Ultimate Reset Update- Healthy eating on a budget

No update yesterday, I figured I'd spare you the boring I ate clean healthy food, drank a gallon (yes a gallon) of water and took my supplements. The end. Yep that boring.

Today wold be less boring. The kids are off school which makes me want to bake, this is dangerous for 2 reasons.
#1 I am no baker generally I fail miserably in this area. I will this to my Sister in Law.
#2 This means cookies, of the chocolate chip variety and I'm pretty sure I couldn't bake and not eat, so kids no cookies for you! They settled for Hot cocoa.

Back to my boring Tuesday, yes it was boring day but it did give me the opportunity to have many internal conversations with myself yesterday about families eating healthy on a budget.

All this was brought on by our dinner last night of Pinto beans and brown rice and steamed broccoli. I'm pretty sure the entire meal cost a total $7.00 for a family of 5 and there was enough left for my lunch today (just rice and beans, I am one of the few mothers in the world that can say that my kids Love broccoli! K had 3 platefuls).  Calm down all you carnivores of the world I can hear you (especially my Mr. Mancave and my Dad) I made a Turkey Meatloaf also and since I am not carnivorous at the moment everyone will be happy tonight when I pull out the Roasted red pepper sweet potato bisque, that they have another option.

Back to my point. You can do this on a budget. I promise, you can. We are hungry, active family of 5 in a new house, we are definitely on a budget. Does it take time? Yep,Planning? Of course!  but doesn't everything that's worth it in the end?

Here is a budget friend example  Pinto Beans and Rice -

Ingredients:

1 Can of Pinto beans - I chose the organic brand $1.59, I did stop and see the national brand on sale for $1 and compared. Ultimately I did spend the extra .59 because the organic brand had 100mg sodium PER SERVING  and the national brand - 440mg PER SERVING!!!  (cook with liquid till heated then drain, add olive oil cumin and coriander to the pan heat and stir return beans to the pan.)

Brown Rice- 5lb bag depending on the brand you choose you can spend anywhere from $5-$10 (2cups brown rice 5 cups of water in a rice cooker turn it on and walk away until the all don button turns red- rice cooker is a must have - how simple is that?)

Broccoli- 3lb bag florets ( I chose the time saving option of them being cut already) $7
Steam however much broccoli your family will eat in a steamer pot for about 20minutes or until bright green ( if my son is coming for dinner just cook all 3lbs)  Also save the water from the steamed broccoli lots of nutrients add it to soups, rice or quinoa in place of some of the water.

Spices- From my pantry Cumin and Coriander to your liking. ( ok ok - I hear my friend yelling at me because I never give her measurements- 1/4 tsp of each.)

Total cost of the INGREDIENTS  that I chose was around $17. 

The 5lb bag of rice will last 3-4weeks, broccoli maybe 7-10days. The beans were used for one dinner which also became one lunch.  So the ingredients for one meal that will leave you ingredients to use for many other meals or snacks ( ready to eat broccoli for lunch or snack) cost less then the average daily specialty coffee of $4.

Now do we want to eat Rice beans everyday ? Umm no my family wants variety just as much as yours, but start small change one meal a week while you try and find what everyone likes and you won't blow your grocery budget out of the water and find yourself frustrated on the quest to a healthier family.


Fyi- This recipe is from the Ultimate Reset Cookbook that comes when you purchase the kit. It is modified to feed my larger brood and written purely from my memory as I am much to comfy on this snow day snuggled on the couch with my babies to walk the 15feet to my kitchen right now.