Just the Nine of Us

Just the Nine of Us

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Update on the Food Situation

Thank you all so much for the hints and tips for healthy eating on a budget! I will continue to welcome any help/advice on the subject. I figured up, my kids spend an average of 5 of their 15 "awake" hours eating. So I guess it's worth my time to make sure that what they're consuming during that 1/3 of their day, is good. :) Thanks for the tip on the Hampton Cove Farmer's Market. I will definitely try it. We also like Ayer's Farmer's Market on the corner of Governor's and the Parkway.

We went back to Earth Fare and had better luck. I think some sales started on Sunday or something. The hormone-free chicken breasts were $4.99/lb and the grass-fed beef was too. I got 5 pounds of ground beef, 12 chicken breasts, 2 Kashi cereals, organic carrot muffin mix, and some organic produce (leeks, radishes, turnips) for around $80. We went to Wal-Mart for some of the other stuff. I did spend more than usual on groceries this time, but overall I felt good about what we bought. I made two weeks worth of menus, which took awhile because it included breakfasts, lunches and snacks, before we went to the store. I now have everything I need in the cupboard and refrigerator to feed my family well for two weeks.

We found a better juice for the kids that they really like. It's V8 Fusions Light. Each serving has a full serving of fruits and a full serving of vegetables, with half the sugar of regular V8. We found a good cereal they like, too. It's Kashi Honey Toasted Oats. It's basically whole grain Cheerios but some of them are shaped like hearts instead of O's, which the kids really love. :) Allie said it tastes like dog food but she must have meant that as a compliment because she can't eat enough of it. :) We found some fish sticks with 100% Alaskan cod that the kids also approve of. And I decided that for snacks, instead of packaged stuff with lots of preservatives, we would make a lot of it. In the last two days we've made Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and Banana Muffins. We end up with healthier snacks and Allie gets to practice helping me cook. Sweet. Later this week we're going to attempt a potato soup and a borsche (sp?) that I found recipes for in The Well Fed Baby. Now if I could just convince them that beets were delicious. . . . I'll keep you all posted!

3 comments:

  1. Costco sells some organic stuff like chicken breasts. The chicken breast are never more than $5.99 per pound sometimes less if on sale. I think I feed our family pretty healthy. They eat lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, only drink milk or water, healthy snacks, have little sugar, etc. I just can't bring myself (at least yet) to go the organic route. I've heard some good arguments, but still I'm not sold. Good luck though!!! If you don't have a Costco card, you can go there and ask to have a look around w/o a card and they will give you a one day guest pass. You can also connect and go with me sometime. Love you!!

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  2. Hey Julie! I can't believe out of all the blogs I read I stumbled onto yours. I understand what you mean about organic and Earth Fare being expensive. I went recently and LOVED it but it's not an every week experience, at least not for us! We try hard to feel Ella organic but sometimes there's just not room in the budget.One thing I do is to wash every fruit/vegetatble with Dr. Bronners castile soap. It rinses well, no residue and since its just olive oil soap if a little is ingested its not a big deal. Another thing I do is use vinegar instead of fabric softner. Since most fabric softners are made of animal fat (gross!) I use vinegar. I got a Downy ball and fill it halfway for a large load. It also cuts down on static and rinses the clothes again.Dried vinegar doesn't smell so you don't have to worry about smelling. You can get 2 gal of white vinegar at Sams for under $4, it lasts forever! I love your blog, I especially love the post "Who do I love", it really opened my eyes! Keep up the good work and I would love to hear from you if you have time! Angela (Edmondson)Schmidt (missa.schmidt@yahoo.com)

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  3. I would also encourage you to look for local farmers for meat. I have several local farmers that I buy meat from. Grass fed beef is about $4.70-$5 lb and free range chicken is usually around $4.50 lb. I also get eggs and they are around $4/ dozen. I've built a great relationship with them and they are quick to give me a "heads up" if chicken is getting low, etc. Just a suggestion!

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