Introduction
Sometimes life throws you curve balls. For whatever reason, some things just really don’t seem to work out the way we want them too. All too often, these curveballs cause us to strike out when it comes to sticking to our health and wellness goals. We start to break the good dietary and exercise habits that we worked so hard to build, excess weight returns, pain creeps back in and depression begins to smother initiative and ambition.
Case Study
Focus on Real Food First
- Is it real?
- Is it in the proper nutrient proportions?
- Is it properly prepared?
- Is it from the proper source?
At the grocery store, its pretty easy to find real foods that can be combined in the right proportions to build and maintain a high level of health(ie. healthy weight, good energy, positive mood, etc). It is harder to find pre-made real foods that have been properly prepared and even harder to find real food that comes from the right sources (fewer choices that tend to be a lot more expensive).
In order to get the most bang for the buck, I focused on the first two points when choosing what foods to include. For a lot more info on the four points mentioned above, check out our free ebook Real Food Revolution – The Beginner’s Guide to Actually Eating Right
Cheap Food Ideas
Ok, it’s finally here, the cheap food ideas that I promised. Now I know that this is a super simple one day plan, but it works, both from a nutritional and a budgetary stand point.
Breakfast – $2.80
3 eggs, scrambled or fried in 2 tablespoons of butter.
8 oz of whole milk
Lunch – $5.44
Tuna Fish Sandwich
Tuna mixed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil based mayo and 1 teaspoon of mustard on sprouted grain bread
Carrot sticks
Celery with cream cheese
Dinner – $7.54
Taco Salad
Shredded green leaf lettuce
Ground beef with taco seasoning (follow directions on package)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped onions
Chopped tomatoes
Canned pinto beans
Snack – $0.71
Dry Roasted Peanuts
Share Your Feedback
OK, let me know what you think. Could you survive on a simple meal plan like this? I hope so because what you are probably eating right now is killing you ever so slowly, even if it’s a little more gourmet. And remember, when life throws you curve balls, keep swinging for the fence and you will eventually hit your home run.
Great, detailed plan of attack! I saw this article http://www.coachcalorie.com/stop-using-protein-powder/ touching on a common and expensive mistake that many may be making with protein powder that I thought you and the Doc may want to look at and comment on!
Chris,
The article from the calorie coach was spot on in a few areas. Of course breaking down whey protein from primary “whole food” sources constitutes processing. Processing is an unnatural process that not only can alter the benefits of the final product from the benefit in the natural state.
I do not routinely recommend protein powders for my patients due to cost and the aforementioned points. However, I do use them for occasional convenience purposes. Not many meals are faster than a quick protein shake!
If I use a protein powder I choose WARRIOR WHEY or SP COMPLETE.
SP COMPLETE is probably the most organic and most beneficial as a spot meal replacement given the addition of whole food vitamins into the mixture.
http://store.nrgtribe.com/collections/wholesome-snacks-and-foods/products/sp-complete-protein-powder
Good article!
David,
The meat could also be mixed with eggs and pre-soaked pinto beans can also augment and change the breakfast combination enough for day to day variety.
Beans and legumes are very inexpensive. They provide variety and find easy reuse in many meal combinations.
Anyone remember “Victory Gardens?” Tomato plants are cheap and can be grown in pots. Several months of fresh tomatoes go a long way in a tight budget!!
Great article, thanks for the effort, I know you had to do quite a bit of research on this one!
Hope readers will submit their own “Whole food: Dining on a Dime” suggestions!
This sounds very do-able. I am always looking for new ideas on eating low-carb.