A few final items for the dinner party ...
It’s the morning of the final day of my family’s 30-Day Whole Foods Thrifty Challenge. For this entire month, we have eaten only food purchased solely at Whole Foods on a budget of $491.10 for our family of three. Our final food tally came in at $488.12, about three dollars under budget.
The first two weeks were harrowing; a big chunk of our budget was stocking up on staples and it took a while to recover from the hit. We were saved, quite literally, by a $2.99/pound sale on chicken breast. We stocked up and used the freed-up cash to focus on fruits and veggies. The last two shopping trips were a comparative breeze; I literally went from tears because of our tight budget one week to dancing in the aisles the next as I happily piled pineapple and cucumbers into my shopping cart. As we sat around the table for dinner last night I asked everyone what they had learned …
Alex (son): I learned that having breakfast together is nice, and we should; we’re a family.
Greg (hubs): I learned that I like fruit more than I thought I did and I’m going to control snacking from now on.
Me: I learned that it’s possible to eat healthy on a tight budget, but it takes patience and planning
Here’s what we did:
Shop as a family so we could make decisions as we went. Our son wasn’t always with us, but with Greg and I together, we could make on-the-fly decisions as we spotted sales. That meant I was more likely to cook it and Greg was more likely to eat it (even though, ultimately, neither of us had a choice).
Bravely tried new recipes. I added a homemade bread recipe, banana bread, chocolate chip cookie recipe, shepherd’s pie, and meatball recipe to my arsenal of family dishes. Not all of them are “healthy,” but we definitely enjoyed them, and the sweets I cooked are healthier with lower sugar than what I would have picked up at the store.
Self-imposed limits produce results. I’m not sure we would have stuck to this budget if we weren’t blogging about it. I had a night or two when I felt really tired and, normally, I would have skipped cooking dinner and ordered in. But I couldn’t. The end result was about a minute of whining (at least in my head) and then I just got up and went to the kitchen. (And Greg did handle dinner a couple times during the month; plus ALL the cleaning.) Cooking dinner really wasn’t any more difficult than ordering in food and it was healthier.
We lost weight. My husband lost nine pounds and I lost five! We attributed it to no longer snacking that we were unconsciously doing. We both feel great and my husband is looking pretty darned hot!
Almost no processed foods. We barely ate processed food. The only thing we had was macaroni and cheese, crackers, pasta, and one bag of potato chips.
Here’s what we didn’t do: menu planning! I had a rough idea of what I wanted the first week and then realized quickly that (a) I know how to cook and didn’t really need to plan for it and (b) there were so many unadvertised specials that it didn’t matter what the menu in my head said, it was better to go with the flow. So that’s what I did, varying fruits and vegetables depending on the sales, and worked with the staples to create food my family would eat.
We are wrapping up the Challenge with a dinner party tonight. I’m still not sure if it’s 8 or 10 people, but I’ve got enough regardless. We’re doing roasted chicken, rice and veggies, a side salad, homemade bread, and two kinds of brownies (lemon and chocolate). We even had enough money to buy three bottles of wine, a chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet ($8.97 total).
I’ve learned a lot these past 30 days and I’m proud of myself and my family for achieving this. The experiment has touched me. I’ve learned how hard it is to feed your family healthfully on a tight budget. I have a new appreciation for the struggle of families near the poverty level as they fight obesity plate by plate. It’s not easy, folks, and there are no simple answers.
I hope you learned something too. Whole Foods isn’t necessarily more expensive than any other store, you just have to learn how to shop there. I suggest signing up for a Value Tour at your local Whole Foods and get to know the staff; they are always super nice and will steer you to the right cut of meat or the best ingredient for your dish. I need to say an official thank you to Whole Foods for taking our bet (Yay!!) and for providing gift cards to four weekly winners so they could get a chance to try to live a little more healthy too.
Cheers,
Lisa
Twitter
I read a couple of your posts and noticed that you were not exclusively buying organic foods during this challenge. I don’t either, but I’m not sure what the point of the challenge was if it wasn’t to show that you could eat organic on a budget. Whole Foods is a great store but I don’t shop there just for the sake of shopping there. I only get organic stuff there because I can’t justify Whole Foods prices if I’m still buying conventional dairy and meat.
Hi Jen,
We actually buy quite a bit of organic at Whole Foods on a regular basis, but even if it’s not organic I do think the quality of meat is better than the “other” stores. I’ve seen what my Mom brings home as chicken and it’s ghastly looking. We did have to compromise on our organic options when we bought food because it is more expensive. I think the premium is more than worth it, but everyone needs to make that decision for themselves and their families.
L–
It’s interesting, but I think you missed a great opportunity to really change your lifestyle and diet. What in the world are you doing eating chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, pasta, cheese, potato chips, meatballs and God only knows what other kinds of crap. Here was a chance to really make a break. Fresh fruit, vegetables, grain and fish. On that budget, no problem and far far healthier! Try it.
Michael,
I knew I’d be judged and there’d be critics, so congrats on being the harshest so far. We ate several servings of fruit and vegetables a day and as I got better at balancing the budget we increased our servings of fruits and vegetables. That said, the banana bread had only 3/4 c. of sugar and yielded 12 slices and lasted us 4 days. The chocolate chip cookies were literally eaten 2 cookies per day and lasted over six days. It was a way to have a small treat without blowing a ton of calories. As for the pasta being empty calories I understand completely where you’re coming from. What I found was we didn’t have enough fruits/ veg/ and protein to fill us up and the starch was a necessary evil. It was one of only 3 processed foods that we bought during the entire 30 days. I think a wee bit better than the national average don’t you?
You simple need calories to help balance out the diet and that’s how I did.
In short Michael, it’s not that easy. I’m a fairly well educated Mom, a decent scratch cook and I was on a mission to see how well I could do. I also needed to negotiate with a 9 year old and my husband. I can see where if I stayed on this budget for a long period of time I would be able to sneak in more and more veggies and fruits too, but I’d probably need another 60 days to really get into the swing of things.
As for small treats, I’m ok with giving that to my family, feel free to do what you’d like with your own. L–
Wow – well done. That is a great commitment to healthy eating. You are absolutely right – we have to allow ourselves a few treats! Also, going from the standard North American diet to one as healthy as you have managed, took some effort. Congratulations and thanks for setting a standard the rest of us can aim for. Cheers.
Thanks Nina!
Appreciate that a lot. L–
I wanted to congratulate you on your efforts! Disregard the judgement from others – some people just need a platform to piss off of.
You did it! You did much more than many of us would do. You proved that you can eat healthily on a budget, you provided some great suggestions for the rest of us and it sounds as though your efforts have paid off in terms of a trimmer waist line. Well done!
Thank you for the inspiration.
Cheers!
jess
Wow. Love this! Just this week I was bemoaning the fact that my husband and I “can’t afford” to buy decent groceries. Our monthly budget is less than yours was but we don’t have a child to feed, either. This makes me think that it could be possible with a little more planning and thought! Great, great post. Thanks!
Jess, thanks so much for the kind words! Made my day
Emily, I’m glad this can help a bit, we’ll be continuing to post frugal recipes as we go. It’s as much a hit in our home as it is on the blog. L–
What a great self challenge to undertake! Take pride in those steps of finding ways to become healthier – by just cooking real food not heating/”cooking” processed foods. It DOES make a difference if you make homemade tortillas with 5 raw ingredients vs. manufactured tortillas with 40+ ingredients (most of them “added” back in to “preserve”). You can lose weight just by eating healthier versions of the foods you love – recipes are out there. Also, like you said, once you have the staples in place it’s a breeze to make recipes when you flow with a sale! Keep up the good work – I challenge you to figure out what spices you really use a lot and instead of buying those dinky bottles at the store, go online and order a larger size for a better price! That is a hidden frugal gem.
I think I’m missing something, but how is $491.00 a month a tight budget? My grocery budget is $350 a month for a family of 3. This also includes household items and toiletries. We eat healthy, whole foods with the occasional indulgence. You have to celebrate birthdays with cake and ice cream, right? Granted, we don’t have a Whole Foods where we live but there is a market that I shop at that does supply what we need. I just don’t understand the difficulty in spending less than $500 a month for groceries especially since we share the same family size.
We shop at the WF on the regular basis. And we spend monthly about the same as you did, or even less, but we only get healthy and mostly organic stuff. Every Friday we head towards the store for the 5 after 5 and and do grocery shopping while having wine and food they offer.
When we first started shopping there I were buying a lot of stuff without actual “food” (meat/fish/poultry) but spending $$$. But now I know how to shop there right. And I must admit it’s not more expensive than any other store. Especially, taking into an account that the food is so much better. WF provide great sales. Every Fri we get very good meat (2 kinds) and chicken on sale. I also get turkey sometimes. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive, but I don’t know how someone can eat what is sold in the regular stores..Its tasteless and who know how it was grown. I’d rather pat more and get tomatoes which smell and taste like tomatoes etc. There are certain amount of food which is always cheaper there than anywhere else (kefir, greek yogurt for example). We don’t eat any junk food, even no snacks like chips, we never order food. I cook everyday from the best food I can find and I’ll never change this habit. So when someone says “WF is soo expensive” I will never agree with that. You just need to know how to shop there right and follow their sales.
My husband twice bought an ice cream from Kroger and Giant Eagle. It was my favorite european ice cream (So I was sure that there is no corn syrop or any crap like that). But the taste was terrible. We read the ingredients. The list was huge will the high fructose corn syrop and other stuff. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then a few days later we saw the same ice cream at the WF and I thought that they would never sell any shit like this. I read the ingredients: cream, milk, sugar. The label was a little bit different, the price was the same. So..any questions why dont shop at the regular grocery anymore? I feel like I’ll need to read the ingredients for everything there…
What a great post! Just out of curiosity, what were some of the staples you started out with in the first week? I’m trying to keep a constant supply of veggie/chicken stock, beans, garlic…any others you suggest?
Denise thanks for all your input.
I prefer spices (like basil) fresh. I’m a total snob about it! I did miss them during the challenge. I was protective of making stuff for the first time during the challenge because I couldn’t afford to waste food but I definitely want to make tortillas now that it’s over and I can lose a cup or two of flour! Thanks for the kudos. L–
Hi Katie, a few things, 1. We live in a pricey part of the country, not sure where you are but veggies in the Northeast aren’t cheap. 2. This included every meal, every snack, yes, even my son’s lunch was packed daily (we do that anyway). 3. We didn’t eat out at all, again every meal, every snack was prepared at home from the budget. Don’t know if you do the same thing but hope that gives you some perspecitive. Others have asked as well.
Daria I did learn from working with a snack company that they provide two snacks, one for Whole Foods that’s healthier and one for all the other grocery stores. That was an eye opener! As for ice cream, we’re totally spoiled now, we make it at home, and the serving is a smidge more than 1/2 cup. So we get a treat, it’s got a lot of fat and sugar, but the serving size is appropriate.
Butter, sugar, eggs all-purpose flour, and pasta were our staples. Although it turned out we used way less sugar (a good thing!). As the month moved on I would add brown rice, potatoes (sweet when I could afford them), and frozen veggies. The frozen mixed veggies were great, the Mediterranean ones with a can of diced tomatoes made a great pasta sauce and super healthy with no added sugar or salt, I loved that! And my family actually liked it better than the jar tomato sauce we were spending way more on. For veggies carrots were a good stand-by snack. We’d buy a 5 lb. bag and live off of it for a couple of weeks and I’d grab carrots for a dinner side or to throw in the pasta too.
Now that my budget has freed up we’ll be doing more veggies, less starch and a lot more organic. Hope that helps. L–
I’m in central Texas. I understand now, I’ve heard about the sky high prices up north. YIKES! Your locale was what I was missing and now your challenge makes total sense! Congrats to you and your family. You just met a new reader.
Thanks Katie! We’ll be doing lots of frugal recipes and yes, lack of farming = high produce prices! My Dad in Florida keeps telling me how cheap everything is and I just cry at what I pay sometimes.
L–
whooohooooo finally ‘proof’ that it can be done…
Lisa, you know I’ve said it countless times (but not in as nice of terms as you) that eating healthy on a budget can be done… my daughter & I do it..but never documented it all like you…so thanks!
Hopefully more will become educated and willing to make the changes and realize they too can eat healthy foods while on a budget
I was really interested to see if this could be done. You’ve inspired me to start budgeting more and do weekly shops rather than running to the store here and there. I agree with another post that I would love to see if it could be done with only organic options. Maybe you could double down with Whole Foods and give it a try!
Wow, Cpc, glad to hear you found a little inspiration from us. Going organic at that budget, in our part of the country would honestly be impossible … but for another $100 a month I think we could do it. It’d be super tight, but doable …
We live in Ottawa, Canada, where food prices are even higher! Every week, we spend about $150 on food, and I’m even a vegan, so no high-priced meat and dairy for me. I cook all our meals from scratch, and both my husband and I take a packed luch with us to work. I also prefer to bake our treats (cookies, muffins, scones, etc.) because I make vegan versions which are usually less sweet and a lot cheaper. I wish we had a Whole Foods here in town, but we don’t. I have shopped in one before, though, and I know how wonderful they are. We usually start the day with some cooked grain (oats, millet, buckwheat), some homemade almond milk and a fruit and veg smoothie. Lunch is mostly leftovers, or a sandwich. For example, last night I made a black bean and sweet potato casserole topped with cornbread that was even better reheated today. Tonight, we’re having mushroom barley soup, spinach, sunflower seed and clementine salad with a lemon vinaigrette (and some feta, for my husband), and leftover baguette that I’m toasting in the oven with some oil and garlic. Filling and healthy, and actually cheap in comparison to what it would cost if I was serving a roast of some kind.
Anyway, I love the idea of calling a grocery store and asking if they’d be up for such a challenge. I will have to see if I can work up the nerve to ask!
*lunch, and *if I were, not was…ugh, sorry for the typos. I type and click send too quickly sometimes. PS: forgot to say I loved reading about your budget challenge. Thanks for allowing us to share all the lessons learned!
Linda, thanks so much for the comments, that does sound like a lot for just two people and I can tell you’re penny pinching and thinking about what you buy. You’re also making me hungry because everything your describing sounds delicious!
Wow, I have to admit, I’ve been trying to come up with innovative ways to slash my grocery budget and slash my buddah belly. I think you may have opened my eyes. Location wise, I’m not that far from you (Malden) so I know the pain of swiping my card at the end of a shopping trip, but I also find myself at the grocery store 3 or 4 times a week trying to find something for dinner or snacks for the kids. I just need to take some extra time each week and focus on what to buy. Also, I’ve always hesitated to make fresh bread for anything other than a holiday, I’m going to give it a try.
Great Job!
TJ that’s great to hear and yes, we’re definitely neighbors! Going every 6 days instead of every 2 or 3 helped us cut down a lot on extras and the bread recipe is easy
Just take your rings off before you stick your hands into the mix bowl! Lisa
I enjoyed your post. Am surprised at the “haters” on here. I think your whole point was to eat healthier on a tight budget. Nowhere did I expect you to be all organic, a vegan, or not have some snacks, might as well do Slim Fast or something. Sheesh!! I found this an interesting read. I personally think that anytime you make your own bread or cookies that it’s healthier than store-bought processed foods, and chips?? One bag a month?? We all need a treat now and then. Thank You for writing such a great blog and I think you did a great job of reaching your goal.
Melissa thanks a lot
Honestly I wouldn’t have bought the chips but my husband really wanted it … lol. L–
I really enjoyed reading about this challenge. I live in Hawaii where food prices are sky high, and I try to eat only organic foods. I shop exclusively at Whole Foods, because besides their commitment to organic, local and healthy foods, I feel that their quality alone is worth it. I am in love with their meat department.
Growing up at the poverty level really taught me about living frugally. My mom was a penny pincher and it has rubbed off. Reading this article was really inspiring because I keep trying to convince my friends that they can eat healthier foods on a budget. I am so tired of hearing people say that Whole Foods is too expensive, because it really isn’t as long as you know how to shop there and “work the system.” I plan on showing a few people these articles as proof that it can be done.
I hope more people read this and educate themselves. I really wish people would stop eating processed foods.
This obesity epidemic needs to stop!
Thanks for taking on this challenge, I wish more people would do the same!
Naomi, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope this helps to show your friends it can be done.
Hi Lisa,
Great and really interesting post.
I’m quite impressed that you were able to do this at Whole Foods, which I call “Whole Paycheck Foods.”
My rule was that it would cost $20/bag back in the old plastic bag days, now it’s $40/bag with the much larger paper bags. Clearly you were well under that price point.
I would never have guessed you could actually feed a family of 3 for under $500 at W(P)F! I suppose I was only going there to get those special things I couldn’t readily get at one of the other regular shops.
One question I have is would you have found it easier on your budget shopping at Safeway, for example? Would you have had more flexibility to just pick up what you wanted without waiting for a sale?
I think that would be interesting to know for people who are on a tight food budget.
Kenneth, one of the things they told us was that when a Whole Foods is near a Trader Joe’s the price more competitively. I honestly do most of my shopping at Whole Foods anyway … so I can’t really compare. Organics is important to us, so we mostly shop there because we know we can get what we want. L–
I think what you did is great. My family shops at WholeFoods with Foodstamps.. I always feel ridiculous because of the bad wrap WholeFoods has for being expensive, but they have the healthiest choices around (there are a couple of small independent health food stores around, but they don’t accept EBT). Our monthly Foodstamp allowance has given me the challenge of eating HEALTHY on a tight budget, and I’m enjoying making everything from scratch right now, and reading about your experience is inspiring. Thank you.
Amanda, thanks for adding your thoughts. I’m glad someone who uses foodstamps has figured out how to shop at Whole Foods and make it work, honestly I think it’s nearly impossible so kudos to you! L–
Thanks for doing this. I am always thinking about my food budget and I thought mine was too high! I recently started putting my budget on a Whole Foods card so that I can manage my budget easier. Based on the USDA chart, I fit within the moderate range so I am really happy about that.
I am going to try for the thrifty level beginning next week to see if I can do it for a month. It will be easier for me because I have already stocked my freezer. I will use the savings on the cooking class I am taking at WF next week.
I have limited myself to two days of shopping (Sun and Wed). I am trying to be consistent on Wednesdays at WF because they have double ad days in my region. Based on your blog, there may be some other areas of savings that I am missing so I am going to request a tour next week.
Wow that’s great Jennifer, I’d love to hear how your tour goes.
We are getting a WF very soon. I have had to shop where my daughter lives (1 hr & 45 minutes away) She shops exclusively at WF and has shown me some of the specials and how to find them. Our store is scheduled to open Summer 2012 !! I can’t wait and am going to take advantage of the cooking classes and especially the tour of how to shop there. I have been shopping at “Earth Fare” and “Trader Joe”, so to hear that they are more competitive with each other is going to beneficial to my location.
The blog was great to read. I will be challenging myself to shop smarter once our Whole Foods Store is open.
Thanks for stopping by Gladys and congrats on getting a Whole Foods soon. I think, even if you don’t shop their exclusively you’ll find the competition will step it up with higher quality options.
THANKS for posting this – I can’t WAIT to show my BF – I love WF but we spend WAY more than I think we should/need/do! Congrats!
wait – pasta is “junk food”? With whole wheat flour or semolina flour? NO WAY!!
Very interesting journey. I love that you were able to be “thrifty” at Whole Foods. That has become one of the only places I shop….with the main reason being their produce. When I shop anywhere else, I am disgusted with the condition/taste/appearance of their produce. Plus I try to buy mostly organic (when cost is not too prohibitive) and Whole Foods clearly has cheaper organic products than a standard grocery store.
I also liked that you ate very little processed food. I cook every day myself, and I would personally rather eat something that is a little higher in calories and/or fat that I made myself versus some processed crap that I don’t know how it is going to affect my health.
I probably need to work on a food budget more (maybe this is the inspiration I need). Its hard because I recently made a commitment to my health and to eating better, and unfortunately I have found that the healthier I try to eat, the more I spend! I’m thinking next shopping trip I will try some frozen veggies. I have avoided them up until this point.
Lisa frozen veggies were a big eye-opener for me. Much tastier and cheaper than I thought … and it really helped the budget. L–
My husband works for WFM (and I was a long term TM too) so we definitely “drank the kool-aid” in terms of shopping there. We give a substantial amount of our pay back to the Company because we believe in the products.
I want to commend you on taking this challenge and doing so well. I don’t understand the all or nothing mentality of some people (cookies, pasta comments). I think it is all about moderation and I will be the last person to judge what another person chooses to eat.
We shop the one day sales, private label products and cook every meal at home from scratch. I find that we eat healthier when I bulk up the meals with whole grains for my husband (due to a medical condition I have to eat low fiber), beans, leafy greens and lots of fruit. The produce can add up though so we mix it up with frozen fruit and really pay attention to sales. I make all stocks and soups from scratch and throw nothing out (onion skins, asparagus stalks, bones from roasted chicken) that can be used.
It is a real challenge for families at the poverty level, without access to good grocers like Whole Foods (or sometimes any grocery store at all) to do this and I thank you for highlighting this issue.
Meg thanks so much and good idea with the asparagus stalks … I hadn’t thought of that … I like making my own stocks actually, the house smells great and I know it’s low in sodium!
I followed a Facebook link to your blog literally two days after deciding that we need to find a way to spend $100 a week on groceries. I’m so impressed and inspired, and can’t wait to comb through your tips looking for ways to balance the budget! Unfortunately, we don’t have a local WF. I normally shop the organic section of our local Shop Rite, along with meat and eggs from local farms. It’s not going to be easy, and I already blew the budget for this week. Then again, I have not yet plundered your blog. I can only get better from here! Thanks again for detailing your hard work. I am seriously excited about grocery budgeting. How often has that sentence ever been written?
This is such an inspiration! Hubs and I both work full time and I’m trying to figure out how to get the eating habits for our family to be healthier and not break the bank. I do find slow cookers to be awesome, but am a little annoyed that so many of the recipes leverage canned foods. It’s great from a convenience standpoint, but I love the ideas that involve replacing them with homemade ingredients (like chicken stock). Kudos for taking it on!
Laura, lol, I understand your excitement I was really into it and after a couple of weeks of blowing our budget once we were past the 30 day challenge I’m back to thrifty shopping. We were making a point by just picking Whole Foods, but of course, in “the real world” you can source from where ever you think is best for your family … good luck!
Great job Lisa, your project inspired me, too!
Thanks Amy!
Congrats on your success!!!! I really don’t know how you did it. You should really be proud that you were able to meet your goals and not even acknowledge the criticism of others. We started eating a “clean diet” two weeks ago and our goal (2 adults and 2 kids) was to not order out for 2 weeks. But with everyone working full time and after school activities…etc..we only made it four days. By thursday, we out of real food and had no time to grocery shop. Its hard!!!!
I think Lisa did a fantastic job and showing the average American how they can certainly survive on the paycheck or welfare check provided. Some healthful options and some not but remember the average American is overweight and eats out 3-5 nights a week never mind stopping at DD for breakfast or lunch. This topic I have written about in the past and would love to work with you Lisa and show families how they can too achieve this without a negative attitude and possibly experimenting with their cooking/baking skills
. The average American usually walks out of the grocery store with packages dinners breakfasts and boxed lunches I think you did an amazing job showing how they can eat healthier than they are now on a budget 
molto bene!
Jennifer that sounds like my normal life … lol. I have to say the blogging kept us honest, I’m not sure we would have been as successful if we hadn’t been so public about it.
Dana, thanks for the kudos! And I’d love to have you write for us.
was that breakfast, lunch and dinner for 488.00? Was their brown bagging involved? that is pretty awesome. Congrads!
Hi Denise, yes that was literally everything … every meal for 30 days … boy did I want a restaurant meal when I was done! L–
Good job, Lisa!
I learned from my French family in New England to decide what to cook after we’d been to the butcher shop, fish market, green grocer, and boulangerie. Not only did we get the good deals, we’d get something special and very fresh.
I still cook this way…it’s the only way!
I draw the line at homemade mayonnaise … once a year as a treat!
But pretty much make everything from scratch…SO much better!
I don’t eat bread usually so that solves that problem.
The European way of eating is great and I am excited more Americans are finding it is good for taste AND weight!
Thanks Sarah, I didn’t realize I was leaning Euro but I spent 2 weeks in Paris and lived that way with my friends (exPat Brits …) suddenly I feel like I’ve gone from frugal to stylishly chic
L–
To avoid eating out prepare meals ahead of time in larger batches. The meatballs would work well. I make “Lasagna Rolls”. I take my favorite cheese mix for lasagna and boil the noodles. Lay the noodle out flat and spread the cheese mix on top. Roll the noodle. Place noodles on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for an hour or so. Pack in a plastic freezer bag. When crunch time arrives, measure portions (1 for me, 2 for my hubby…) top with pasta sauce and cook. Oven baked as regular lasagna or defrost 1 min/roll and cook 1 min/roll. Serve with veggie, salad or bread. Quick, healthy, and homemade.
Love the idea of the lasagna rolls, I saw them prepared in cupcake tins too, thought that was cool.
L–
Hello!1 I just discovered your site and was very inspired by your 30 day Whole Foods challenge!! Kudos to you and your family! I wonder if I could do this???
For a family of 3 that seems like a high budget. We are a family of 5 and I budget 400 every month.I NEVER EVER EVER go over.
I just finished reading about your 30 day challenge. I am doing a personal “use up what we have in the freezers and cabinets” challenge. My rules: must prepare all (healthy) meals except the lunches the kids have @ school 2x per week, use what we have, and spend no more than $20 per week for milk and other fresh ingredients for me, my husband, and 3 teenagers.
I shop sales faithfully and have a well stocked pantry and freezer, so I think it is doable. Next month I want to try your challenge. Thanks for making me excited about doing something that finances require!
Go get ‘em Elizabeth!
We’d love to hear how you do. L–
I’m so glad I stumbled on your post. I think it is great that your whole family did this challenge and learned that your lifestyle could be like that. Great job
Whole foods? People on a tight budget – like food stamps – do not buy food at Whole Foods.
People on a tight budget buy the cheapest food they can and ignore the concept of organic. Organic foods are great, but the prices are still too high to make anyone on a tight budget interested in buying that stuff. Right now only well paid people, people with jobs and yuppies/hipsters buy organic.
Your money could have probably gone further purchasing foods at a less ‘hipster’ type of retail grocery store instead of a specialty hippie store.
Just sayin …
Thanks for your comment Andii. One thing we experienced during our month-long challenge was that we couldn’t afford to buy organic, something we’re used to, at least when it comes to milk, meat, and produce on the dirty dozen list. But yes, on a restricted budget, there’s no way to afford organic.
But Whole Foods is much much more than just organic food, and their 365 store brand items and other products (meat, produce, dairy, etc.) are of a higher quality, in general, than what the processed items that big food companies are producing and selling. Our goal with this challenge was to show that it IS possible to eat better on tight budgets than what most reduced budget families currently do. It’s about opening people’s eyes to the possibilities. But no matter what, it’s not esy for anyone on food stamps or tight incomes to pull this off.