Tip of the Week: Buy what you need. Sometimes I have hard time defining my family needs versus wants as it relates to food. Over the last 20 weeks I have been tracking, calculating, analyzing, and evaluating our food spending in the monetary sense and from a behavioural sense. When I started this project, I thought ‘cool, I can use Excel to track my spending, provide my readers with a menu plan and hold myself accountable to writing a post every. single. week. for one year’. Well, I am here to tell you the Project: Food Budget is so much more than that! Yes, I provide you with a meal plan, I am still using Excel to track our spending, but I am so much more aware of what we actually need. And it is starting to pay off. Check out below, I am way under budget this month and I went to Costco (only once)! And I am still preparing whole food meals for my family.

Weeks 20 Spending

Budget:

$200/week or $800/month

$200/month at Costco

Total: $1000/month

Menu Plan Week 20

Homemade Pizza on a Buckwheat Crust

Chili and Cornbread

Quinoa and Corn Fritters and Spinach Salad

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry over Quinoa

Garden Burgers and Raw Vegetables

Birthday Dinner

Grilled Lime Salmon served with Brown Rice and Salad

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

• Emily Levenson
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Red Pen Mama
• Fit Flexitarian
• Warm As Pie
• Katy Rank Lev
• xox, b
• Project Food Budget 2.0
• That’s Just Me
• Two Eggs Over Easy
• Eat Whole Be Vital
• Four Happy Violets
• Pgh Dad
• yogabeautylife
• Charmingly Modern
• naMAMAste
• Six Dollars a Day
• What da Health?
• Brandon and On
• French Press
• Veggie Meal Maker
• Eryn Says…

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Tip of the Week: Don’t shop at Costco. I don’t mean never, but occasionally. I haven’t gone all month and it shows. I have compiled a list of things that are worth buying at Costco and scratched off the accessory items that we don’t really need. I plan to stretch our Costco purchases 2-4 weeks.

Weeks 19 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Check it out, we are rockin’ the food budget this month! Money spent this week includes 1.5 lbs of organic grass-fed ground beef and two organic chicken breasts from a local butcher, totally $16.75 and $19.76 worth of toilet paper ( on sale).

Menu Plan Week 19

Homemade Pizza

Hamburgers and Veggies

Chickpea Curry

Chicken Stir Fry

Maple Baked Lentils and Salad

Coconut Red Lentil Curry Lettuce Wraps

The Drunken Sandwich

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

• • Emily Levenson
  • Dairy-Free Cooking
  • Test Kitchen Tuesday
  • Red Pen Mama
  • Fit Flexitarian
  • Warm As Pie
  • Katy Rank Lev
  • xox, b
  • Project Food Budget 2.0
  • That’s Just Me
  • Two Eggs Over Easy
  • Eat Whole Be Vital
  • Four Happy Violets
  • Pgh Dad
  • yogabeautylife
  • Charmingly Modern
  • naMAMAste
  • Six Dollars a Day
  • What da Health?
  • Brandon and On
  • French Press
  • Veggie Meal Maker

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Q: So what do I put in my coffee or Teecino now?

A: Cashew cream!

The cashew nut (or drupe) is the ‘true’ fruit of a small evergreen tree, from the Anacardiaceae family, that is native to northern South America. However, cashews are now grown commercially in India and Thailand. This sweet, buttery nut is a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids, and are an excellent source of copper, manganese and magnesium. Cashews are also a good source of iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamin K. A significant portion of the fats in cashews is comprised of monounsaturated fats, specifically oleic acid. Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid that has been shown to lower the risk of a heart disease and aids in cancer prevention.

This recipe is so easy and delicious! Use in your coffee (or tea) or drizzle it over fresh fruit. The possibilities are endless.

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Tip of the Week: Buy in bulk? I am not convinced that buying bulk is always cheaper. Be very careful, not everything at the Bulk Barn or even Costco is cheaper than buying at the standard grocery store chains.

I am consistently going over budget. I am determined to prove that eating healthy can be (reasonably) cheap. I am pulling up my boot straps! In order to shop cheaper I need to be more mindful of what is on sale and where. I am fortunate that I have six grocery stores within a few minuted drive from my house, so I should be able to maximize the savings. It just means I have to suck it up and buckle and unbuckle carseat straps multiple times. I think I need to assign a monetary value to my sanity to make sure I am not spending it;)

Weeks 17 and 18 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Menu Plan Week 14

Sorry, no meal plan this week. I am participating in the Clean Plate Cleanse.

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

• Emily Levenson
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Red Pen Mama
• Fit Flexitarian
• Warm As Pie
• Katy Rank Lev
• xox, b
• Project Food Budget 2.0
• That’s Just Me
• Two Eggs Over Easy
• Eat Whole Be Vital
• Four Happy Violets
• Pgh Dad
• yogabeautylife
• Charmingly Modern
• naMAMAste
• Six Dollars a Day
• What da Health?
• Brandon and On
• French Press
• Veggie Meal Maker

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Tip of the Week: Batch cook. Plan a few meals and pick a day to cook, lots. This week I prepared 10 lunches, 5 for me and 5 for my husband. I feel so much more relaxed going into the week. I used salad-in-a-jar for one recipe. It keeps the salad fresh all week! Have you heard of Once A Month Mom? This site provides one month meal plans, consisting of all freezer friendly meals. Cook once for the whole month. I haven’t tried it yet but it does sounds interesting.

Week 16 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

We are 1/4 of the way through the year. Week 16 and this last four weeks has been a budget flop. I might need to be more realistic about our budget. I can’t deny growing children food!

Menu Plan Week 14

Sorry, no meal plan this week. I am participating in the Clean Plate Cleanse for the next three weeks.

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Tip of the Week: Set a holiday food budget. I am tracking our food spending but I have separated everyday food from holiday food. I am curious to see how much we spend on holidays (birthdays, entertaining, travel) at the end of the year.

Do you include these events as part of your regular food budget? Or do you have a separate budget for holidays/events?

Week 15 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Tomorrow is the first webinar for the Clean Plate Cleanse! I plan to do the cleanse along side our group of participants. I will get started this weekend which is why I didn’t plan as many meals this week. The cleanse has thrown off my schedule.

Menu Plan Week 14

Black Bean Tacos

Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Steamed Vegetables

Pizza

Stir Fry

Salmon Brown Rice and Veggies

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Tip of the Week: Display your menu plan in the kitchen. After I menu plan, usually online, I still scribble the menu plan down on a piece of paper and pin it in a kitchen cupboard for easy reference. Every morning I scan the list and choose a meal that suits our schedule for that day.

Week 14 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Whoa! How did that  (↑) happen, again?! We have a 4 days weekend coming up and we are staying home and enjoying our new trampoline. Which translates into eating more food. Bigger meals and more snacks. Plus we were getting low on some pantry items. We might be eating rice and beans for the next two weeks;) Actually, next week I will start the Clean Plate Cleanse, but I am not sure that will actually decrease our food spending. We will find out next week!

Menu Plan Week 13

Pizza

Black Bean Tacos

Asian Salmon Steaks with Brown Rice and Steamed Green Beans

Vegetable Burgers and Oven Roasted Potatoes

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

Black Bean, Avocado, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Tip of the Week: Buy dried beans. Dried beans are cheaper than canned beans, not to mention lower in sodium and in some cases lower in- or free of- high fructose corn syrup. Also, when purchasing dried beans there is no need to worry about BPA (bisphenol A).

Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So we have beans at every meal!

Hehe, I digress.

Dried are cheaper but they are more labour intense to prepare. Here are two ways I cook beans to save time.

1. Prepare a large batch of beans and freeze in smaller serving sizes.
2. If you are in a pinch and did not prepare your beans ahead of time, use a pressure cooker. The beans will be done in less than 30 minutes!

How to Cook Beans

1. Check beans for rocks and shriveled or broken pieces, then rinse.

2. Soak for six hours or overnight, with water covering four inches higher than the beans. Small and medium-size beans may require less soaking—about four hours should be enough..

Note: If you’ve forgotten to presoak the beans, you can bring them to a boil in ample water to cover. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand for one hour.

3. Drain and rinse the beans, discarding the soaking water. Always discard any loose skins before cooking, as this will increase digestibility.

4. Place the beans in a heavy pot and add 3 to 4 cups fresh water.

5. Bring to a full boil and skim off the foam.

6. Add a small piece of kombu (seaweed) and a few bay leaves or garlic cloves for flavor and better digestibility.

7. Cover, lower the temperature and simmer for the suggested time. Check beans 30 minutes before the minimum cooking time. Beans are done when the middle is soft and easy to squeeze.

8. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, add 1 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt.

9. Cook until beans are tender.

Week 13 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Whoa! How did that  (↑) happen?! I will tell how that happened. I made a menu plan one evening, shopped the next day but, somehow (maybe distracted shopping) forgot a few things and had to go back to a few stores, which resulted in buying a few impulse purchases. Sigh.

Menu Plan Week 13

Pizza

Black Bean Tacos

Maple Baked Lentils and Salad

Zucchini and Chickpea Curry

Baked Salmon with Maple Dijon Glaze and Steamed Vegetables

Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze and Raw Vegetables

Chicken Stir Fry over Brown Rice

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

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Tip of the Week: Shop alone! I usually have a little one (sometimes two) in tow when I shop for groceries. Which translates into ‘distracted shopping’, and much like ‘distracted driving’ it can be dangerous. Proceed with caution. Distracted shopping results in the shopper being less mindful of their buying behaviour. This week I had the luxury of shopping alone. Both of my children have been sick and in order to avoid dragging two crankosaurs to the grocery store on my regular Tuesday afternoon shopping day I slipped out Monday evening with my list in my hand. I regret not dressing up for the occasion; it felt like a night out! I may have been spotted skipping down every aisle. I stuck to my list, only deviating from it thoughtfully, after analyzing the purchase for cost versus actual need. I wonder if this had anything to do with our food bill for this week being significantly under budget? I am sure it didn’t account for all money saved but I am certain it contributed. I may have to consider changing my weekly shopping schedule…

Week 12 Spending

Budget: $200/week or $800/month

Phew! After a few weeks of overspending, I am thrilled to report a conservative food spending week!

Menu Plan Week 12

Pizza

Stir Fry over Brown Rice

Maple Baked Beans

Quinoa Corn Fritters and Salad

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Soba Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup and Salad

I wonder how all my fellow Project Food Budget participants did this week?

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers

Do you need help kick starting a healthy lifestyle?

Do you want to ditch your cravings?

Are you ready to wipe the slate clean?

I am excited to announce that I have teamed up with Leah Lizarondo Shannon. You might know her from the BrazenKitchen, your source of all things delicious, just ask Oprah! We have put together a 3 week cleanse program that is gentle enough for everyone!

Wipe the proverbial health slate clean and bloom into spring with the Clean Plate Cleanse™!

The Clean Plate Cleanse™ is a gentle, guided, whole-foods based detox program designed with you in mind!

The Clean Plate Cleanse™ kicks off with a nutrition workshop that will introduce you to a spectrum of flavors and food that nourishes your body – from whole grains, glorious greens, beans & legumes, sea vegetables, good fats (yes, you need fat!), natural sweeteners and natural herbs and spices.

Then we will jumpstart your journey with a detox plan that is purely whole foods-based. This is not a ‘fast’ but rather a gentle weekly plan that is designed to nurture your body – we will focus on real, seasonal, delicious food and give your body a break from low-nutrition, processed, difficult to digest and high-allergenic foods.

The Clean Plate Cleanse™ is designed to support all phases of detoxification.

DATES: Thursdays, April 12, 19 and 26

TIME: 5:30pm PST | 8:30pm EST

WHERE: Everywhere! Classes will be done via Teleconference.

Teleconference meetings are optional must strongly encouraged. Recordings of the teleconference meetings will be available for those you could not attend.

Daily online support will be available via email and through a closed Facebook group.

Email: info (at) cleanplatecleanse (dot) com

Facebook Group: Clean Plate Cleanse Spring 2012

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2012 Jayda Siggers