Food Plan - Yes!

PIctured on the left, you'll see a disgusting testament to sodium, fats, and judge-y eyes from my parents.  While this delicious "protein style" In 'N' Out Burger #2 (whoa no pun intended there) totally satisfied at least two vegetable servings (iceberg lettuce and potatoes), it can only be enjoyed in moderation...sadly.  


So I bring you my on the cheap meal plan for next week.  Admittedly, with the elementary school kids on mid-winter break, I have a little bit more time on my hands (a little bit - I still have to pack and do a billion senior level projects).  Most of these meals are inspired by Stacy's blog.  You'll notice my plan is nearly entirely vegan, puts me at exactly 28 fruits and vegetables, and I'm expecting to pay about $25.  You'll also notice I have a lot of stuff "on hand", meaning, I have a fantastic selection of dried beans and grains, and frozen fruits/vegetables.  I suggest everyone work on building this up in their kitchen, you can buy things in bulk and go a little cray when they're on sale.  All of the prices are estimates based on what I think I'll pay for organic produce at the co-op (a seething example of Seattle's liberal stereotypes - I'll deny to my grave that I'm one of them).  I'll update this with what I actually paid after I go to the store on Tuesday.  

So here we go, I'm gonna go soak some beans now.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Acorn Squash - $2

Kale - $2

White beans - On hand

Onion - $0.5

Garlic - On hand

Canned Tomatoes - On hand

Grilled Veggie Tacos

Zucchini - $1

Yellow Squash - $1

Pinto beans - On hand

Sweet potato - $1

Peppers - On hand

Corn tortilla - On hand

Spaghetti

Lame, store brand spaghetti sauce that needs to be used before it goes bad - On hand

Black olives - $1

Mushrooms - $1

Rice noodles - On hand

Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ “cheese”

Butternut squash - On hand

Rice noodles - On hand

Nutritional Yeast - On hand

Garlic - On hand

Kale - On hand

Curried Vegetables

Carrot - $0.5

Arugula - $2

Coconut Milk - $2

Cauliflower - $2

Chickpeas - On hand

Arugula Salad

Arugula - On hand

Roasted beets - $3

Lentils - $1

Rice - On hand

Homemade apple cider vinaigrette - On hand

Snacks

Apple - $2

Orange - $1

Carrots - $1

Homemade french fries - On hand

Dried cranberries - $2

Roasted cauliflower - On hand

Sunflower seed butter on corn tortilla - On hand

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with fruit

Oatmeal - On hand

Blueberries - On hand

Blackberry gem - On hand

Roasted apple - On hand

Egg and cheese on corn tortilla

All ingredients on hand

Drinks

Lemonade

Sugar - $3

Lemons - On hand

Mango and raspberry smoothie

Mangos - On hand

Raspberries - On hand

Yogurt - On hand

Water - On hand, drink copiously

Doing a terrible job at eating vegetables

I've been suffering from an acute case of poverty lately.  With that comes 79 cent cans of beets and green beans, bags of potatoes, and generally lots of junky food that makes you feel icky.  So is it possible to reach the dirty 28 on a budget, a budget worthy of some college level poverty?
(Yeah so I totally feel like this jerk)    I don't have an ipad, but I do have a computer that put me back a little under 3 ipads (graphic design for nourishing food?).

Anyway, I stopped keeping count, it was just too depressing.

Then I read the blog of an old friend and felt a little bit more encouraged.  Perhaps my problem is that I rely too heavily on the flavors of (expensive) meat and foods that require more time (and thyme) then I have.  The meat debate seats itself deeply in my psyche.  My mom and her husband step-dad(?) have been vegetarians for a long time, I was vegetarian for 8 years until I had a ton of health problems that limited what I could and could not eat.  I still feel a tinge of guilt for every tasty morsel of meat that I eat.  I am probably the most self-loathingest of all meat eaters.  I cannot justify meat consumption, I don't condone it, but I blindly do it because my diet is too complicated.  
So maybe I'll try something different as we begin the new week on Monday.  Maybe instead of going to the farmer's market and buying the fruit of the bourgeois (that supports local community agriculture instead of awful carcinogenic fields of crops) I'm going to try conventionally grown produce from dumb old big box chain grocery store.  So I think about this, I think about giving up my entitled moral high ground for reaching 28 different varieties.  I think about how hard it is to eat healthy when you're poor.  I distinctly remember living in Cleveland and being forced to go to Giant Eagle (hilarious name aside) to get generic macaroni and cheese, 99 cent bread, and peanut butter.  On off days, I'd go to the corner store and visit "Mama", buying 25 cent snacky-cakes and off-brand soda for breakfast.  I also distinctly remember going to bed hungry frequently enough to worry my grandma.  This was how I sustained myself, and it's terrible...and incredibly common.
I don't want to go back to that awful diet, in fact, I'd end up in the hospital if I went back to that diet.  So what do I do?  I think back to a friend (same friend mentioned above) who wrote zines about vegan on the cheap.  I think that's the direction I need to turn.  Not vegan, just putting less emphasis on variety and more emphasis on a vegetable rich diet.  Also, planning.  With school coming to a close and a cross-country move nearly days away, I feel like I don't have time for anything but if I plan a little bit, there's no reason I can't hit my 28.  If I plan a little bit, I bet I could nail all of those fruits and vegetables without spending much.  I need a plan.  I'll let you know how I do.
Also, here's my friend's blog:  http://nourishmenttothepeople.blogspot.com/ which has an "under $2" section and a fantastic article about why you should eat your veggies here:  http://nourishmenttothepeople.blogspot.com/2011/03/china-studys-compelling-arguments-for.html