It has been a whole week since I have started this 30 Day Food Challenge, where I don’t buy food (except for coffee creamer, eggs and milk if needed) and just use whatever ingredients or food are already in my house. Before I get into today’s meal plan, I will get into some of the challenges I have faced.
1. Lack of fruits and veggies. I tend to buy these fresh and eat them fairly quickly so they don’t go bad. I also love my fruits and veggies, so they are a staple in my house….but only if they are fresh. I rarely buy frozen veggies (they never taste as good as fresh!) and canned veggies lack too many nutrients in my opinion. Now that I am cleaning out my cupboards, freezer and fridge, I am finding that I don’t have much in terms of fruits and veggies. Here is to hoping I find some in my freezer or cupboards soon…just so I can say I had them.
2. I noticed I tend to buy easy foods on impulse. This includes boxes of Mac and cheese, pancake mix, soups and the like. While the soups are great, the others are usually full of sodium, sugar and otherwise not too great for me. This is making me more mindful of what I buy and what I want to put in my body.
3. Motivation! There are nights I come home and the only thing I want to do is crack open a bottle of wine and order takeout. However, that only makes my waistline fatter and wallet thinner. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a challenge and that money I would have spent on food can now go toward something nicer.
4. Running out of things. While this is the whole point of the challenge, it is a royal pain to decide to cook something and then realize I am missing ingredients. However, this is allowing me to be more creative and come up with new ideas for meals.
You also may notice I am really only posting my dinners (which become lunches the next day if I have leftovers) and not other meals. This is because most mornings I either grab a protein bar or toast, which really isn’t necessary to write about. The lunches are simply repeats of the previous night’s dinner, so again, there is no need to write about it.
As for tonight, I admit I am once again making a kiddie meal. I found a ton of bread in my freezer, along with cheese in my fridge. Add a can of soup and I will have good old fashioned grilled cheese and soup to warm my soul and body.
More tomorrow! Stay tuned.
