Nutrition...feeding a family +5

[bright sparks]

So I have tried this past month to set myself a very specific budget for food shopping for my family as a test. None of this includes my daycare. I plan to go to school full time in Sept 2015 and need to make some lifestyle adjustments prior to then. One being food budget. Currently I give myself $250 a week for food. I'll only have about $1300 a month come school time for food and gas so think this is a realistic budget based on what I will be able to afford. Prior to starting this budget this March, my grocery bill was upwards of $1600-$2000 a month. All organic and all fresh and minimally processed.

I'm looking for any tips and advice on how to eat healthy on a budget. I buy very little processed foods...for example....tinned tomatoes, beans, pasta sauce, tinned fish. Tinned stuff is really for those quick week night fixes. Also they can be pricey because I want the best possible product so generally organic and/or with the fewest ingredients listed. I didn't buy organic meat or fish this month which pains me lol but I understand that I need to make some adjustments if it means putting food on the table with the money I have.

What a struggle it has been for us to eat on this tight budget. I have been price matching with flyers, have checkout51, pcplus points, coupon as much as I can while not buying things I wouldn't normally purchase just because they are the cheapest option. There are a few items that I can't compromise on. My son is a veggie so there are a number of meat replacements I buy which aren't to expensive but still eat up a chunk of the monthly budget. I also make all of my kids school snacks which work out to be quite a bit more expensive but there is no way I am going to revert back to the prepackaged junk. I am so proud of my kids for going with this new school menu so I don't want to undo that. The initial cost of ingredients to make the granola bars is close to $70 but then some of those ingredients last me a few months, while others only last a month. They are only allowed one a day for school so it's not like they munch through them crazy quick. A Jar of raw honey @$9.99 lasts 6 weeks, jar of coconut butter lasts 8 weeks and costs $19.99....you get the idea. I buy my organic grains in bulk so they last me in general 4-6 months but I share them with daycare so I imagine when that is done they will last longer but then I run the risk of spoilage so I'm going to try and find someone to go halves. It is incredibly cheap.

I am trying to grocery shop by the flyers and based on what fresh produce is on sale but again it is difficult to do this and eat healthy at the same time. I've grown veg the last couple of years but only tomatoes and zucchini so I think this year I am going to try my hand at a bigger patch and a few more varieties of veg. This would supplement my shopping bill.

Any other suggestions???...... .pair an empty fridge with my hungry, growing, hormonal 12 year old daughter yesterday and it's a recipe for disaster as she outright asked me to buy wagon wheels and bear paws again Not a chance!

[AmandaKDT]

I pick and choose what I buy organic - if it has to be peeled then I don't buy organic, like oranges and bananas.

Another thought I have is do you really NEED granola bars, or things that have very expensive ingredients? Perhaps there is something else you can make that is just as healthy but much less expensive. Like maybe pumpkin muffins that you make in bulk and freeze.

I also try to buy little processed food and things with few ingredients. I totally understand where you are coming from with balancing the desire to eat healthy and being able to afford the food at the same time.

I am also planning on gardening much more this summer. My husband is putting in new raised garden boxes in our back yard and I am going to grow us much a possible - onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. You could also buy fresh produce this spring/fall/summer while they are in season and freeze or can them to keep for the winter.

Maybe a few sacrifices while you are in school, with plans to resume when you are back working again, will have to happen.

Costco also has good prices on some items, like coconut oil is way cheaper there than anywhere else. Almond butter is also way cheaper there too.

I also make an meal plan for lunch and dinner every week, and only buy what is needed for that week. I have found it makes a big difference in how much we spend in a month.

[bright sparks]

I pick and choose what I buy organic - if it has to be peeled then I don't buy organic, like oranges and bananas.

Another thought I have is do you really NEED granola bars, or things that have very expensive ingredients? Perhaps there is something else you can make that is just as healthy but much less expensive. Like maybe pumpkin muffins that you make in bulk and freeze.

I also try to buy little processed food and things with few ingredients. I totally understand where you are coming from with balancing the desire to eat healthy and being able to afford the food at the same time.

I am also planning on gardening much more this summer. My husband is putting in new raised garden boxes in our back yard and I am going to grow us much a possible - onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. You could also buy fresh produce this spring/fall/summer while they are in season and freeze or can them to keep for the winter.

Maybe a few sacrifices while you are in school, with plans to resume when you are back working again, will have to happen.

Costco also has good prices on some items, like coconut oil is way cheaper there than anywhere else. Almond butter is also way cheaper there too.

I also make an meal plan for lunch and dinner every week, and only buy what is needed for that week. I have found it makes a big difference in how much we spend in a month.

Baked goods need to be gluten free or made with complex ancient grains so don't work out to be much cheaper than the granola bars. I do make muffins as one of their daily snacks with kamut, oats and quinoa flour. still pricey though. I'm going to try and buy the flours etc bulk to make it cheaper. My kids are 11 and 13 so need something that is also filling so it's not like 1 muffin and a banana is going to cut it.

We are meat free more and more as my son is vegetarian. We eat fish once a week, wild, but no more as then it isn't so good for you. I buy the shrimp from Costco in the freezer section...nothing beats them

I have had copies of the dirty dozen before so perhaps I should actually start being strict about it....great advice. I want abf minimum for my meat but maybe I will buy it in bulk for a case discount at the farm I buy from and then just use 2-3 meats per week to save some money. A fave meal of ours is chickpea and spinach curry...delish! I also cook and freeze rice in portions so the bulk purchase there is helpful.

[Artsand crafts]

chickpea and spinach curry...delish!

That sounds delicious! Do you mind to share. One of dck and my family vegetarian favorites is sunflower zucchini pie. My assistant could not believe there was not sausage on it . I can give you the recipe if you want.

[bright sparks]

That sounds delicious! Do you mind to share. One of dck and my family vegetarian favorites is sunflower zucchini pie. My assistant could not believe there was not sausage on it . I can give you the recipe if you want.

That sounds great thanks...I will pm the recipe for the curry. It is so easy to make you will laugh. It takes less than 20 minutes and keeps for up to a week in the fridge. I know there are so many major health benefits to being meat free, but as a meat eater myself, I personally love that it keeps in the fridge for so darn long lol Makes cooking for my veggie son so much easier with a quick reheat on the stove or in the oven

[nschildcare]

That sounds great thanks...I will pm the recipe for the curry. It is so easy to make you will laugh. It takes less than 20 minutes and keeps for up to a week in the fridge. I know there are so many major health benefits to being meat free, but as a meat eater myself, I personally love that it keeps in the fridge for so darn long lol Makes cooking for my veggie son so much easier with a quick reheat on the stove or in the oven

Could we start a recipe thread? Would love to try some new dishes!

[bright sparks]

Another thought I have is do you really NEED granola bars, or things that have very expensive ingredients? Perhaps there is something else you can make that is just as healthy but much less expensive. Like maybe pumpkin muffins that you make in bulk and freeze.

Sorry the quoting was wrong so reposted.....

I try to keep my daughter as gluten free as possible without being to hard on her. I want her to eat healthy but be allowed to have some treats. That's why on a regular basis I find it even more important to feed her healthy stuff. Any chance you can give me some suggestions on school treats? I know muffins are generally cheap to make but I don't want to load my kids with baked goods on a daily basis that are filled with gluten

[torontokids]

I don't think you necessarily have to give them baked goods all the time. My girls love hummus and veggies, plain veggie sticks, yogurt, seeds, nuts (not always an option at schools).

Making your own pitas I don't think is too hard and you can make them gluten free for their hummus.

these are good http://www.momables.com/homemade-ban...-recipe-baked/

homemade fruit leather is also a good option

[bright sparks]

I don't think you necessarily have to give them baked goods all the time. My girls love hummus and veggies, plain veggie sticks, yogurt, seeds, nuts (not always an option at schools).

Making your own pitas I don't think is too hard and you can make them gluten free for their hummus.

these are good http://www.momables.com/homemade-ban...-recipe-baked/

homemade fruit leather is also a good option

I made home made fruit leather...super cheap but not something I had success with lmao...please share your recipe as mine was like boot leather lol

They would need an obscene amount of yogurt and veggies to feel full....my kids have pretty healthy appetites. My son also eats copious amounts of hummus, which then is no longer healthy lol, so I have to monitor the amount he has. They go with yogurt and a healthy granola which seems to be more satisfying.

[bright sparks]

I'm gluten sensitive, but can eat red fife wheat with no problems at all. It's the only flour we now use in all of our baking, and the whole family loves it. It's also much cheaper than gluten-free flours and can be substituted cup-for-cup in traditional recipes shich makes life much easier I get ours at Bulk Barn with the $3 off coupons I get each week.

http://www.daybreakmill.com/health-benefit/red-fife

My two youngest are the only ones left at home, and they both have huge appetites! I've found that they need protein with their snacks as well as meals or they don't feel 'full'. We always keep hard-boiled eggs on hand, they'll grab a handful of almonds, chickpeas, or edamamme to eat with a piece of fruit, etc. One favourite snack is corn muffins (made from a GF mix from Bulk Barn) with cream cheese and homemade freezer jam. Also, baked oatmeal is filling and portable- we make ours with peanut butter, but if your school is peanut free there are loads of recipes online that are made without. Breakfast cookies made with a variey of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit are also loved here

I'm for sure going to try the red fife...thanks for sharing. My daughter is okay with kamut too. The ancient grains are typically easier to digest for some people with sensitivities and this seems to be the case for her. My kids are on a balanced day at school which doesn't help with their appetite to be honest. They arrive home from school at 3:50 and their last nutritional break is at 1:15 so they are ready to raid the cupboards and the fridge. Fortunately they ask for snacks, not that they necessarily need permission but it does help me monitor when and what they eat. While some days it seems like the kids eat everything, other days when I break it down they do have restrictions. Either with dietary choices or just due to dislikes and preferences. They are good at trying new things though which I am thankful for.