I quit my job a little over one month ago. Needless to say, I no longer have a paycheck. To continue shopping at a grocery store bitterly referred to as "Whole Paycheck" seems...well, stupid. But what can I say? I'm a sucker for the little bursts of millet in their Seeduction Bread, the spot-on Birthday Cake gelato (holy Jebus), and can I get an amen for the bulk bins? Kamut and Quinoa and chocolate covered cherries, oh freaking my.
So my mission of late has been to buy groceries for two people, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, on a budget of $150 a week. If I actually cook three meals a day for seven days, that comes to just over $10 a day per person for food. Now, I rarely have the culinary gusto to timely prepare three meals a day, but that's the idea.
For the past two weeks I've managed to stay within budget (and I bought Sunflowers for the house). The key to budget shopping is to buy sale meats. More often than not, at the South Loop store at least, the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is on sale for anywhere between $12.99-$14.99 a pound. Another good, cinch to cook, and budget friendly fish is the filleted Tilapia.
For those who like their protein to have legs, ground bison is a cheap ($5-6.99 per pound), healthy (http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/lamb-veal-and-game-products/10628/2), and tasty choice for anything from chili (use the Frontera Chili Starter in any variety) to cheeseburger macaroni (Annie's organic makes a good one for $3.99 last time I checked). Want chicken? I always get the split breasts, bones, skin, and rib meat attached. Not only are these babies cheaper than your boneless, skinless variety, but food always tastes better when you cook off the bone!
Breakfast is essential, and, thanks to my lovely boyfriend who has it down to a science, a methodical treat. Bulk bin oats, fresh blueberries (get them frozen and you'll save mucho dinero), Wallaby fat-free vanilla yogurt (non-fat Fage greek yogurt for me), a little ground flax seed, a pinch of cinnamon, and voila. Scramble up a couple eggs with some spinach ($1.99 for a bag of pre-washed baby spinach) and you are set for the day without spending a fortune. Need a little variety and have a couple minutes extra? Add some chopped green peppers, mushrooms and shallots to your eggs, and give yourself a treat with the oatmeal: a little skim milk and brown sugar instead of the yogurt should do the trick. This breakfast, after a couple tries, takes under 10 minutes to make. That's less time than walking over to and ordering at your local Starf*cks. It's also way better for your wallet.
Whole Foods will really punch you in the debit card with the meats and produce. All my meat shopping will amount to nearly $40-50 of my weekly budget. Produce can be surprisingly expensive if you don't watch your poundage. Take apples and grapefruit for example. You see the sign, it says organic gala apples on sale for $2.49 a pound. You think, great! Then you fill your bag with 6 of those puppies and you're at 10 bucks before you know it. Don't even get me started on grapefruit.
To sum up: Buy on sale. Buy bulk. And watch your produce. Have a couple cheap add-ins like the Frontera Chili starter or the Annie's organic cheeseburger macaroni, and you have dinner and lunch for at least three days. Prioritize where you're willing to spend a little extra (fresh vs. frozen fruit) and where you're willing to cut back (learn to love chicken bone).
Here is one of my favorite go-to recipes. It's healthy, inexpensive, takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and hits the spot.
Broiled salmon and avocado salad with ginger, cilantro, and garlic dressing
1 pound of fresh (or frozen) salmon fillets
1 avocado
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 T fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Soy sauce to taste (a little sesame oil is optional)
Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Rub a little olive oil on the fillet and cook directly under broiler until cooked through and the top is golden brown. About 7-10 minutes.
While salmon is broiling, prepare garlic, ginger, and cilantro, and place ingredients in mixing bowl. Add soy sauce slowly and stir to create a nice salad dressing consistency. Drizzle in a little sesame oil if you prefer. Slice the avocado. Set dressing and avocado to the side.
Remove salmon from oven and, with a fork, flake salmon off of the skin. Take the flaked pieces of salmon and place in serving dish. Place sliced avocado in dish. Pour dressing over avocado and salmon and gently toss. Add a couple sprigs of cilantro to the top. Enjoy!
You can also add a little sugar, mirin, and crushed red pepper to the dressing as well for more flavor and kick.
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