Today's Challenge - Feed you family on $10!!

[littlebug42]

Milk was actually included in the list of staples to consider having on hand so I did not include that in the menus I did. It is definitely not an easy challenge even removing organic etc from the equation.

[helena]

For the record, I shop at two markets which have very cheap prices, I wouldn't but anything from the popular name markets.

 

okay here's my grocery list (I went though the paper today, so some of my stuff is based off this weeks sales):

oats-bulk .70

black beans-bulk $2

rice-bulk $1

dried chili-bulk .25 (just enough to make the mole)

masa-free (this would be considered a staple like flour in my house)

garbanzo beans-$1

canned chipotle in adobo-I blend the can and freeze into little cubes, using 1 at a time .25

canned tomato sauce-.35

raisins-bulk I would buy .50 worth because even a little garnish is better nothing

pecans-bulk $1 again, I'd rather have a little topping

oranges-free

lemons-free

cantaloupe-on sale $1 ea./ $2

avocado-on sale .50 ea./ $1

carrot- .50 small bag

cabbage- on sale, might ask produce man to cut in half? .75

cilantro- .35

tomato- .70 per lb/ 1lb

jalapeno-.15 for 2

onion- .50

garlic- .25

radish-free

 

breakfast

oatmeal topped with toasted nuts and raisins (cream & sugar)

chilled oranges

tea & water

 

lunch

black beans, mexican rice, mole, lettuce wedge

cantaloupe

lemonade, milk, or water

 

dinner

black beans served with fresh tortillas, sliced cabbage salad as garnish, and mole.

chipotle, garbanzo bean soup, granished with a spoon of rice, avocado, lime, and cilantro.

lemonade, milk, or water

 

My total is: Darn..$13.25

I would go find change in the car, under the couch and in junk drawers to make up for the $3.25. :D

[vonfirmath]

I'm really surprised at some of these prices!

 

When people say "Fruit," for example, they list $1.00. But even at $1.00 a pound, it would take a couple of dollars worth to feed 6 people. I paid 35 cents per medium orange today - would each person get 1/2 an orange?

 

Why not? That seems reasonable to me. I know families that have split their fruit into more pieces than that.

[Orthodox6]

Why not? That seems reasonable to me. I know families that have split their fruit into more pieces than that.

 

Quite possible. Practices like this led to me stealing food as a child because I was extremely hungry all the time.

[hsmom]

yeah but you dont' eat the whole jar of pd. So instead of counting that $4 for that part of the meal, you divide and count what it costs for however much you ate . . . unless, of course, you ate the whole jar!;)

 

 

Yet, then it would be counted as something on hand right? The way I understood it was $10 to feed and only count your staples as no cost. So, if I had to buy pb then it would cost $4 that day right?

[myfunnybunch]

would each person get 1/2 an orange?

 

In our family, each person would probably get 1/2 orange, in slices. But my kids are not big eaters, and wouldn't eat a whole orange at one go anyway.

 

Each person needs 3 servings of dairy a day.

 

I thought of this too, as I was planning. But if I planned a week's worth of $10 days, things would probably look a lot more balanced. I find myself adjusting naturally throughout the week, as I serve meals. I'll realize that the day was light on dairy or veggies and adjust the next day's meals accordingly. :)

 

Cat

[Daisy]

Each person needs 3 servings of dairy a day.

 

LOL. Never going to happen at my house. We don't like it. We eat plenty of calcium-rich veggies instead.

[ereks mom]

It was by necessity, because dh's paycheck, and therefore our budget, dictated that I had less than $200 per month for groceries. At that time, $10 per day was way more than I was spending to feed my family, and even though grocery prices have risen significantly over the past couple of years, I think I could still meet the challenge. :)

 

The OP said that foods on hand are: flour, sugar, spices, butter, and milk.

 

My grocery list would include:

1 dozen eggs -- $1.00 at Save-a-lot or Kroger

1 pkg. carrots -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot or Kroger

1 pkg. flour tortillas -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot

1 jar pizza sauce -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot

1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese -- $2.00 at Kroger

2 lbs. chicken -- $2.00 at Kroger ($.99/lb. on sale)

3 lb. bag of apples -- $2.00 at Save-a-Lot or Kroger

 

Breakfast

homemade waffles*

homemade syrup*

scrambled eggs

milk

 

Lunch

pizza quesadillas*

apples slices

water or milk

 

Supper

Easy Chicken Pie*

stewed apples or homemade applesauce*

water or milk

 

* Recipes

 

Homemade Waffles

2 eggs

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Beat eggs, then beat in remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake according to manufacturer's directions. Makes 6 medium-sized waffles.

 

Homemade Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. maple flavoring (or any other flavoring/extract you have on hand)

Combine ingredients and bring to boil on medium heat. Allow mixture to continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve warm. Leftover syrup may be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

 

Pizza Quesadillas

flour tortillas

pizza sauce

mozzarella cheese

butter or margarine

For each quesadilla: spread one side of a tortilla very lightly with softened butter. Place on heated griddle (medium-low heat). Spread pizza sauce as desired on the tortilla as it heats. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold the other half of the tortilla over onto the cheese and press lightly. Toast on each side until cheese is melted.

 

Stewed Apples or Homemade Applesauce

1 to 2 lbs. of apples

butter

sugar

For stewed apples:

Wash, peel, core, and dice apples. Put diced apples into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle apples lightly with sugar. Add a couple of pats of butter. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Simmer longer if you want the apples to be softer, adding very small amounts of water as needed. If desired, you can add more sugar and/or butter while simmering. Serve warm.

For applesauce:

Simmer until apples are very soft. Use a potato masher to mash the apples to the desired consistency.

 

Easy Chicken Pie

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cook 2 lbs. chicken in salted water. Save the broth and debone and dice the chicken.

~ ~ ~

Mix together and pour into greased 9x13x2 casserole dish:

diced chicken

3 cups of homemade cream of chicken soup (recipe below)

1½ cups chicken broth (use more if you prefer thinner “gravy”, or less if you prefer it thicker)

1½ to 2 cups steamed or boiled carrots

~ ~ ~

For the crust:

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, melted

1 to 1½ cups self-rising flour

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Mix melted margarine, flour, and milk in a separate bowl and pour evenly over chicken mixture. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown crust forms. Serve hot.

Makes about 6 servings

---- ---- ---- ----

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

3/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1½ cups chicken broth

1½ cups milk

salt (optional)

~ ~ ~

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.

Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined.

Slowly add milk & broth, stirring constantly as it thickens.

Add salt if desired.

 

 

ETA: Since the OP specified that only the above-mentioned items were on hand, I assumed that I would have to go out and buy new packages of the items that were not on the list. Because of this, I calculated my grocery costs on a per-package basis rather than a per-serving basis.

Edited May 15, 2010 by ereks mom

[cathmom]

In our family, each person would probably get 1/2 orange, in slices. But my kids are not big eaters, and wouldn't eat a whole orange at one go anyway.

 

 

 

I love the way you said this! :lol: A whole orange at one go! Oh my, that's way too much!

 

The OP said that foods on hand are: flour, sugar, spices, butter, and milk.

 

My grocery list would include:

1 dozen eggs -- $1.00 at Save-a-lot or Kroger

1 pkg. carrots -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot or Kroger

1 pkg. flour tortillas -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot

1 jar pizza sauce -- $1.00 at Save-a-Lot

1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese -- $2.00 at Kroger

2 lbs. chicken -- $2.00 at Kroger ($.99/lb. on sale)

3 lb. bag of apples -- $2.00 at Save-a-Lot or Kroger

 

 

 

I like your menu, but those prices (except the carrots) are all higher than the prices at my local WM (cheapest place around). The only way I could get apples at $2 a bag is BOGO.

 

Also, you don't have to buy pizza sauce. You could buy a generic can of tomato sauce and add spices like oregano, etc. That saves 50 cents LOL!

[ereks mom]

Yeah, that's why I don't buy many grocery items at Walmart. I find the "everyday" prices are MUCH better at Save-a-Lot and the specials are MUCH better at Kroger. And Save-a-Lot's everyday prices are often better than Kroger's specials. For example, apples are on special this week at Kroger (3lb. bags are 2/$5), but they're a bit cheaper at Save-a-Lot. I'm sure that grocery prices also vary from region to region as well, so that might affect your prices as well. So maybe if I did as you suggsted and bought the tomato paste & used spices on hand instead of buying pizza sauce, I'd save enough buy the apples at Kroger! ;)

Edited May 15, 2010 by ereks mom

[Renee in NC]

It was by necessity, because dh's paycheck, and therefore our budget, dictated that I had less than $200 per month for groceries. At that time, $10 per day was way more than I was spending to feed my family, and even though grocery prices have risen significantly over the past couple of years, I think I could still meet the challenge. :)

 

 

 

I had $240 a month for my family of 6 + a nursing baby several years ago (at least 4) but I don't think I could do it now. I agree that prices have gone up significantly since then!

Edited May 15, 2010 by Renee in FL

[Renee in NC]

Why not? That seems reasonable to me. I know families that have split their fruit into more pieces than that.

 

Right - of course you could. However, how long can you go without eating enough?

 

LOL. Never going to happen at my house. We don't like it. We eat plenty of calcium-rich veggies instead.

 

Wouldn't milk would be cheaper than enough veggies to get enough calcium?Would $3 buy enough calcium-rich veggies to give a family of 6 enough calcium for a day?

 

If we are talking one day, I think everyone could stick to a $10 budget and not harm their health. I don't know how someone could do it long term while getting the appropriate amount of food (and the right distribution.)

 

ETA: Sorry! I am not trying to derail the thread - I should have started a spin-off.

[Pippen]

Also, you don't have to buy pizza sauce. You could buy a generic can of tomato sauce and add spices like oregano, etc. That saves 50 cents LOL!

 

I usually buy a big can of pizza sauce at Sam's Club, then divide up and freeze. Last time I bought it it was under $4, cheaper than buying smaller cans.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=157952&navAction=&_requestid=109561&_requestid=109628&_requestid=109683

[ereks mom]

I imagine that most of you are like me, and you stock up on things like meat and canned goods when they are on sale. So perishables would be the only things we would buy that might not be on sale. For instance, when chicken breast is on sale for a really good price, I stock my freezer with several packages of it. And I might buy a whole flat of canned tomatoes when they're on sale. Then, what I have on hand dictates my weekly menu. So if a particular cut of meat hasn't been on sale in awhile, it won't appear on my menu. :)

[LibraryLover]

MIne wasn't carb heavy. Quiona is high in protein, and I used eggs, peanut butter, hummus, avocado, green garden veggies like kale & lettuce, chicken broth, ground chicken. There were carbs thrown in, but it wasn't at all excessive. My kids need to be kept in protein and every meal, including snacks, had a good amount of protein. I wasn't sure if dinner should be frittata or pasta...left that up ion the air. At any rate, a lb of whole grain-ish pasta for 6 people is not excessive. That said, I don't think people should fear brown rice.

Edited May 15, 2010 by LibraryLover

[joannqn]

I think all of the ideas are just great, though I am shocked at the prices, too. Regular eggs here are $1.99 a dozen, though we buy organic free range eggs for $4.49 a dozen. I see a lot of people listing them for a considerable percentage cheaper. I also saw people listing ground beef for pretty cheap. The lowest quality, 27% fat is $2.79 a pound locally. That's just a couple examples of obvious price differences I saw. I guess prices do vary drastically.

 

And also about the milk, we don't consume any dairy at all in our house. So, if I made a menu (I was gone all day), it wouldn't have any milk, butter, cheese, etc. in it.

[Renee in NC]

I think all of the ideas are just great, though I am shocked at the prices, too. Regular eggs here are $1.99 a dozen, though we buy organic free range eggs for $4.49 a dozen. I see a lot of people listing them for a considerable percentage cheaper. I also saw people listing ground beef for pretty cheap. The lowest quality, 27% fat is $2.79 a pound locally. That's just a couple examples of obvious price differences I saw. I guess prices do vary drastically.

 

And also about the milk, we don't consume any dairy at all in our house. So, if I made a menu (I was gone all day), it wouldn't have any milk, butter, cheese, etc. in it.

 

If you are willing to post a menu I would love to see it. We are contemplating going dairy free here (for asthma and behavioral reaction issues) and I am at a loss as to how to do it. We didn't buy milk for years because it was too expensive, but we were *not* getting enough calcium either (I realized this when I could see through my then 4yo's front teeth.)

[LibraryLover]

I sell my actual free range, organic eggs for $4. The local famer near me charges $3.75. They are pastured, so lots of greens and bugs, but they are supplementented with non organic grain. That works for a lot of people, but we try to limit soy, especially non organic soy. (I do use organic tempeh, organi tofu etc a couple of times a month. I also use Bragg's about once a week).

[joannqn]

If you are willing to post a menu I would love to see it. We are contemplating going dairy free here (for asthma and behavioral reaction issues) and I am at a loss as to how to do it. We didn't buy milk for years because it was too expensive, but we were *not* getting enough calcium either (I realized this when I could see through my then 4yo's front teeth.)

 

 

You sure that your 4 year old's teeth weren't just loose? Teeth become hollow as they become ready to fall out. My daughter won't pull loose teeth, and molars on the lower jaw don't fall out due to gravity. Her teeth were in her mouth loose for so long that she actually broke two of them (because they were completely hollow with a super thin shell) before I got her into the dentist to have them pulled under anesthesia.

 

At this point, I'm not worried about RDA of calcium in our diet. I don't necessarily think our government has dietary guidelines correct. Here's one point of view on the whole dairy/calcium thing.

[helena]

If you are willing to post a menu I would love to see it.

 

I would too. :)

My family is vegan, the menu I did is dairy free. But it would be fun to see how someone else would do it.

 

I just realized that my lunch and dinner are a bit of a repeat, but honestly that's typical for us.

[Renee in NC]

You sure that your 4 year old's teeth weren't just loose? Teeth become hollow as they become ready to fall out. My daughter won't pull loose teeth, and molars on the lower jaw don't fall out due to gravity. Her teeth were in her mouth loose for so long that she actually broke two of them (because they were completely hollow with a super thin shell) before I got her into the dentist to have them pulled under anesthesia.

 

At this point, I'm not worried about RDA of calcium in our diet. I don't necessarily think our government has dietary guidelines correct. Here's one point of view on the whole dairy/calcium thing.

 

No, they were really thin (and didn't start out that way) and he didn't lose them until 2 years later. I could be very wrong, of course!

 

As for the bad effects of dairy consumption - we have several of those in our house. Both of my parents react badly to dairy and mine is getting worse and worse.

 

I know we always hear, "Calcium for strong bones" but isn't calcium used for many other functions in your body?

[ereks mom]

I think all of the ideas are just great, though I am shocked at the prices, too. Regular eggs here are $1.99 a dozen, though we buy organic free range eggs for $4.49 a dozen. I see a lot of people listing them for a considerable percentage cheaper. I also saw people listing ground beef for pretty cheap. The lowest quality, 27% fat is $2.79 a pound locally. That's just a couple examples of obvious price differences I saw. I guess prices do vary drastically.

 

 

The Kroger in town has boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork loin, and ground chuck on sale for $1.99 per pound every other week--sometimes $1.79.

[Renee in NC]

The Kroger in town has boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork loin, and ground chuck on sale for $1.99 per pound every other week--sometimes $1.79.

 

There is no Kroger's here, but I will have to check Walgreen's. I remember in NC that milk was often cheaper at CVS than anywhere else! I pay just under $7 for 5 dozen eggs at Walmart.

 

I did pay $1.97 for chicken breasts today at Sam's. I used to get pork loin there for $1.59, but it is $2.39 now. I haven't seen ground beef that cheap in a long while, but I might be missing it.

[Brindee]

I think all of the ideas are just great, though I am shocked at the prices, too. Regular eggs here are $1.99 a dozen, though we buy organic free range eggs for $4.49 a dozen. I see a lot of people listing them for a considerable percentage cheaper. I also saw people listing ground beef for pretty cheap. The lowest quality, 27% fat is $2.79 a pound locally. That's just a couple examples of obvious price differences I saw. I guess prices do vary drastically.

 

And also about the milk, we don't consume any dairy at all in our house. So, if I made a menu (I was gone all day), it wouldn't have any milk, butter, cheese, etc. in it.

I noticed that as well. Our prices here are much higher than many of the ones quoted. Our eggs run about the same as yours! We pay more for vegetarian fed, cage free hen eggs, and no place here EVER has any of their eggs for $1.00/ 2 dozen! :001_huh: Wish the prices were lower here!

[phathui5]

My question is: could this be done without massive amounts of carbs?

 

Could it be done if your family followed a diabetic style diet?

 

I would love to see recipes where wheat, rice, corn and potatoes were not main staples.

 

Is it possible?:001_huh:

 

 

:lurk5:

 

I doubt it. Meat for our family for one meal costs around $15 (granted, I refuse to buy the conventional factory farmed stuff). That's why we rarely have meals with meat as a main entree.

 

Wheat, rice, corn and potatoes are cheap, so they tend to get featured in frugal meals.

[LibraryLover]

I doubt it. Meat for our family for one meal costs around $15 (granted, I refuse to buy the conventional factory farmed stuff). That's why we rarely have meals with meat as a main entree.

 

Wheat, rice, corn and potatoes are cheap, so they tend to get featured in frugal meals.

 

 

 

 

For us, I can't imagine $15 + dollars worth of organic meat for one meal. That's nearly two lbs of meat! I mean sure, eat what you want! But to me, with 4 older kids, I can't even imagine 2 lbs of beef per meal, esp factoring in greens! There are lots of leftovers when the 6 of us eat one of our small hand-reared chickens! (lots of bone broth, some chicken for soup or stew or chckens on greens for lunch, chicken salad for a sandwich or two etc for leftovers.)

 

32 oz of meat. At the most, an adult omnivore might need 4 oz per meal, so that is 8 oz for two adults: 1/2 lb. The 4 children would be about half that, and fguring the 2 yr old may not (or may) eat the whole 2oz., that's the other 8. Who eats the other 16 oz? I'm not saying that doesn't work for you family, but wow! That is out of my cooking reallm. lol

 

We are Michael Pollan Peeps: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. (Of course, I could stand to loose a few lbs. lol)

Edited May 18, 2010 by LibraryLover

[crimsonkelley]

Yeah, that's why I don't buy many grocery items at Walmart. I find the "everyday" prices are MUCH better at Save-a-Lot and the specials are MUCH better at Kroger. And Save-a-Lot's everyday prices are often better than Kroger's specials. For example, apples are on special this week at Kroger (3lb. bags are 2/$5), but they're a bit cheaper at Save-a-Lot. I'm sure that grocery prices also vary from region to region as well, so that might affect your prices as well. So maybe if I did as you suggsted and bought the tomato paste & used spices on hand instead of buying pizza sauce, I'd save enough buy the apples at Kroger! ;)

 

We only have ONE grocery store chain here in San Antonio. You can go to Whole Foods or Sun Harvest, but I don't count them b/c they have higher end products any way. So, our choices are - Walmart, Target or our local grocery store chain HEB. (I've never lived in a city with only one choice.) I have found that Big Lots sometimes has food that I will buy. One time they had organic canned pumpkin. I bought all they had and made chocolate chip pumpkin bread for Christmas gifts. I've also found organic tom. products and the cereal my husband likes. The only drawback is anything there is going to be packaged or canned. You can't go there for fresh food items.

[Ravin]

I'll bite.

 

Breakfast: French toast with sunflower seed butter and applesauce:

 

Bread: .50 (Alpine Bakery outlet store) for a loaf

Eggs: Free (from friend with chickens)

Milk: Assuming the kids also drink some, 1/2 gallon $0.84 at the last gallon price I purchased (I always ad match at WM and get whatever the best sale price is that week at any of the dozen or so stores I can find ads for)

Cinnamon: assumed staple

Applesauce: @$1.00 assuming they'd go a fair way through a large jar

Sunflower seed butter: assumed staple

 

Breakfast total: $2.34

 

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, w/ fresh fruit on the side

Bread: (again assuming 6 people would run through a whole loaf or nearly so) .50

Butter: assumed staple

cheddar or swiss Cheese: 1/2 lb. $1.25 (assuming I bought it on a typical sale)

Tomato soup, 2 cans $1.00 (though this is something I usually have on hand),

Kiwi fruit, 2 per person, $1.20 based on this week's sale price

 

Lunch total $3.95

 

Dinner: Chicken breast, rice, broccoli

Chicken: Assuming each person gets a 4 oz. serving 1.5 lbs. @ a this-week sale price of $1.88/lb: $2.82

Rice: Assumed staple, we bought a 50 lb. bag last year and still haven't used it up.

Broccoli: 1 lb. @$0.88/lb (this week sale price), $0.88

 

Dinner total: $3.70

 

Day total:

$9.99

[Lovedtodeath]

Well I suppose we are just pigs around here... we generally eat more than most of those posts.:confused:

[i.love.lucy]

It's SO easy!

 

Ham bone with some meat on it (Or I'll cook some bacon and dice it if we haven't got a ham bone.)

A pound of split peas

1-2 carrots, chopped

1-2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

6-8 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme (dried) or some fresh herbs from the garden--thyme or oregano--if you've got them

 

Throw it all in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours (or a little longer if you've forgotten to prethaw the broth and ham bone...sigh...) or on high for 4 hours. Before serving, remove the ham bone. Take the meat off the bone, chop and return chopped ham to the soup. If there's not much meat on the bone, I sometimes add bacon or some leftover ham--depends on the budget and time. Add salt to taste.

 

Yum. I usually serve it with a salad and homemade whole wheat rolls or corn muffins.

 

Here's the original recipe, easy to print:

Smoky Split Pea Soup

 

Cat

 

Split pea soup (along with lentil soup) is the frugal cook's great friend !

 

You can reduce the cost further by taking the recipe just posted and omitting both the meat and the chicken broth (use water). Absolutely NO flavor is sacrificed by doing this. Sautee the onion and garlic (do use more than just two lonely cloves !) in a Tbsp. or two of olive oil before adding the other ingredients. Simmer on stove top until done.

 

This is one soup which I subject to the immersion blender after all is ready.

 

I added this variation because some of us around here are vegetarian or vegan in our preferences. :)

 

P.S. Make sure that your split peas are not old. (Like any elderly bean or legume, they will take forever to cook, and will have lost flavor from sitting around.) I bought some from Walmart, in a frugal fit. They were dingy beige and pale green. Looked awful ! I bought some bulk split peas elsewhere from a store with high turnover of bulk items, and they were such a pretty, bright green.

Thanks for the recipes! I'm gonna be on the lookout for elderly beans!

 

Well I suppose we are just pigs around here... we generally eat more than most of those posts.:confused:

Uh, yeah. Us too. This thread is an eye opener for our prices, our serving sizes, and how picky I have let my family become!:glare:

[joannqn]

The Kroger in town has boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork loin, and ground chuck on sale for $1.99 per pound every other week--sometimes $1.79.

 

I can get chicken breasts for $1.99lb, and if I go to Albertsons (a store I HATE), $1.88lb. But that's for the caged, hormone, antibiotic stuff which we aren't eating anymore.

 

I can't imagine $15 + dollars worth of organic meat for one meal. That's nearly two lbs of meat, and your kids are young. Around here, local (down the street) grass feed beef is around $8+ per lb, and we have bought NY & PA grass fed meat for about that much as well.

 

Organic beef here is $8-$15 per pound ON SALE, which is why we buy hormone and antibiotic free local beef that isn't certified organic.

[sassenach]

These egg prices are depressing! It's about $3.50-4 a dozen here.

[Renee in NC]

I can't imagine $15 + dollars worth of organic meat for one meal. That's nearly two lbs of meat, and your kids are young. Around here, local (down the street) grass feed beef is around $8+ per lb, and we have bought NY & PA grass fed meat for about that much as well.

 

 

That's really cheap (comparatively I guess.) I am going to have to look to see how much organic meat is locally.

 

As for serving sizes, what else do you fill the kids up with at meals? If I cook a chicken, they'll pick it clean unless I provide a lot of a starch. Two pounds of meat is what my family eats at any meal that involves meat not in a casserole recipe.

[Pippen]

These egg prices are depressing! It's about $3.50-4 a dozen here.

 

For non-organic?! I can get regular medium sized eggs for 88 cents here, large for $1-$1.30 when on sale, and they're usually on sale somewhere.

[2squared]

For us, I can't imagine $15 + dollars worth of organic meat for one meal. That's nearly two lbs of meat! I mean sure, eat what you want! But to me, with 4 older kids, I can't even imagine 2 lbs of beef per meal, esp factoring in greens! There are lots of leftovers when the 6 of us eat one of our small hand-reared chickens! (lots of bone broth, some chicken for soup or stew or chckens on greens for lunch, chicken salad for a sandwich or two etc for leftovers.)

 

32 oz of meat. At the most, an adult omnivore might need 4 oz per meal, so that is 8 oz for two adults: 1/2 lb. The 4 children would be about half that, and fguring the 2 yr old may not (or may) eat the whole 2oz., that's the other 8. Who eats the other 16 oz? I'm not saying that doesn't work for you family, but wow! That is out of my cooking reahlm. lol

 

:confused: We regularly eat 2lb of meat for dinner. How else would I fill up my extremely active bottom-less pits? We eat more than 2lbs if it is bone-in chicken. We often pick a whole chicken clean, but some of that is because I cook some awesome tasting chicken. :D

 

I always have starches on the table too, but everyone prefers the meat. Guess we are extreme carnivores. We eat veggies, but not in large quantities. they wouldn't fill up the kids anyway. None of us are overweight or unhealthy, so it works for us.

Edited May 15, 2010 by 2squared

[Jennifer in MI]

was gone yesterday, but I want to try too!! We live in an area where prices are pretty high too. I also buy all organic, so I think this will be hard!!!

 

Breakfast:

 

Option 1:

Eggs (one dozen - $3.49)

Toast (homemade - 0.50/loaf - so 0.25)

coffee (0.25)

$3.99 Total

 

Option 2:

Oatmeal (from food coop - $0.35 - I just measured it out!! Wow!)

Peanut butter/sunflower, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins in oatmeal - $0.50

Coffee (0.25)

$1.05 - Total - WOW!!!

 

Lunch

Leftovers from the night before - always - so included in dinner price

 

Dinner

Option 1:

Homemade pizza:

Crust - I use my bread recipe x2 (to have enough for lunch) - $1.00

Sauce - I make my own - $0.50

Cheese - $3.49 (8 ounces of organic mozzarella)

Steamed broccoli - 2 pounds - $3.00 (gotta love Trader Joes!)

Total: $8

 

Option 2:

Roasted chicken (I use a full chicken and only take the meat off half of it, so we each only get about 2 ounces.) The chicken is about $9 for locally-grown, grass fed meat. I use this chicken for three meals - one more of chicken salad, and one more of soup (and each lasts for lunch the next day). So, $3 for the meat.

 

Roasted organic sweet potatoes $3

 

Homemade Corn bread - $0.50 (if that)

2 pounds of steamed veggies - $3

Total: $9.50

 

So, there are a few options when, if totaled could equal less than $10 for the day (or just over it for the chicken).

 

Our snack are: carrots or apples dipped in peanut butter, oatmeal with peanut butter, handful of nuts (from our food coop), bread with peanut butter, air popped popcorn, etc. I also usually set up a veggie tray before lunch, but if I were trying for $10/day, I wouldn't do that.

[ereks mom]

We only have ONE grocery store chain here in San Antonio. You can go to Whole Foods or Sun Harvest, but I don't count them b/c they have higher end products any way. So, our choices are - Walmart, Target or our local grocery store chain HEB. (I've never lived in a city with only one choice.) I have found that Big Lots sometimes has food that I will buy. One time they had organic canned pumpkin. I bought all they had and made chocolate chip pumpkin bread for Christmas gifts. I've also found organic tom. products and the cereal my husband likes. The only drawback is anything there is going to be packaged or canned. You can't go there for fresh food items.

 

..it usually turns out that it's an item they got on a closeout (discontinued item) and they'll never have it in the store again. :( So when I bring home something from there that was a big hit with the family, I usually go right out the next day and stock up on it while the store still has it in stock.

[FairProspects]

Wow! A lot of you live in places with really cheap food prices!

 

Also, what about allergies? I could never plan a $10 menu with ds's allergies to dairy, eggs, and wheat. We can't use eggs or mayo or cheese or any of the regular staples and have to buy organic alternatives or make our own from various flours, rice milks, etc.

 

I'm already impressed, but if anyone can do this with major food allergy kids, I'd nominate them for Super Mom!

[FairProspects]

was gone yesterday, but I want to try too!! We live in an area where prices are pretty high too. I also buy all organic, so I think this will be hard!!!

 

Breakfast:

 

Option 1:

Eggs (one dozen - $3.49)

Toast (homemade - 0.50/loaf - so 0.25)

coffee (0.25)

$3.99 Total

 

Option 2:

Oatmeal (from food coop - $0.35 - I just measured it out!! Wow!)

Peanut butter/sunflower, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins in oatmeal - $0.50

Coffee (0.25)

$1.05 - Total - WOW!!!

 

Lunch

Leftovers from the night before - always - so included in dinner price

 

Dinner

Option 1:

Homemade pizza:

Crust - I use my bread recipe x2 (to have enough for lunch) - $1.00

Sauce - I make my own - $0.50

Cheese - $3.49 (8 ounces of organic mozzarella)

Steamed broccoli - 2 pounds - $3.00 (gotta love Trader Joes!)

Total: $8

 

Option 2:

Roasted chicken (I use a full chicken and only take the meat off half of it, so we each only get about 2 ounces.) The chicken is about $9 for locally-grown, grass fed meat. I use this chicken for three meals - one more of chicken salad, and one more of soup (and each lasts for lunch the next day). So, $3 for the meat.

 

Roasted organic sweet potatoes $3

 

Homemade Corn bread - $0.50 (if that)

2 pounds of steamed veggies - $3

Total: $9.50

 

So, there are a few options when, if totaled could equal less than $10 for the day (or just over it for the chicken).

 

Our snack are: carrots or apples dipped in peanut butter, oatmeal with peanut butter, handful of nuts (from our food coop), bread with peanut butter, air popped popcorn, etc. I also usually set up a veggie tray before lunch, but if I were trying for $10/day, I wouldn't do that.

 

This comes closest to what ds could eat, just leaving off the cheese on his pizza. Yours is seriously the only one so far that could be dairy-free, egg-free. Nice work!

[Ravin]

Wow! A lot of you live in places with really cheap food prices!

 

Also, what about allergies? I could never plan a $10 menu with ds's allergies to dairy, eggs, and wheat. We can't use eggs or mayo or cheese or any of the regular staples and have to buy organic alternatives or make our own from various flours, rice milks, etc.

 

I'm already impressed, but if anyone can do this with major food allergy kids, I'd nominate them for Super Mom!

 

Okay, let's see, no dairy, eggs, or wheat?

 

Breakfast:

 

Steel cut oats w/ strawberries (1/2 c. oats @ $.20, 1 lb. strawberries $1.50) Breakfast $1.70

 

Lunch: veggie platter (1 bell pepper .88, 1/2 lb. broccoli .44, 1/2 lb. carrots 1.00, several sticks of celery .40) w/ sunflower seed butter (assumed staple) and raisins (assumed staple) on the celery and hummus (1.98) for dipping the rest. Total $4.71

 

Dinner: Same as in my first meal spread: Chicken, rice, and broccoli $3.70\

 

Total for the day: $10

[JenC3]

Well I buy things in bulk and grow a lot so it's hard to estimate.

 

B-Pumpkin muffins (I buy pumpkin in bulk during the holiday)

Homemade yogurt-with blueberries frozen in season-$2

 

Snack- apple slices and cheese (when our apples produce this will be almost free:) $2 if you don't do organic and local

 

Lunch-Sunbutter sandwiches & carrot sticks $2

 

Snack- egg salad on wheat thins $1

 

Dinner- Salad from garden and pasta & canned sauce from garden with local ground beef we buy in bulk once a year. $5

 

I still come in at $12 for 5 people.

[ereks mom]

Wow! A lot of you live in places with really cheap food prices!

 

 

It does seem that some of us have much lower food prices than others. After reading some of the posts here, I'm very thankful to live in an area where, apparently, food prices are relatively low.

 

I just checked this week's sale ads for a couple of stores where I shop for groceries, and here are a few of the weekly specials I found:

 

chicken bone-in breasts, thighs, drumsticks $1.19/lb. (another store has

chicken thighs or drumsticks $0.98/lb. and yet another has bone-in chicken breasts $0.99/lb.)

 

boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.99/lb.

 

whole chicken $1.09/lb.

 

chicken leg quarters $0.59/lb.

 

bone-in pork chops $1.98/lb.

 

boneless pork loin $2.49/ lb. (a bit high this week; the sale price is usually $1.99/lb. or a bit less)

 

ground beef $1.60/lb. at one store, $1.49/lb. at another

 

ground chuck $2.10/lb. (a bit high this week; the sale price is usually $1.99/lb. or a bit less)

 

bananas $0.39/lb. at one store, $0.33/lb. at another

 

russet potatoes 10 lb./$2.50 at one store, 15 lb./$3.99 at another

 

green cabbage $0.38/lb.

 

16 oz. cheese (all varieties, shredded or bars) 2/$5

 

tuna $0.59/can

 

Just a sampling, but it gives you an idea of prices around here, especially for meat.

[vonfirmath]

We only have ONE grocery store chain here in San Antonio.

 

No Randall's? We have Randall's here in Austin. (I prefer HEB or Wal-mart but we do have Randall's)

 

and yes, HEB is that good.

[littlebug42]

..it usually turns out that it's an item they got on a closeout (discontinued item) and they'll never have it in the store again. :( So when I bring home something from there that was a big hit with the family, I usually go right out the next day and stock up on it while the store still has it in stock.

 

I agree on Big Lots. My daughter loves pasta served in plain tomato juice. Recently, I found Organic Tomato Juice at Big Lots and I bought about 10-12 of them. I am now on the last bottle and wishing I had bought more. I am going Monday to see if they happen to still have any.

[LibraryLover]

That's really cheap (comparatively I guess.) I am going to have to look to see how much organic meat is locally.

 

As for serving sizes, what else do you fill the kids up with at meals? If I cook a chicken, they'll pick it clean unless I provide a lot of a starch. Two pounds of meat is what my family eats at any meal that involves meat not in a casserole recipe.

 

 

I also think $8/lb is on the 'cheap' side. There is talk this land might be sold to developers. :(

 

You have a bigger family than I do!

 

If I use chicken in a stir fry, fi, I add tons of veggies. I've used up to a lb of bok choy or shredded cabbage in a stir fry, plus several carrots etc.. I also add brown rice or quiona, which are more filling than white rice or white pasta. For chicken soup, I add brown rice as opposed to pasta. I am also a bone broth lover...so my stock itself is high in protein. I sound like a broken record about protein, but I really do think that is key for my kids.

 

In salads, I add garbanzo or other beans, a bit of avocado (I was not buying avo because it's from so far away, but I gave that up a couple of months ago, as one of my dc loves avo and it helps her get good fats, as she is not much of a meat eater) some seeds or slivered almonds etc. These are healthy, filling foods. Carrots and cabbage are cheaper than pea pods, fi.

 

I spend quite a bit of money on food, so it would be rare that I would only spend $10 a day on food. I could do it if I had to. I have a filled pantry, and buy on sale from our coop. I also have a garden. We've had lots of lettuce (finally!) lately. And eggs...we have chickens, so we have eggs in some form daily. If I make pancakes, I add no less than 3 eggs, which would seem extremem for most folks, I think. But it makes the pancakes very filling, as does whole grain flours.

Edited May 18, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Parrothead]

Breakfast - biscuits and jam. Biscuit ingredients are a staple in my house, as is jam which I put up each year, so this is a free meal.

 

Lunch - Carrot soup with biscuits left over from breakfast. So I'd need to buy a bag of carrots. $1.00 In all reality carrots are a staple here so I wouldn't have to buy anything.

 

Dinner - Red beans and rice with smoked sausage. $1.29 for beans, $1.00 for rice and $2.50 for sausage.

 

Now if I had to go out and buy onion, celery, bell peppers, spices the cost would increase.

[Parrothead]

It does seem that some of us have much lower food prices than others. After reading some of the posts here, I'm very thankful to live in an area where, apparently, food prices are relatively low.

 

I just checked this week's sale ads for a couple of stores where I shop for groceries, and here are a few of the weekly specials I found:

 

chicken bone-in breasts, thighs, drumsticks $1.19/lb. (another store has

chicken thighs or drumsticks $0.98/lb. and yet another has bone-in chicken breasts $0.99/lb.)

 

boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.99/lb.

 

whole chicken $1.09/lb.

 

chicken leg quarters $0.59/lb.

 

bone-in pork chops $1.98/lb.

 

boneless pork loin $2.49/ lb. (a bit high this week; the sale price is usually $1.99/lb. or a bit less)

 

ground beef $1.60/lb. at one store, $1.49/lb. at another

 

ground chuck $2.10/lb. (a bit high this week; the sale price is usually $1.99/lb. or a bit less)

 

bananas $0.39/lb. at one store, $0.33/lb. at another

 

russet potatoes 10 lb./$2.50 at one store, 15 lb./$3.99 at another

 

green cabbage $0.38/lb.

 

16 oz. cheese (all varieties, shredded or bars) 2/$5

 

tuna $0.59/can

 

Just a sampling, but it gives you an idea of prices around here, especially for meat.

I haven't seem prices like that since we left SC/GA. I'm paying twice for everything on your list.

[LibraryLover]

That would feed only 2-3 people here. Even my little guy eats two eggs by himself.

 

 

Yes, we can as well, if the eggs are hardboiled or 'fried'. But I can also make the eggs go much further by adding a lot of veggies, esp kale, spinach, green onions from the garden, then a good amount of whole raw milk etc. With all of this, then 6 eggs scrambled would feed the 5 of us. Sort of mushed up Omlette. :) I wasn't sure if some of this was considered 'not bulk/staples". Brown rice wasn't on the OK list. So, I felt I was already cheating, lol, by adding brown rice and quiona to my food stuffs for the day. If we are talking about using food in my pantry and freezer, I wouldn't have to spend any extra money at all. But that didn't seem in keeping with the spirit of the game. :)

Edited May 18, 2010 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

Well I buy things in bulk and grow a lot so it's hard to estimate.

 

B-Pumpkin muffins (I buy pumpkin in bulk during the holiday)

Homemade yogurt-with blueberries frozen in season-$2

 

Snack- apple slices and cheese (when our apples produce this will be almost free:) $2 if you don't do organic and local

 

Lunch-Sunbutter sandwiches & carrot sticks $2

 

Snack- egg salad on wheat thins $1

 

Dinner- Salad from garden and pasta & canned sauce from garden with local ground beef we buy in bulk once a year. $5

 

I still come in at $12 for 5 people.

 

I still have pumpkin puree from our garden in my freezer. It's about gone, and it's months until more. Wah. I plan to buy a lot of canned sale pumpkin this fall! It's so good for you, and my kids really love it.

[Margo out of lurking]

Breakfast: Breakfast rice with bananas http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/All-Star-Breakfast-Rice-122299

 

 

Just wanted to say that I read this thread this morning, and I made this Breakfast Rice for my kids using leftover brown rice. They LOVED it. (And the only fruit we had was frozen peaches, which they passed on.)

 

Anyway, GREAT recipe, easy, healthy, and well-liked here. Thanks!