My United Way Hunger Challenge Meal Plan.
The rules: Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner spending only $12 a day for 2 people for 5 days. Can’t use food you already have or accept anything for free. My Personal Challenge on top of this challenge: I want to do this challenge with enough money leftover after 5 days to get something it the freezer. Meal Planning Day: Thurday, April 16, 2009 I was quite excited for next weeks sales ads to arrive at my doorstep. Before they came I didn’t have a clue what I would be eating next week. Usually I plan meals with the meats already in my freezer and buy dairy and produce to go with that but I can’t do that on this challenge because I can‘t use anything I already own except salt and pepper. In my city, Humboldt, Saskatchewan, there are three grocery stores; IGA, Extra Foods and Co-Op. There is also a bulk food store, a butcher and a bakery. The three grocery stores all send weekly sales ads and sales run Saturday through Friday. The first ad I looked at was Extra Foods. On the front page is an ad for the best sale on frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts you’ll ever find in this town. It’s 2.97 a pound. Just so you can compare the Co-Op has fresh chicken breast advertised for 6.99 a pound. This sale only happens once every 3 months. But there’s a catch. That 2.97 a pound chicken comes in a 4 kilogram box. That’s $26.20 for the box and I only have a $60 budget. Plus I don’t want to only eat chicken all week. Now my budget is only 33.8 Good News! Extra Foods is having a Dollar Days sale this week. I think that might be a new thing for them, as I don’t remember them doing that before. And to make it even better IGA is also having a dollar days sale. Maybe I can do this after all. So what else is on sale? Extra Foods
IGA
The Menu Making Process: First things first, breakfast. My husband usually skips breakfast but I’m budgeting for two people anyway as per the rules. Now I wake up hungry and hate to spend a long time preparing breakfast. 5 minutes tops and that is asking a lot from me in the mornings. My usual breakfast is a yogurt and a piece of fruit. I planned that for three days and two eggs per person plus toast for the other two days. One dozen medium eggs cost $2, bread I will get on clearance for $1.50 then freeze my bread so it does not go bad. The yogurt is 3 for $1. So $2 for that and I hope that a five pound bag of oranges has 6 or more. I also need margarine for the eggs and toast. Total spent so far:$10.38 for five meals I wanted salad with chicken and I usually make my own dressing. But the cheapest oil was $5 for 3 liters of canola. Olive oil would probably cost more than that for a smaller bottle. With only $24.42 left, and nothing in the cupboard I can use, homemade salad dressing is out. Thus salad and dressing go on the list. Cost $2.50. Total so far: $12.88 for six meals With lemons and chicken on sale I decided to make avolemono soup. It’s a Greek soup with chicken, rice, lemon and eggs. Usually I make my own chicken broth, but that means buying celery, onions, carrots and seasonings. Instead I opted for chicken bouillon from the bulk foods store and also added rice to the list. This is to be dinner one night and lunch two days later. I’m hoping the chicken flavor I can get for $1 or less the rice for $2 or less. Cost $3. Total so far: $15.88 for eight meals. I can’t pass on the salmon for $1 a serving it’s the best price we ever see on seafood here in Humboldt. Usually I serve it with couscous and a veggie but money is tight with this budget. It’ll be rice on the side with chicken boulion to give it some flavor. I’ll sprinkle some chili powder over the salmon and pan fry it. That’s $2 for salmon and maybe 0.25c for the chili powder at the bulk foods store. Cost $2.25. Total so far $18.13: for nine meals. Six more meals to plan. I know that the loaf of bread is more than just two days of toast so cheap sandwiches are on the menu. Problem is that most sandwiches aren’t cheap. The only veggie getting in this sandwich would be leftovers from the salad bag with my tight budget for the week. But I do have chicken and tuna is cheap. Basic tuna salad is canned tuna, mayo salt and pepper. I’ll be doing the chicken the same way. That means I need tuna at about $1 a can and mayo which I’ll budget $2 for. Cost $3. Total $21.13 for eleven meals. Only $13.67 left and I need four more meals, preferably without chicken. I decided on pasta with a tomato and meat sauce. I’d love to make my own pasta and I have the eggs but a bag of flour is more money than a box of pasta. I’ll check the prices on canned sauces but to make my own tomatoes are $1 a can and the bulk foods store should have an Italian herb mix. I’ll also add a pound of ground beef which will cost somewhere around $3. Usually I'd add onion and garlic but might not be able to this week. Cost 5.50. Total $26.63 for thirteen meals. The smokies are really good but with this budget I think I’ll have to get bulk wieners at 6 for $1. I’ll cut them up and add them to mac n cheese. But since cheese is expensive I’ll be getting the boxed stuff. Kraft Dinner is $1 a box and I hate to pay that much when last week a box of 12 cost $5.99 but I can’t be picky on this budget. I’ll get 4 boxes so I should even have some leftover after 2 meals. Cost $5. Total $31.63 for all fifteen meals. But wait there’s more! I’ve always loved that phrase, it makes me feel like I’m on TV even if it's a two am infomercial. Remember those Chocolate and Vanilla Strawberry wafers? I have $2 for one pack of each for dessert and I’m still $0.37 under my budget. We’re not done yet. We still have two options with that $26.80 Option One: Buy that big box of 4 kilograms of boneless skinless chicken breast from Extra Foods and have leftovers in the freezer. Option Two: Buy the bone in, skin on chicken legs with thighs attached from IGA for $1 a pound enough for the soup, salad and chicken salad sandwiches. This also allows me to get coffee, tea, juice, soda or juice crystals instead of just drinking water all week. Plus more money for healthy stuff like fruits and veggies. The rest can go toward more of that sale priced chicken for the freezer. Read about why I wanted to participate in the United Way Hunger Challenge. Want to talk to me about this challenge or freezer cooking? I'm on Twitter @FavFreezerFoods Return from Hunger Challenge Meal Plan to the homepage of Favorite Freezer Foods.  Custom Search
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