7 Tips for Shopping on a Budget

One of the things I have seen most in the various forums I frequent about food, access, healthy eating, etc. is people wondering how to eat healthily on a budget. That is my primary interest when food shopping. I do consider health and nutrition to be of utmost importance, but I have a budget that I simply cannot afford to go over. Next time I go shopping I plan to document and list how I shop for a family of 3: 2 vegans & 1 flexitarian. But, until then I will give you some of the tips that makes healthy, non-stressful, inexpensive shopping trips happen for me.

• Meal Planning: #1 most important tip. It literally makes all the difference. When I first graduated college and started doing my own shopping I was constantly running back to the grocery store for last minute things that I hadn't anticipated because I didn't know what I would be cooking when I went grocery shopping. It isn't necessary to have every meal, snack, etc. planned out, but have a general idea of at least 2-3 meals you want to make per week.

• Go-to Meals: Whatever it is you do whether work, school or full time parenting there are nights when you just don't want to cook. These are the nights that people either eat out (if they have the money) or go for the quick, easy processed foods. Well, go ahead and make this a tradition of the past. Even on nights like these it is simple to throw something together & still eat well (and cheap). Whole grain/bean combo provide a hearty, delicious and nutritious meal. Add some vegetables (fresh or frozen) and you have a complete meal that can be changed up in a number of ways to add variety. 

Examples:
*Black beans, brown rice, broccoli (About $3/meal using canned beans & frozen broccoli, even cheaper if you make dried beans in advance and store them in the freezer)
*Peas, carrots & coconut rice (About $2/meal using frozen peas & carrots and canned coconut milk)
* Chickpeas, quinoa & pepper salad (About $3/meal using fresh peppers and canned chickpeas)

• Sale papers: Even if you don't get the newspaper you can easily find out about sales at (major) grocery stores by looking up their circulars online. While couponing doesn't work for me because most of the coupons aren't for food I eat it works for a lot of other people. What does work for me is knowing whether foods that I eat frequently are on sale. Last week at the Safeway brown rice was for sale buy one get one free for $2. The three of us go through brown rice like water so it was an investment for me to spend $10 and get 10 bags of rice, knowing that it would save me money in the long run. If I had a car I would probably comparison shop more, but seeing as my time to go shopping is pretty limited and I am on foot w/ MJ I have to determine which grocery store has better deals on a week to week basis. 

• Farmer's Markets: Yay farmer's markets. One of my favorite shopping excursions and perhaps the easiest to budget. For my DC crowd I know there are markets open throughout the city that accept EBT and I believe that all if not most accept the Farmer's Market WIC vouchers, but double check the website linked above for the market most convenient to you. I know that Aya Community Markets and Ward 8 Farmer's Market will double your vouchers & EBT purchases up to $20! The best/most economical way I've found to use the farmer's market is to go once a month to get fresh produce & freeze whatever I don't intend to use immediately. This helps guide what I cook and helps extend the life of produce.

•  Bulk cooking: This is definitely not for everyone, but I think it makes life easier and I am not particularly picky. As I have documented before on this blog I cook for my son once a week, but I often also cook for myself the same way. I might throw in a rice & bean bowl to mix it up, but some weeks I do eat the same thing throughout the week. Foods that are particularly good for bulk cooking are soups, stews and chilis (more for the winter months, but hey I could eat my sister's black bean chili any month.) In addition to bulk cooking meals, I also bulk cook dry beans. Canned beans are inexpensive enough, but dry beans are even more inexpensive AND come without the preservatives and risk of BPA from cans (I use both). The downside of dry beans is they take a long time to cook and aren't really a "throw together" meal, BUT if you make a pot of beans of your preference (my go to beans are black beans) and freeze baggies or containers in serving size portions you have the convenience of canned beans and the freshness of dry beans.

• Staple items: In my household there is always a short period of time between our bi-weekly shopping trips where we would be out of the food we really liked and only have foods that we normally would pair with something else: (e.g. brown rice and no beans). This would be the time where we'd do our quick shopping trips to "just pick up a few things" and would end up spending $20 or $30 out of our budget when we have a full shopping trip to make a few days later. To avoid this period of time or to still have good, healthy meals when we get low on groceries we always try to keep some staple items in our pantry & freezer that we always can use. These are different for every household, but they are foods that you can turn to and are relatively inexpensive.

Some of our staple foods: vegetable broth, frozen fruit, frozen mixed vegetables, canned beans, olive oil, pasta, rice. [If any of these items are on sale I always make sure to get extra.]

•  Tracking spending: I'm sure that when people see me in the grocery store I look crazy- I have my cell phone in one hand calculating my expenses, grocery list in the other while trying to keep MJ amused. The easiest way to break your budget is to not stick to it (duh), but seriously I always go into the grocery store with a number in mind and very rarely do I ever go over it. As I shop I total up the costs (rounding up always) and put back items accordingly. By rounding up (anything with any change gets rounded up to the next whole dollar) I always have money leftover for a treat or two at the end of the shopping trip.

I hope these tips are as helpful and snow that it is entirely possible (with planning, research & follow-through) to eat well while on a tight budget. 

Weekly Cooking

Breakfast: Vanilla Quinoa Oat Mini Muffin Tops

I never thought I'd be letting MJ eat ice cream for breakfast, but these just looked so tempting and nutritious that with a few modifications I had to make them! After officially weaning MJ all his nutrients are coming from his meals. So it is even more important to make sure that all his nutritional needs are met. This recipe contains the super grain quinoa, which is a complete protein, as well as oats another powerful grain. 

Ingredients: (yields 24 mini muffin tops)

1/2 cup melted So Delicious Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 cup cooked Quinoa

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 3/4 cup ground Oats

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

• Cook quinoa and let cool
• Melt ice cream and combine with melted coconut oil
• Add ice cream+oil to quinoa
• Mix ground oats, baking powder and salt & add to wet ingredients
• Mixture should be a thick muffin mix consistency, but not stiff. Add more oats or melted ice cream to get desired consistency.
• I originally scooped spoonfuls onto a cookie tray, but they didn't look right so I baked the second batch on the reverse side of my mini muffin tray.

First batch didn't look smooth enough, but still tasted delicious.

Lunch: No-rice Risotto with Rainbow Chard

I saw the most beautiful rainbow chard at the market. I just had to buy it. The colors were just so vibrant and enticing. Chard is also a Vitamin K & A powerhouse I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I knew I needed the protein from beans. I paid for my first app last week, the Green Kitchen app and it paid off with a delicious No-rice Risotto recipe that only needed a few modifications. The recipe originally called for mascarpone cheese and I couldn't find any soy-free cream cheese, so I used coconut milk, which of course altered the original intended taste.

Ingredients: (Makes 3-4 adult servings)

2 cups of rainbow chard (stems & leaves separated)
7 cups cooked white beans (I used Northern beans)
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon; juice & zest
olive oil
2c vegetable broth
1 tbsp potato starch
4 tbsp coconut milk
sprinkle of salt

• Cook beans (I used dried beans so I soaked them overnight and simmered them in veg. broth for an hour), but drained, rinsed and cooked canned beans are fine too.
• Chop garlic, chard stems and onions very finely and saute in olive oil
• Add veg. broth & chard and cook well.
• Add beans & potato starch and simmer while stirring frequently.
• Cook until veg. broth dissolves.
• Add lemon juice, thyme & a sprinkle of salt
• Add lemon zest before serving

Dinner: Cheesy Spinach-Avocado Pasta

I had some washed, chopped spinach that I had stored in the freezer a few weeks ago so I decided to use it for this extremely simple recipe. There are definitely a lot of ways you could play with this recipe. I added some nutritional yeast to give it a "cheesy" taste, I think it could also go great with some soy cream cheese, but the avocado really gives it such a creamy texture and delicious base.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 avocados
4 c frozen spinach
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves
lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of pepper
Pasta (Brown Rice Pasta to make it gluten-free)

• Puree frozen spinach and avocado along with lemon juice
• When it reaches a creamy consistency heat in saucepan & add olive oil, garlic & nutritional yeast (sidenote: this could also probably be a really good raw dip if you didn't cook it)
• Spice accordingly
• Add to pasta tossed in olive oil
• Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve

Simple & Delicious

Weekly Meal Planning

Breakfast: Plum-Pear Applesauce


6 apples
2 pears
2 plums
1 c water

I had an abundance of leftover fruit from MJ's birthday party and I decided to make an applesauce type breakfast. I've seen similar recipes that include sugar, but it really isn't necessary and in fact may be overkill. Paired with oatmeal it is a sweet and hearty breakfast.

The most difficult part about applesauce for me is the peeling & coring. If MJ had some teeth I'd leave the peels on for the nutritious value their skin contains. Put in pot with water and simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft. 

Simmering Fruit

Mash to an appropriate consistency or put in food processor for a less chunky texture.

Served on top of oatmeal.

Lunch: Green Pigeon Peas & Coconut Brown Rice

2 cans of Green Pigeon Peas
16 oz Brown Rice
3 Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 1/2 c Water
2 Spring Vidalia Onions
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
sprinkle of sea salt

Saute onions, garlic and rice in coconut oil

Add spices, coconut milk, water & pigeon peas

Simmer for 45 minutes

Ready to dig in!

Dinner: Vegan Mac & Cheese w/ Spinach

Adapted

Sauce

1/2 c nutritional yeast
1/2 c mozzarella Daiya
3 tbsp potato starch
sprinkle of sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry
1 c rice milk
1 1/4 c water
1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz spinach
16 oz pkg brown rice pasta

I originally made this on Saturday night for myself and followed the original recipe I adapted MJ's recipe for. It was pretty good, but the flavor of the nutritional yeast was a bit too strong for me. MJ and I both love Daiya so I figured I could combine the two and still have a nice cheesy taste. I think that the Daiya would work better with a baked macaroni and I will probably try this recipe again with those adjustments made.

Saturday's Mac & Cheese

I gave MJ some and I think it might have been too starchy on it's own so I added some spinach as well and to give him a green veggie for the week.

Combine all ingredients for sauce, blend and then simmer

• The sauce will thicken up as you cook it, don't be worried if it looks thin initially.
• Be sure to blend sauce ingredients in blender, food processor or using an immersion blender or ingredients will separate while cooking.
• I suggest starting with a smaller amount of nutritional yeast and adding more as it cooks and you taste to get a happy medium.

Add cooked noodles and steamed chopped spinach

Cheesy & Nutritious

Nutrition Facts:
<approx. nutritional intake per day>
Calcium: 501 mg/400 mg
Vit. D: 100 iu/200 iu
Zinc: 3.8 mg/2 mg
B12: 0.7 mcg/0.4 mcg
Iron: 7 mg/7 mg
Protein: 30 g/11 g
Omega 3+6: 5 g/5 g

In order to provide the necessary highlighted nutrients throughout the day MJ drinks at least 1 c of rice milk (Calcium, Vit. D), takes a daily Iron drop and has 1 tbsp ground flaxseed added to a meal (Omega 3+6)

Quick Sunday Cooking

This week will be comprised of me running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to plan and cook for MJ's 1st birthday party. In a way it is a completely meaningless event that he will never remember, but in another way it is a celebration of "making it" through the first year.

Whatever. Anyway, I had zero desire to cook today, it was too hot to be in the kitchen and I'll be cooking/prepping for the rest of the week for the party. Today's menu took me less than 45 minutes to complete in the kitchen and all the produce cost me less than $10---fast and inexpensive.

Breakfast: Broccoli, Peach, Banana Smoothie with Ground Flaxseed

1 banana
1 c frozen broccoli
1 c frozen peaches
1/2 c rice milk
1 tsp. ground flaxseed

Although this smoothie mix works perfectly without the flaxseed, when I totaled up MJ's nutritional needs last week one thing that I needed to improve on was his Omega-3 intake. Flaxseed is a great source of omega-3 and I didn't have to substantially change my meal planning to add it in.

Ready to be mixed

Add in the ground flaxseed and stir.

Lunch: Curried Lentils with Millet

2 1/2 c lentils (rinsed)
3 c vegetable broth
1/2 red onion  (chopped)

Add all ingredients to the pot & simmer for 35 minutes (or until lentils are soft but not falling apart).

Lentils & Red Onions simmering in Vegetable Broth

Curried Lentils

Curried Lentils paired with Millet

Dinner: Lemon Dijon Asparagus, Button Mushrooms & Leek

First, last week I made a Lemon Homey Dijon Vinaigrette for my salad and it was my first successful attempt at a vinaigrette! Not to toot my own horn, but *toot, toot* it was awesome.  When I saw these lovely asparagus at the market I knew I was going to cook them with lemon. Since honey is a DEFINITE no, no for babies I replaced honey with agave nectar for this recipe, but it really was much better with honey.

1/8 c freshly squeezed lemon
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey (agave nectar)
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Stored in an old jam jar.

I sauteed the leeks & mushrooms first and then added the asparagus and kept them in until the asparagus was lightly cooked and still crunchy.

Sauteed vegetables in olive oil

Drizzled with vinaigrette

Monday Cooking

New Foods: Beets, Beet Greens, Plantains

Breakfast: Banana Apple Muffins & Applesauce

Mashed bananas, apple sauce, oat flour, flaxseed + water, cinnamon

Baking!

All done.

Lunch: Beet Burgers
I'm not a huge fan of beets and I thought that I wouldn't like these...but they are DELICIOUS! Thank goodness I got an extra bunch of beets because I'm going to need to make more. Wow!! I made a few revisions to the original recipe, but it still turned out great (no almond butter & no breadcrumbs).

Shredded beets, brown basamati rice, lentils

 

After pulsing in the food processor it totally looks like ground beef!

Top with an avocado. Yum!

Dinner: Kidney Beans with Collards, Beet Greens, Plantains & Brown Basamati Rice

I didn't even intend to use beet greens, but I didn't have enough collards so I improvised. They were delicious though and I sprinkled a little lemon pepper on them.

Sauteed collards & beet greens

Plantains sauteed in coconut oil

Mixed together.

Dinner is served.

Monday Cooking

After a long weekend away from home, I come back and even though I'm feeling tired & lazy I definitely need to make MJ some food for the week. No way am I going shopping so using what's in the fridge and cabinets here's what we have.

This week's Menu:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Oatmeal with Pineapple Chunks

Last week pineapples were buy one get one free! So after juicing one last week I had another one left. So that paired with some oatmeal is a very quick and easy breakfast.

Lunch: Mashed Garlic Potatoes & Cauliflower

Ingredients:
-8 russet potatoes
-1 head of cauliflower 
-2 garlic cloves
-16 oz vegetable broth

Literally there are literally 3 large ziplock bags of cauliflower in the freezer from the time that MJ loved cauliflower and then 2 weeks later I stocked up and he no longer liked it. Babies I tell ya. Anyway, with half a bag of potatoes I could easily conceal them in some mashed potatoes for a hearty and healthy lunch.

Steamed cauliflower

Potatoes cooked in vegetable broth & then mashed.

Pureeing the cauliflower instead of mashing makes the potatoes creamy.

Combine. Yum :)

 Let's see if I can trick MJ's not-so-vegetable loving dad?

Dinner: Black Bean Collard Wrap

I've been wanting to make collard wraps for myself for a while, but it just hasn't happened. I tried them out this week to turn into "bites" for MJ and maybe make a couple for myself as well.

First, I thoroughly rinsed the leaves. Then I partially de-stemmed them. This was my first time doing that and some turned out better than others.

Attempt at de-stemming

Simmered collard green leaves in vegetable broth until flexible but not easy to tear (about 6 min)

Ready to wrap with spiced Black beans, rice, green peppers and carrots.

First wrap.

All 10.

*The tricky part of this will actually be figuring out how to feed these to MJ!

Ingredients:
-10 large partially de-stemmed collard leaves
-2 cans of Black beans
-1 c brown ric
-1 green pepper
-2 carrots

Yearning for Summer Fruit

This Week's Menu:

I got all of MJ's produce this week for $15!
(Disclaimer: I already had the bananas, but that's still pretty good!)

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Banana Pure

Tricksters!

Although it isn't even officially spring yet I saw some beautiful fruit at the farmer's market and I just HAD to buy these blackberries. Don't they look delicious?! Well surprise of all surprise they WEREN'T....what was I thinking buying blackberries in March....from a stand that just popped up this week with a wide selection of out-of-season fruit (side eye). They had samples! The sample blackberries were so sweet and delicious I had seconds! They were so tempting and I fell for it. Ugh. Lesson learned.

I initially though of blackberry mini-pies or tarts, but they just aren't sweet enough to stand alone and I didn't want to add unnecessary sugar. So I audibled. Popped them in the freezer to mix with smoothies. I'll just puree some of the frozen bananas I  saved from last week and pair it with oatmeal. Womp, womp.

Lunch: Eggplant Dip on Brown Rice Bread

I personally don't like eggplant, but I think it is important to give MJ the chance to enjoy foods even if I don't. This is my sesame oil-less take on baba ghanoush (which I also don't particularly like). BUT more important than that MJ liked it. I paired it with some Ener-G Brown Rice Bread that I found at the Harris Teeter.

I started with 1 large eggplant, rinsed & poked holes through it so it doesn't explode!

Broiled for 30 minutes

Let cool

Scoop out innards

Add 2 garlic cloves
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp chili pepper
chopped cilantro (I think I used about 8 sprigs, but we love cilantro)
Puree

Spread on toasted brown rice bread

Bite sized pieces

Dinner: Steamed Green Beans & Quinoa w/ Roasted Carrot Ginger Sauce

For dinner this week I decided to give Marley some time to practice his pincer grip...(or just an excuse for me to be lazy and let him feed himself) so I chopped up the green beans to finger food sized pieces and steamed them.

But....he probably needs more than just green beans for dinner. So I made some quinoa in vegetable broth and freestyled this carrot ginger sauce.

I couldn't find a recipe that suited us so I took a little of everything and came up with this:

Roasted carrots and grated ginger  in 1 tbsp olive oil for 25 minutes (until fork can easily go through)

Pureed with 1/2 can of leftover coconut milk and 1/4 tsp of rice vinegar

 Note: I think this turned out pretty well, BUT I think I'd add maybe up to 3/4 cup of coconut milk to make it a bit creamier.