Home Q&A Wednesday Q&A Wednesday: The $50 Challenge

Q&A Wednesday: The $50 Challenge

by Erika Nicole Kendall

Yummy... clean... and cheap!

Q: Okay Erika, you’re always talking about saving money and eating clean… but I don’t see it! My grocery cart has never cost me more than a hundred dollars for me and my son and regardless of what anyone says… it is expensive to eat healthy! I’m just not sold on it. Prove to me just how little you can spend and maybe I’ll try your tips.

I’ve said this time and time again: if your grocery cart – for two people – is running you over $100 for one week’s worth of groceries… you’re being too many pre-made products.

I mean, let’s be clear, here. You can find pre-made items that are “clean” and “foreign substance-free,” but they’re hellapricey… and rightfully so. They’re saving you time as well as providing you with quality products. I can totally see why people would purchase those products.

But for me – someone who has the time and know-how to create my own stuff – it’s pointless. I can make my own casserole dishes, my own pot pies, my own macaroni and cheese, my own sorbet, even. The most processed product in my cart – ever – is probably my almond milk. Plain and simple.

This Q&A is a challenge, though. Want to watch me put my own nutritional know-how to good use? Bet.

You know how I’m always writing about the poor? I do that because I always want us to consider those of us who have, in a way, the least amount of money – food stamps or not. Not everyone can afford the expensive products, systems or equipment that’s marketed to us as being “part of a healthy lifestyle.” That being said, I asked twitter to give me a run down of what a single mother with a child might receive on food stamps. The numbers I got centered somewhere around $60/week… but then there were women who spoke up and said that number might be even less for them since they’re employed.

So… I decided to stick with $50, just to see how well I could do. Let’s go.

Here are my terms:

  1. Since I’m trying to keep the lowest common denominator in mind, I’m only shopping at one grocery store, here. I may have the personal luxury of living around several very different stores, but many do not. I have no problem scaling back to make sure that everyone can try to relate, here.
  2. My state does not tax non-processed items. Meaning there’s no state tax on fruits, veggies or anything else deemed healthy by the state. Therefore, I’m not including tax, here. If your state doesn’t do this? You might want to start harassing – er, e-mailing and calling and visiting your congressional leaders.
  3. I’m shopping for a toddler and an adult to eat three times a day.
  4. I am presuming that this kitchen has staples – flour, cinnamon, butter, oil, basil, oregano, salt. If your kitchen doesn’t have these, set aside a couple of extra dollars each time and buy them one at a time. While unbleached flour might run you $4, sea salt is maybe $1.69. My store sells packs of oregano and basil for $0.69 a pop.
  5. If you are seeking to complain about “how much” I am eating, here… I can assure you that I’m not interested. When it comes to weight maintenance, a person weighing about 150lbs with moderately normal metabolism will eat considerably less during three meals than a person who weighs 250lbs with moderately normal metabolism during three meals. There’s no way around that. I’m not even trying to be insulting… I’m being honest, as someone who’s been there. My portions shrink as I’ve shrunk. Telling me “That wouldn’t be enough for me” doesn’t change the fact that it’s enough for me.
  6. Here’s a bonus note: it’s not necessary to analyze my “nutritional values.” On days that I might not get “enough protein,” there are days I get too much. The goal is a balanced nutritional lifestyle. Not “making sure every little item is accounted for in my diet.” That kind of mentality is more of a product of an industry that wants to profit off of your desire to “make sure every little nutrient is accounted for in every meal.” (And yes, I have studies to prove that.)

For breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and butter. A tin of oats is approximately $1.29.

For lunch, peanut butter sandwiches with apples sliced into eighths. Two loaves of bread? $2.49 a piece. Peanut butter will run you approximately $2.69. Apples are on sale now in the winter for $2.69 per bag. I’m also adding a bunch of bananas at about $2.00.

That’s both breakfast and lunch taken care of for $13.69. Yes – breakfast and lunch are the same every day. Keeps it quick and simple.

On to dinner.

For Sunday night dinner, I’m having stir fry. A bag of brown rice will run me about $1.99, and a bag of frozen “Japanese style veggie blend” veggies will cost $1.69. I’ll even throw in some sesame seeds – $0.69.  Toss in a little ginger, a little pepper, a little salt and olive oil? Boom. Quick and simple stir-fry. $4.37

For Monday night dinner, I’ll make a spinach and artichoke pasta with parmesan cream sauce. A box of farfalle (made properly) will cost about $1.99. Frozen spinach? $0.87. A jar of artichokes will cost $1.69. A jar of quality parmesan will cost $3.99. A half-pint of heavy cream? $1.79. Cook your pasta; put your spinach in a skillet to cook; add your artichokes and a little bit of oregano; add your farfalle (bowtie pasta) to the skillet and add your heavy cream and maybe a half cup of parmesan. As big as this dish is… you’ll have leftovers. Boom. $10.33, but you should have pasta and parmesan left over. You’ll need it.

Tuesday night? Pizza time. Make a dough at home, using a little yeast ($1.49 for three packets.) Slice up a tomato nice and thick (a big one should cost about a dollar.) Cut a red pepper into thin strips (about $1.50.) Roll your dough out flat, and bake it half-way at 375. Pull your dough out, lay your tomatoes out flat onto the pizza dough, lay your red pepper strips out around the pizza, and slide it back into the oven. Pull it back out, sprinkle it with parmesan and basil… slide it back in. $3.99 total.

Wednesday is baked chicken ziti night. Whole wheat penne pasta ($1.29), chicken cooked and shredded off the drumstick (a 5-pack is about $3.00 right now), tomato paste turned into tomato sauce ($1.69 for a tube, using a third of the tube), more of that parmesan jar and some oregano? Mix it all up, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake it? $5.98.

I’m at $38.38 so far.

For Thursday, it’s spanish rice with tortillas and yogurt. A third of the brown rice from earlier this week, mixed in with a jar of salsa ($1.99), a little more of the tomato paste from Wednesday, and $1.49 worth of tortillas. The yogurt – usually Fage – costs about $1.83. $5.21 altogether.

Friday is chicken noodle soup day. A pack of frozen soup veggies for $1.49, a few pieces of chicken (from earlier this week), the rest of that bowtie pasta, a little oil (maybe a teaspoon or so), a little garlic powder with salt and pepper? That’s dinner for $1.49.

Saturday night? If you don’t have leftovers? Make another stir-fry. Chop up an apple and toss it in there, this time. Another bag of veggies at $1.69 and some more sesame seeds at $0.69. That adds another $2.38 to my total…

…and my grand total is $47.46. Pardon me while I bust out the old school Butterfly.

The reality of clean eating is that as you collect ingredients – not pre-made items – it becomes easier and cheaper to eat clean. Not being able to shop around for lower prices – I’m almost certain I could’ve found the pasta, the parmesan and the tortillas for cheaper at a smaller specialty store, but that’s okay. I also know I could’ve bought the rice, beans and seeds in bulk for way cheaper than the packages… but that doesn’t matter, either. I bought everything at one store, and I was still under $50.

For bare bones clean eating, $50 can get you pretty far in a fancy way. There’s also the $30 a week blog, where they show how they can eat cleanly in a vegetarian fashion. Gotta get it in where you fit it in, and if health is your priority? You make it work.

Other posts in the series:

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46 comments

Ashley R. (DazzlingRayn) January 19, 2011 - 1:23 PM

Wow I love this post. As a poverty stricken grad student, I’m always trying to eat healthy and clean. I would also suggest trying whatever veggie is on sale that week. One of the great things about the internet is that you can find recipes and ways to cook ANYTHING, even if you’ve never made it before! For example, I hate brussels sprouts but my boyfriend loves them. I found a recipe where they are sauteed and browned…and I threw some onions in. So good. I’ll try any food once.

Another cheap thing that I love? BEANS. Dried, canned, whatever, they are cheap and they are filling and they are good. Beans and quinoa and green pepper pilaf with chicken broth that I made by poaching chicken–my lunch today.

Great post, again!

Maureen January 19, 2011 - 1:26 PM

This is amazing!!!!!!!!! I try to do similar planning especially for weekday meals. It almost becomes an exciting challenge to come up with home-prepared meals that are cheap, healthy, and satisfying. Mad props for coming in under $50!!!

jasmine January 19, 2011 - 1:45 PM

I’ve found that since I started to make an effort to minimize processed foods, I’m spending much less. (I’m not totally off due to time constraints, but I’m making great strides) my ‘aha’ moment was when I wanted red mashed potatoes- the ready made ‘fresh’ store brand was $2.47 and enough for a meal & 2 leftover meals (usually for lunch in my world). The bag of potatoes was $3.50 and enough for 2 sunday breakfasts (yay frittatas), 2 dinners (and with lunch leftovers) and a bag of frozen diced/seasoned potatoes to use later in a casserole, another breakfast or the like.

My average shopping bill (when I’m not replacing staples) is under $50. I’ve been shopping this way for about a month. The savings in not buying ready made (heathly choice meals, pizzas, etc) plus cookies, chips, snack packs, etc is about half-most of which I would throw out because it went stale/bad due to eating out. Not to mention the money I wasted on take out-about another $50- $75/wk

ChellBellz January 19, 2011 - 1:46 PM

Pow I know thats right, when you want to make something work you will. eating clean has actually been much cheaper to me when buying portion sized things. I dont have a kid so it’s not the same i guess, but I do by two servings sometimes 4. Frozen Veggies are my life, and if i make Chicken, Steak or Pork…( pause) , I really do pay attention to portions and that makes a difference. and since i’m into making things like sausage from scratch, and breakfast with Oatmeal it doesn’t cost much.

trust me there is a way.

Kirsten January 19, 2011 - 1:54 PM

I got a lot out of this, it is helpful to see what your meals look like.

Plus, I LOVED the reference to the old school butterfly, nothing says in your face like pulling out an old school dance.

Juanita January 19, 2011 - 1:55 PM

Hi, I have been following your site for a few months now. It is very inspiring and your articles are always super interesting. This was a great post for me because I too am struggling to keep my weekly grocery bill for two adults (my partner and me) under 100$. These are very good ideas to go by and work with.

And… The butterly??? So funny! My mind went blank for a second, thinking, what’s that again? and I then was I was rolling on the floor! Well, you won that bet, so you can definitely bust the moves out!

Shana January 19, 2011 - 2:11 PM

When trying to save money, shopping at a Farmers Market can be your best friend. I took my first trip to a Farmers Market this past Sunday and I found some great deals on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Chintel January 19, 2011 - 2:20 PM

I love it. Some ppl think its so hard to shop on a budget. I’ve been doing it since i moved out of my moms house. Me and my boyfriend live together and i go grocery shopping every two weeks on payday. I never spend more than $100.00 at the grocery store. Thats to include our tissue products, soaps, and detergents. If u cook ur meals its way cheaper to shop. Plus buy store brand. The national brand is not all the hype its cracked up to be.

Another suggestion i have is to go to the grocery store once. Make a list or plan a menu. That way u don’t buy things u don’t need. I find that ppl who spot shop spend way more money. Also never grocery shop hungry. LOL.

Good article
Chintel

JoAnna January 19, 2011 - 2:26 PM

$50 per week is enough if you eat sensibly. That means no $5.99/lb cherries in January! But I can afford a 2lbs bag of precooked large frozen shrimp for $7.99 to add to stirfries or a seafood chowder, and still have some leftover to keep in the freezer for a later meal.

I rotate my breakfast meals between eggs and old fashioned oatmeal. Lunch is usually a turkey sandwich with sliced cheese and fruit and a small salad, or a large salad with turkey, crackers and some cheese. Dinner depends on what was on sale that week. Since I do most of the cooking, I have to watch that I don’t make too large a pot ’cause I’ll eat the same thing for dinner all week if it’s good and I’m busy. And even keeping a $50 budget, there are always eggs, cheese, pancake fixins, frozen veggies, and fruit in my kitchen.

It amazes me when my housemate will complain that there’s no food in the house because it’s leftovers, or none of it is cooked. Then she’ll go out and spend $14 on a deluxe pizza & pop, and later complain her gout is acting up…

Tiana January 19, 2011 - 2:45 PM

Awesome post! I’ve been crossing over to this clean eating lifestyle for the past couple of months and some of the stuff you mentioned is so reassuring! I was doing the 100 calorie packs and lean cuisines and stuff thinking I was “investing” in my health, but I had been thinking lately, “there’s gotta be a cheaper way to do this”…it’s me and my lovey and we’re just now starting to get back to normal after this hard economic crash and I’ve been on this “how can we live way below our means as much as possible” mission.

Keep it up! This is just what we need! Oh and I’m hella weak off the butterfly…lol

Tiana (=^_^=)

Kjen January 19, 2011 - 4:05 PM

Nice post as usual. I’ve been eating “okay” for a while and I’m working on eating cleaner. However, now its within the parameters of a tight budget and now when I visit the grocery store I’m a BIT more attentive to size, brands, etc.
LOL
I agree it helps to already have your meals planned to know exactly what you’re shopping for, but I’ve also noticed that I have to be flexible now with what fresh produce I want. If I’m still absolutely dying to have something that’s out of season I tend to find a cheaper substitute in the frozen foods section.

jasmine January 19, 2011 - 4:24 PM

Tiana- I did that too! I did lose weight (along w/ boxing as a workout), then my doctor told me how high my blood pressure was because of the sodium. Scared the crap out of me when she told me that I had to take mediciation if this was the only way I could manage to control portion size & calories.
Sick & skinny or sick & fat? Nahhh…I’ll find another way lol

Thankfully that’s when a friend put me onto this blog. Thanks Erika!

Jas January 19, 2011 - 5:39 PM

Another great way to save money on groceries is to join a food co-op. I joined a wholesale organic co op with my mechanics family, they buy in bulk with other families and then portion it off.

PisceanPrincess January 19, 2011 - 6:10 PM

If you add coupons for the Peanuts butter (peter pan .50) Oatmeal (Quaker $1.00), Stir Fry (green giant .40), Yogurt (Fage .50) then you saved $2.40. If the coupons double then your total is 47.46- 3.80=$43.66

You got 6.34 for a gallon of gas and some change.

Excuses are…..

Erika January 19, 2011 - 6:15 PM

…tools of those who just don’t want to eat healthily, and would rather scramble to thump people over the head with the money issue than just hush up and do it?

Wait… that’s not how it goes.

Tamaira January 19, 2011 - 6:27 PM

I love this post and sounds like my kind of shopping … I spend $200 – $225 dollars a month for 3 meals a day for myself and a 2 year old …. I not only shop for food but I also buy toilet paper, cleaners, and etc every month at the grocery store in this budget as well …. GREAT POST!!!

Kim January 19, 2011 - 7:40 PM

Love it! Something else that helps us out is cooking in bulk. We believe in leftovers hard core around here and when you cook big batches of food it definitely saves money. I also go to the BJ/Sam’s Club/Costco around my place and buy meats in bulk, which really saves money, then vacuum seal with my food saver to keep the meat fresh. My husband isn’t into clean eating like I am, but I am pushing him in the right direction by cooking clean meals that are healthy an delicious. As I’ve gotten him off some of his processed foods, we have both lost weight and our food bills have decreased – double win!

Shannon January 20, 2011 - 12:23 AM

Great post! I’m new to your blog, do you have a post where you talk about purchasing snacks?

Eva January 20, 2011 - 1:41 PM

Very true. Here’s another one. Don’t buy sweets outside, make them yourself. I make peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies myself and they are better than the crap they sell in the supermarket and it costs nearly nothing because when you’ve finished you’ve got real ingredients to use to make something else.

Laz January 22, 2011 - 2:55 AM

I recently took my daugher to Trader Joe’s. She had never really shopped their. I spent a little under $50 and she had enough food for several weeks. We left with two big bags full of food. She is 24 and never heard of clean eating. I think I may have won her over. She really liked the simplicity of TJ’s.

Tina January 22, 2011 - 8:56 PM

Hey! Thanks for mentioning our blog! We definitely cheer on what your doing and just want to mention another helpful tip – buy in bulk when you can! It is SO MUCH cheaper than buying anything in a package (including oats, beans, rice, nuts, dried fruit, etc.). If you’re not sure where to get stuff in bulk, try your local health store and ask them. People are more willing to help than one would think.

Aisha January 24, 2011 - 2:49 PM

I love this post because I’m a coupon queen and I regularly save 70% on my grocery bill. Moreso I have mastered how to spend little money on toiletries using CVS Extrabucks. I take those savings and add them to my grocery money so I can buy organic meats.

Where I live in DC we have several options for organic co-op boxes. It’s like a CSA without the upfront cost. You can get a small box enough for two people for a week $15 and for $40 you can get them delivered. The boxes last us about 10 days. We supplement the rest with the free green giant veggies I get whenever there is a 10/$10 sale. Nearly every week green Giant has coupons out in the paper or online. When they double and combine with sale prices they are free.

Michelle February 2, 2011 - 5:50 PM

What is the dish in the picture? Can you post the recipe? It looks yummy!!

Kristen February 3, 2011 - 12:42 PM

I’m into eating organic, and that gets costly. A whole chicken is MUCH cheaper than pieces, and costs me $3.50/lb., so it’s usually $10 for a chicken. Grass-fed ground beef is $5/lb. A lb. of fresh organic spinach is $5-6 depending if it’s on sale or not. I love my fresh spinach, wilting it down some and putting the whole lb. pkg. in one dish, which usually lasts a couple of days for 2 people. I’m planning on cutting back on meats and going more for veggies, but are frozen organic veggies actually available? All I have in my town is Walmart, Target, and Hyvee. Or are most people here who are spending $50/week or so not buying organic?

Erika February 3, 2011 - 10:45 PM

Frozen organic is difficult to find… but CAN be found.

Now you’re getting into specifics that require a little more detail when it comes to buying organic as opposed to not. There are lots of fruits and veggies that don’t need to be purchased organically, and if one is living by the pennies (as opposed to be the dollars) then they should cling closely to THAT list.

I’d also recommend simply cutting back/out the meat when it comes down to cost. Save the chicken instead of eating it every night. Lots of little things to get the most out of your items. The other posts in the series will help with that.

C. Noelle February 14, 2011 - 7:21 PM

I have no words for how big of a help this post was.

I just went from a super flexible job to an office job, and somewhere in there my eating habits just went to crap. I stopped buying groceries like I had been and stopped cooking dinner.

A lot of days I wouldn’t eat lunch or dinner (I’m really not sure how that happened), and once I started to read over this blog I started making small adjustments to get my eating habits back in line.

My tab at the grocery store (the few times I’ve gone) had gotten higher than I remembered it being before, and I think it was because I wasn’t planning meals and buying ingredients that would last until later.

So thank you for reminding me how to shop and how to stay within a reasonable budget.

Santresa M. Wilkins March 15, 2011 - 1:26 PM

So I took the $50 grocery challenge yesterday evening and it was great! I was right under $50 and was able to get all I needed for our week of eating!! It’s awesome!

Maria Augustus September 10, 2011 - 2:47 PM

Greetings soror, your website is chock full of everything I need to continue this journey of healthy living that I have embarked on . Thank you for the time and dedication you put in to make this website as awesome as it is. Take care and BTW you look fantastic!!

curious September 18, 2011 - 11:18 PM

what if you don’t like oatmeal, what is a good substitute? cause i want to do the $50 a week thing, but i CANNOT eat oatmeal. i’ve tried it so many different ways, but i just can’t do it. the texture kills me every time…

Sita September 4, 2012 - 12:38 PM

Curious, have you tried steel-cut oats? I don’t like regular oatmeal because it doesn’t satisfy me. Steel cut oats, however, are satisfying for me as they have a creamy texture and an awesome “pop” to them. Cook for 45 min or so and add maple syrup and milk (make them the night before!).

But if you don’t like oats there are so many other hot grain cereals you can try – millet, quinoa, Red River cereal (http://www.redriverus.com/?page_id=4) etc, etc. Or don’t eat hot cereal at all! There are lots of other tasty, healthy cheap foods you can eat for breakfast.

Biolobri September 28, 2011 - 3:49 PM

My boyfriend & I moved out on our own (we used to have a roommate) so bills are tighter. We’ve challenged ourselves to spending $50/wk on groceries for BOTH of us. Totally doable. We live in the northeast where things tend to be expensive, but we do shop at Trader Joe’s, which helps. The biggest thing to do is just figure out what you’re doing/what you’re eating that week before going shopping. We make sure only to buy what we’ll need that week. Otherwise, things go bad and/or the bill racks up quickly.

Tiera October 6, 2011 - 2:12 AM

I spend less than $50 each week but that’s only because I’m a lonely number and also because the recipes I use each week generally involve ingredients that I already have or that I mostly have. Each week I probably only spend about $25 on food. However, it did cost quite a bit to completely transform my kitchen. Since I now have all of my staples, it doesn’t cost much at all to shop!

sabina April 2, 2012 - 9:14 PM

I recently signed up for fullcircle.com. it serves Alaska, California, Washington and Oregon I believe. 20 bucks a week for a box of fruits and veggies, free delivery ( I am in Seattle, this week I am getting apples, zucchini, chard, avocados, sweet maui onions and whole carrots) i can get a whole chicken for less than 10 dollars at the local qfc, I buy peanut butter, rice, spices, grapes to freeze and snack on for later, maybe a bag of baby spinach for less than 10 bucks as well. buy off brand and check out foe sales. oatmeal is dead cheap too. go to the bulk isle to get cranberries and raisins for toppings.

lynne January 30, 2013 - 8:24 PM

The key is to plan your meals. Buy stuff on sale, and use coupons.

Aisha May 1, 2013 - 9:57 AM

I’m trying to get my husband to understand this as he does the shopping and cooking. What he has gleaned on to is to buy whole cuts of meats. A whole pork loin is often cheaper than a small pack of pork chops and can be made so many different ways.

Cindy July 19, 2013 - 3:46 AM

I LOVE this site! You have great meal combos. Can you do an affordable gluten free meal plan for a week!
Thank love,
Cindy Mae

Tara July 22, 2013 - 5:52 PM

One of the main things I took away from this is apples being incorporated in stir fry. Now that’s interesting.

Joan September 18, 2013 - 6:27 PM

On It! *enough said*

Jessica June 26, 2014 - 12:17 PM

I heard that Erika!! I live off of around $70 a week, sometimes going as high as $90…..because my hubby likes a few snacks….which are yes, ugh….processed. But I look at all the ads and my kitchen…plan all meals even snacks. I also try to buy what’s on sale as far as meat goes. I shop at up to 3 stores, Aldi, Walmart and sometimes Schnucks….Schnucks is very pricey….I usually go there for select items such as fish or sausage….sausage for the hubby, I think its gross. I cook 5-6 days a week plus what I cook on weekends for my lunches at work. 70% of my Saturdays are spent in the kitchen….and I am healthier because of it.

ClareM January 9, 2015 - 10:22 PM

In the few months of clean eating that I’ve done, I’ve found I’m saving money too. Keeping my fridge stocked with fresh veggies and fruits and grains and spices I have found myself getting more creative and experimenting in the kitchen. In cooking clean I feel more freedom to try things and as a result am wasting less food and really putting to good use food that I have in my fridge and kitchen. I think also it can be argued that if you find yourself spending maybe a little more on food, think of the long term investment that you’re putting in your health and that you will have for years to come.

Portia April 11, 2015 - 11:08 AM

I’m not sure why, but this made be teary eyed. I’m almost exactly what you described: a single mother with a toddler who doesn’t qualify for food stamps. I’m in that awkward space where I don’t make enough to be comfortable but I earn too much to qualify for government assistance. Working poor. I’ve been struggling with budgeting for healthy food after my break up because I no longer can depend on that second income. This was perfect and so doable even with my little picky eater…Thank you so much!!!! *GREAT BIG HUG*

Sharon June 11, 2016 - 2:13 AM

I know I’m way late but Thank you for the amazing meal ideas! I was brought here in search of clean meals to make so I can lose weight. I just have a concern about bread. You stated you can get 2 loaves of bread for a really low price. My concern is that cheaper bread usually isn’t clean. I’ve shied away from bread because of dough conditioners in them (to extend the life of the bread) and most dough conditioners are L-cysteine or metabisulfate (in which is also L-cysteine.) This disgusting ingredient is made of hair (human and/or animal hair!) Even some of the breads claiming to be “all natural” or “no artificial flavors or preservatives” aren’t really clean. Whenever I do purchase bread, it costs in the upwards of $4.99 plus because it’s vegan friendly & gluten free. If you have found the holy grail of inexpensive CLEAN breads, PLEEEEEASE tell me where you are getting it from!!!

Erika Nicole Kendall June 12, 2016 - 4:48 PM

Nope – there was a brand at my particular grocery store that had maybe 7 ingredients max in it. It might’ve began with an A or something? Can’t remember. I don’t really buy bread anymore.

CharismaticMegafauna July 2, 2016 - 1:37 AM

Have you heard of “Good & Cheap” by Leanne Browne? https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf

This recipe book was part of her master’s thesis in nutrition. The goal was to create tasty, healthful meals that were affordable for people on food stamps. Although the she doesn’t focus on “clean eating,” many of the same principles apply–home cooking, eating whole foods, avoiding processed and empty foods, and emphasizing vegetables.

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