekly meals? I'm just not very efficient in getting everything used up and always end up with bits and bobs left over (or run out) during the week. I'm trying so hard to get my weekly grocery shop down to an art form.

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/26/2013 3:05:56 AM

lizi

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quote:

ORIGINAL: AthenaSurrenders

Anyone have any tips of how they plan their weekly meals? I'm just not very efficient in getting everything used up and always end up with bits and bobs left over (or run out) during the week. I'm trying so hard to get my weekly grocery shop down to an art form.

When the boys were home it was no problem with the food, it just disappeared, now that I'm on my own it's more of a challenge. The bits I put together if they are freezable in a container to make a 'dinner' on a night I can't cook. When I do cook, I freeze portions right away for later - I'll get tired of eating the same thing and later on I'll be happy its there to eat.

Since I'm alone I make it easy, I make a pot of soup a week for lunches or get sandwich makings and have that. The soup usually has beans in it for protein and fiber. Right after I cook it, I portion out the entire potful into containers for daily use and usually have more than I need- the extra containers go into the freezer. Once a month I don't have to cook soup then - just thaw out what's in the freezer. Dinner is usually salad with protein and whatever vegetables are here, fruits too. When I grocery shop I just make sure I have the lettuce and a good variety of vegetables and a protein for the nightly dinner salad. I keep a running grocery list in the kitchen and grab that when I go so I don't forget anything. There are frozen chicken breasts and individually wrapped tilapia filets as a staple in the freezer for dinners as well.

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/26/2013 3:18:15 AM

AthenaSurrenders

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Thanks lizi.

A big part of the problem is that the Boss is a picky eater and so often I make two 'versions' of the same meal, which makes it even harder to make sure everything is used up. I try as much as possible to eat any leftovers for my lunches since I am home a lot. Unfortunately he eats way higher calorie meals than I can get away with!

I also make a lot of soup with leftovers but it often gets wasted, since he won't eat it and there's only so much one person can eat. Hopefully in our next house we will have a garage and I can get a chest freezer, our current freezer is teeny tiny. I always keep it stocked with mixed veg, fish, frozen rice for quick cheap dinners so there's not much room after that. Now that I mention it, hopefully our next house will also have double the kitchen storage space, it's like trying to cook inside a shoebox.

I've wasted a lot of food lately. Since I turned out to be lactose intolerant I've had to throw out a bunch of food that my husband won't eat but has dairy in it. Breaks my heart to do it, especially stuff I've made myself and frozen for later meals. On the plus side, I no longer struggle with cravings for pizza and ice cream!

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/26/2013 3:24:37 AM

ChatteParfaitt

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Efficient meal planning could be a course all in itself, especially if you included the shopping for it.

For me at least my shopping patterns is what shapes my meal planning. For instance, I shop at Walmart and Sam's Club once or twice a month, and buy only staples and things that go in the freezer.

I shop a variety of places (a butchers which has local produce, the farmer's market, the local Payless) for fresh vegetables and meat.

I don't plan out weekly meals, though I generally have an idea of what I will do on the weekend, since that tends to be something I can use for leftovers.

I have recipes that I use to get rid of leftovers. Stir fry is a great one, as is just about any soup, stew, or casserole. The other day I made a beef barley casserole with ground beef and left over vegetables.

I tend to plan out what I will cook for dinner in the morning, so I have plenty of time to thaw things out or shop or whatever needs done. I've been doing this for awhile, so I naturally take things into consideration, like 'I want to do brown rice at some point this week, so save those chicken bones to make broth' -- (I think plain brown rice is just loathsome).

BTW: Chicken, beef, or vegetable broth is a great way to add flavor without adding sugar, salt or empty calories.

The big thing for diet planning is variety, so what your family will eat has to be taken into consideration. Himself is not terribly open to exploring new foods. He has a limited number of things he likes, and that's what he eats. I often cook for myself and make sure he has something that can be zapped.

I don't often run out of things, though I do over-buy at times and have to toss things out (almost always fresh vegetables that can't be frozen, like lettuce), which I hate. I'm not sure there's a cure for that.

You have a growing family, so the second you get it down to a science, things will change.

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/26/2013 4:06:45 PM

LittleGirlHeart

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My dad has a ton of stuff growing already! we are getting the most fabulous tomato's!

quote:

ORIGINAL: AthenaSurrenders

You had best get moving quickly if you want to grow anything to eat this year. Most vegetables and fruits needed to be in the ground a couple of months ago.

We are going to have a lot of courgettes (zucchini). I went out this morning to help pollinate them but almost all my flowers are female so I hope I did enough. My one and only pumpkin plant now has tendrils spreading a good five or six feet across my patio, feels like we're being taken over by a creature from a horror B-movie.
.

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We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing

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RE: Healthy Lifestyles on a Budget - 7/27/2013 3:09:58 AM

tweakabelle

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Once a week I make a trip to the fruit and veg markets and do a big shop there. For $20-25 I get enough fresh fruit and vegs to last me for a week, usually with some left over. Buying the same in a supermarket or green grocers would cost me at least $40-50. Leftovers make excellent soups and curries.

I never buy processed foods or ready made meals - they're expensive, low in nutrition and tasteless. I rarely freeze food and like to buy fresh meat or seafood the same day as I will eat it. As I usually am cooking for one person - me- I usually cook a little extra and it makes a nice lunch the next day.

I find dishes such as curries, stews, casseroles and stuffed tomatoes/peppers/eggplants are handy for using up left over food, easy to prepare and taste delicious.

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