Feeding a Family of 6 for $10 A Day: Week 1

We decided to give serious cash dieting a try this month. I'm out of work once May ends and that's terribly frightening. Add to that, we have a big family who likes to eat at regular intervals. I mean, like, often.

The rules aren't too difficult around our house when it comes to food. We eat meat, though we've cut way back. Gluten shows up more often than some would like. Sugar sneaks in. So does serious carbs. We're a work in progress is what I guess I'm trying to say...

The key to eating well on the cheap is menu planning. (Barf.) I hate planning. I hate budgeting. But when my husband and I don't do this sort of thing, we do this funny "race to outspend" each other until the last dollar has flown the coop and there's still eight days left in the month. Enter my  month-long challenge to feed my family of six on $10 a day.

I give myself a break when I already have something on hand and don't beat myself  up too much and don't add it to my total. I will let you know where the item was on hand. I also live in a part of Houston where grocers get away with charging us a lot more for our food than in other parts of town. Stinks. But I'm too lazy to drive through the traffic to save 10 cents on a gallon of milk. So the point is...you might actually get away with spending EVEN less if the grocers in your neighborhood don't suck!

Week One Menu

Saturday 5/4/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies (need a recipe? see HERE ) ($1.50)
Lunch: Grilled Ham and Cheese Paninis ($3.20)
Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas ($3), Re-fried Beans ($0.56), brownies (had a mix on hand)
Total: $8.26


Sunday 5/5/13
Breakfast: French Toast ($3.50)
Lunch: Tacos ($1.45)
Dinner: Barbecue chicken ($3), cornbread ($0.50), green beans ($0.76)

Total: $9.21

Monday 5/6/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies ($1.50)
Lunch: Mixed green salad ($1.75), grilled chicken ($2.10) with avocados ($0.50)
Dinner: Zatarain's Red beans & rice ($1.79), green beans ($0.76), applesauce ($0.93)

Total: $9.33

Tuesday 5/7/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies ($1.50)
Lunch: Mixed green salad ($1.75), grilled chicken ($2.10) with avocados ($0.50)
Dinner: Turkey Meatballs ($3), Gravy ($0.15), Egg Noodles ($1)
Total: $10


Wednesday 5/8/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies ($1.50)
Lunch: Mixed green salad ($1.75), grilled chicken ($2.10) with avocados ($0.50)
Dinner: Pancakes! ($1.75)

Total: $7.60

Thursday 5/9/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies ($1.50)
Lunch: Mixed green salad ($1.75), Feta Omelet ($1.75)
Dinner: Grilled Cheese ($2.25)  and Soup ($1.60)
Total: $9.35


Friday 5/10/13
Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt Spinach Smoothies ($1.50)
Lunch: Sandwiches ($1.25), Pretzels ($0.60), Green Apples ($0.45)  and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Homemade Pizzas ($6)

Total: $9.80

crowded kitchen: blueberry and spinach yogurt smoothies

i love this smoothie in the mornings and find the versatility comes in handy when i'm low on produce....which is every two days, it seems. (my kids must be part fruit bat.)

the kids love this as long as they don't notice me sneaking the spinach in, and with smoothies, you have the luxury of sneaking good stuff in without all the fuss. (i liken it to hiding the dog's pill in hot dog--same idea.)

Depending on what I have around for add-ins, I toss in a bit of chia seed powder, flax powder, mean green powder, coconut oil, or even miralax when the Boo won't poo. (Was that TMI? I'm sorry...)

If I'm low on blueberries, I use frozen strawberries. Or raspberries. Or peaches. It's an endless matrix of fruit and hidden superfoods, folks.

Blueberry and Spinach Yogurt Smoothie

1 individual carton of greek yogurt (I love the coconut flavored, but will use plain, too)
1 to 1.5 cup milk, depending on preferred consistency
1 cup of frozen fruit
1/2 cup spinach leaves
Honey, to taste
Chia powder (optional)

Blend, hide the vitamins, and serve.

Nice...