The Ten Things I Eat On a Regular Basis and How I Survive with Style On 35 Cents a Meal.

I decided to develop an eating schedule. I’m a bit tubby right now and soft. By tubby, I mean I’m overweight, not obese. +10 pounds, give or take on any given day. I also am a desk jockey, which means I don’t flex the muscles I should. Shame on me.

 

Now I know I can’t start everything at once or it will be too much of a change and I’ll fail. This means I have to take baby steps, or at least little kid steps  

 

I found a great website where I can track the foods I eat and it logs my calories and activities all in one place; it even gives me a scorecard telling me how healthy I am eating o a daily basis and over time.

 

http://caloriecount.about.com/

 

I have spent quite a bit of time figuring out what I eat and don’t eat on a regular basis. When you get past all the spices, specialty foods and condiments I really come down to my core foods

 

Chicken, Kidney Beans, Black beans, rice, tuna, eggs, carrots, peas, bread, tortillas, and a variety of pastas. I was surprised to see just how basic my food intake was. There are a few secondary items like cheese and fruits and waffles, but I generally don’t eat them more than once in a week, if that.

 

I started out with a daily menu but realized I was wasting a lot of time making food every day and wasting energy because of it.

 

So yesterday I not only cooked up dinner, I cooked up a plan. I boiled four pieces of chicken for two different meals I was planning. The first was Chicken Alfredo, and the second was chicken pot pie. I used the broth to soak beans and rice overnight to use them for the next day. I boiled spaghetti and added peas and carrots to some chicken stock for flavor. I froze the rest of the chicken stock for another day. I made the chicken pot pie from scratch, with the exception of the cream of chicken. And I cleaned up all the cooking dishes before the pot pie was out of the oven. It took about an hour in total.

 

Here is my shopping list:

 

·        4 pieces of chicken

·        ½ cup of brown rice

·        ¼ cup of black beans

·        ¼ cup of kidney beans

·        2 cups of flour

·        2 cans of cream of chicken soup

·        ¾ cup of bertoli’s  Alfredo sauce

·        1 cup of frozen peas

·        1 cup of frozen carrots

·        3 serving of spaghetti

·        1 stick of butter

 

The chicken was frozen and I got 6 pounds of it from SAM’s Club for 10 bucks. My guess is that was my big ticket item at about 2 dollars. The rest of the food cost about 3 dollars combined.

 

I broke the food up into regular servings, based on how much a person SHOULD eat, not CAN eat. And took a tally of complete meals that I made. All of them have carbs, veggies and protein, even if its not super-duper healthy, I still made it myself, so at least I know that it’s healthier than buying it pre-made.

 

How many meals did it make?

 

Fourteen.

 

That’s about 35 cents a meal and it’s not Spaghetti-Os.

 

Next week, I will use the same items and make all new meals for some variety.  I wonder if I can improve on the food model. And get my cost under 20 dollars a month?

 

We’ll see.

The 12 Days of Beans and Rice, not Christmas.

I have been feeling a little tubby lately… not bad but this last 10 pounds really kills me. I get within 4 pounds of my goal and go right back up. I don’t look bad. Currently 180 pounds and I need to lose ten pounds to lose the little soft belly paunch I have. I really don’t look bad, but I think this scene from American beauty sums it up.

 

Lester Burnham: I figured you guys might be able to give me some pointers. I need to shape up. Fast.

Jim Olmeyer: Are you just looking to lose weight, or do you want increased strength and flexibility as well?

Lester Burnham: I want to look good naked…

 

I also know that I have problems with my knees if I become only three pounds heavier. So being thinner will be easier on my whole existence.

 

It’s also the middle of the month and my budget is pretty thin right now, so what better time to lose the weight!!?!?!

 

I’m not going to stop eating, but rather, modify my eating for a while. I boiled some beans and rice up the other day and figured it cost me fifteen cents to make the dinner and it filled me up. I will have vegetables and maybe some chicken added for variety, but I think it will be the best way to make my dollar stretch without starving.

 

I also have started doing yoga in the morning again. My work routine starts early now and I have to be on the ball by 08:00. So now I get up, weigh myself, do yoga for about 30 minutes, make coffee, shower and start work. I want to add running into the mix but at this point I am working on small successes and modifications to my lifestyle.

 

Change too much and you fail completely

Mom’s Chicken Enchiladas

Mom's Chicken Enchiladas from the book Eating for Life

This post is a little self serving for me because I always have to return THIS book to the library. One day I will buy it, but for now I’ll use the public library system and keep the recipe here so I can find it easier. This is an excellent meal from the Eating for Life book on page 114.

 

Mom’s Chicken Enchiladas

65 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients

4 portions chicken breast (about 1 lb)
4 green onions, sliced
2T fresh cilantro chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
3 cans (10 oz. each) green enchilada sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tomato, diced
1 can (2 oz) ripe olives

 

Directions

 

Serves 4 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Shred chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks; set aside. 3. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cilantro and jalapeno; sauté for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. 4. Pour the 2 remaining cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. 5. Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. 6. Divide lettuce onto four plates and place a portion of enchiladas on top. Top with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes and olives. Serve and enjoy. Number of Servings: 4   Eating for Life by Bill Phillips

Chili Rellenos Squares

Chili Rellenos Squares

 

This is an easy meal I found in the book “101 Easy Supper Ideas” by Ellyn Sanna. I replaced the ground beef with a meat substitute which works well with this recipe, but I have left the instructions as if I cooked it with real meat. You can skip the first step if you are not using meat.

 

Chili Rellenos Squares

 

1 Lb lean Ground Beef (I used morning start meat substitute crumble)

2/3 cup of Salsa

½ cup of Water

1 Cup of uncooked instant rice

8 oz. (2 cups) of Cheddar cheese, Shredded

½ tsp salt

1 (4 oz) can of Chopped Green Chiles, Un-drained (I used fresh chilies)

1 cup of milk

1/3 cup of all purpose flour

4 eggs

 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a ten inch skillet, cook the ground beef over a medium high heat, 6 to 7 minutes or until browned. Drain of the fat. Add Salsa and Water, and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture comes to a boil. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the rice in the dish. Spread meat mixture evenly over the rice; sprinkle with half of the cheese, chilies, and then the remaining cheese. Beat together the milk, flour, eggs, and salt and pour over the cheese. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to stand 5 minutes; cut and serve. Makes 6 servings.

 

The meal is good. The grammar in the book is atrocious. I’m sure many of you will say my grammar can be poor at times, but this is a blog, not a book.

 

1) “101 Easy Supper Ideas” by Ellyn Sanna