How to Shop Our Values & Eat Well at the Same Time: Part 2

May 20th, 2009 by Outreach Department

In the May/June issue of More Than Food, the Co-op’s newsletter, Mary Shaw begins to help a friend think about ways to reduce her grocery bill.  Read on to see her completed  week two menus and also her feedback on how the week’s shopping went as well as the actual meal preparation.

Fortified with some new ideas for saving money, my friend composed the following menu for a week:

Monday:  Pan Grilled Tempeh with Orange Glaze, Basmati Rice, Steamed Broccoli and Carrots with Sesame Seeds. (Note: This combination was a favorite from the week before so she decided to repeat it.)

Tuesday:  Teriyaki Marinated Grilled Flank Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Mesclun Salad with Chevre, Grapefruit, and Walnuts.

Wednesday:  Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin, Spinach and Parmesan Polenta, Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Drizzle.

Thursday:  Salmon Curry with Rice Linguine, Steamed Broccoli and Carrots.

Friday:  Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken Thighs, Chevre, Roasted Red Peppers (jarred), Kalamata Olives, and Avocado.

Saturday:  Black Bean Chili (leftover from Wednesday), Tacos Made with Leftover Sliced Grilled Chicken Thighs and Shredded Lettuce, Avocado, Salsa, and Grated Cheese.

Sunday:  Attended a party, took a double batch of Turkey Meatballs with Pesto Dip.

The total grocery bill for this week’s menu was close to $160.  In a burst of enthusiasm, my friend started the week by making soup stock from scratch, cooking beans for a couple of recipes, and then making dinner.  By the time she finished all of these things, she was ready to throw in the towel on the whole project.  Lesson learned:  don’t cook beans from scratch the same day you use them in a complicated menu OR, invest in a pressure cooker!  I lent her my cooker for a week so she could cook her beans in 9 minutes instead of 45.  She is still looking for more vegetarian options, but found that choosing less expensive cuts of meat like the flank steak, chicken thighs, and ground turkey saved money and made delicious dinners as well as leftovers for lunch.   She and her husband agree that smaller amounts of meat perhaps combined with beans works better for them than no meat in the menu.    Shopping once a week reinforced good menu planning, which in turn created peace of mind about what’s for dinner.

Here are the changes we agreed on for week three:

• She recommitted to creating healthy, delicious, beautiful food.  Whether a meal is simple or complex, feeling nourished on every level is important to her.
• Shopping only once a week is pushing her to build a repertoire of fast recipes that can easily fold into menus.
• She plans to  continue experimenting with the pressure cooker to save both time and nutrients.

Find out how the next week goes by checking back here for the latest post.