Sunday, May 20, 2012

Home Economics

May 20, 2012

Did anyone take home economics in middle or high school?  I took two semesters in middle school, in which I learned (among other things) to bake a cake from scratch (no cake mix from the box), sew a hem onto trousers, and perform a manicure.  It was absolutely hilarious watching the football players giving each other manicures. I am so glad that they were taught the value of having healthy cuticles.  

While these are awesome skills to have, one thing I don't remember is the economic part of home economics, also known as how to run your household on a budget or how to cut costs from your existing budget.  That lesson did not come until 11th grade Economics class, and it seems to have taken a worldwide recession and part-time work to really drive the points home for me. 

In my ongoing pursuit of physical fitness and having to cut household costs before moving to Europe, I have gotten very creative about where I find the calories that I eat (see my post about foraging).  I'm trying to get the most nutritious bang for the buck, and have been pleasantly surprised with the results.  I wanted to show you that you CAN eat healthy, local and gourmet food on a reasonable budget, but you have to do some work and be open to trying new foods.

BUT.... you often also have to sacrifice something.  This may mean that you have to give up 15 minutes of TV time to chop up your own veggies, or just cut back on your $25 foie gras burger a week habit. (Sean, nothing can replace the Red Fish kobe beef foie gras black truffle cheeseburger, but, a girl's gotta do something!)

There unfortunately comes a time when the weekly luxurious dinner treat is no longer economical or good for you.  It actually was never either in the first place.

Doug and I together have cut our food budget down in a huge way by doing three things.  
1. We "eat out" 1 night a week, and it's usually around $10 per person. 
(Think Chipotle, falafel cart or Chop't)
2. We prepare and cook everything else from scratch at home. You can control the salt content, and know exactly what's in your food.  It may take 30-60 minutes each night to cook, but, it's worth it for me. It helps me to wind down from the day and relax.  
Short on time?  Dust off your CrockPot or cook and prepare on the weekends.
3. Eat. More. Beans.  Yep.  They're cheap and there are a thousand ways to cook them. When paired with rice or quinoa, they provide complete protein.

90% of the food we buy comes from the Arlington Courthouse Farmer's Market.  Everyone thinks that farmer's markets are super expensive, but it's not!  You will soon see why.....

Below is $85 dollars worth of groceries, all from the farmer's market.  
This is 90% of what we eat in two weeks. I'm serious. 



What is all this? (10 dinners, 10 lunches and 10 breakfasts!)
- broccoli - enough for 4 stir-fry portions
- fennel bulbs and fronds -  4 portions 
- onions - goes into everything we cook
- turnips and greens - 4 portions
- 16 oz of honey
- 1 pound bag of spinach - 4 portions
- 1 pound of asparagus
- kholrabi - 4 portions in stir-fry
- lettuce - 4 large portions
- 1/2 pound heritage breed Maryland grown pork tenderloin
- 1 pound heritage breed Maryland grown pork mexican chorizo 
- 2.5 pound Virginia grown bison shoulder roast - 8 portions!
- dozen free-range eggs
- 1/2 pound of aged Monterrey jack cheese
- 4 tubs of local 0% Greek-style yogurt
- a chocolate chip cookie and a pain au chocolat  :)

The veggies vary from week to week, depending on what's in season.  In January I was having to get creative with all the kale, sweet potatoes and apples we had to buy week after week....

We also try to buy veggies that produce little waste after cleaning. This saves you money too!
100% of the leaves and stems of the broccoli, turnips, fennel and kohlrabi are cooked and eaten.

Last week we planned ahead and spent $35 extra on 4 weeks worth of strawberries to put in the freezer, which we thaw and put into our yogurt every morning. That's $1.45 per person - 5 large strawberries each. 

We spend about $20 a week on other foodstuffs at the regular grocery or Whole Foods.
What do we buy there?  The Staples: milk, flour, yeast, raw nuts, lemons, spices, fresh ginger, dried beans, canned tomatoes, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, stone-ground grits, oats, brown rice.
No soda. No chips. No frozen ready meals. No booze (beer has it's own separate budget in our house).

For two people, that is a total of $100-120 per week.   
That's $5 per meal ($2.50 per person!) for healthy, super fresh, locally grown food.  
You can't spend $5 at Chic-fil-a and get the same kind of nutrition or value.
I don't think you can buy a Lean Cuisine for less than $5 in DC.
I know that this is a great way to lose weight, eat healthy, and support local agriculture.  
How?
Since August 2011 I have lost 17 pounds and am wearing clothes I have not seen since college. 
I have lost 3 dress sizes since 2008.
Local eating a win-win and you just can't get the same benefits from Diet Coke and Ramen noodles. 

What can you do?  Find a Farmer's Market, local CSA or road-side stand.  No farmer's market?  Every town has a Costco or Sam's Club!  Buy your veg in bulk and it really cuts down on cost, especially when you buy citrus and poultry.  You CAN have a healthy and ecological diet without breaking the bank and I promise - it will change your life.

2 comments:

  1. Love the blog, Deb! Just stumbled on it but you are so right! This time of year in Bluffton, we have a farmer's market on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a bounty of road side stands (as you know). We have successfully been Vegan since April 13th and this includes an 8 year old and a 2 year old. No gripes! We all look great and feel excellent!! Keep at it and kudos on your personal success!! Love, Sheri

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  2. Thanks for the encouragement, Sheri! I'm glad that everything is going well with your kiddos. I think that you've done a great thing getting your kids started on healthy eating habits at their ages. :)

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