Eating healthy doesn't need to be costly - How we feed 6 people for under $500 a month!

$680 a month on food, it sounds a lot but when that is broken down it is $340 a fortnight, $170 per week, $24.23 per day, $8.10 per meal, $1.35 per person (per serve) .... now when you look at it like that $1.35 per person per serve it doesn't amount to a lot ... Imagine feeding everyone at McDonalds for $1.35 each!
In today's world many of us will think eeekkkk $680 a month on food but not bat an eyelid at spending $7 a day on a morning coffee ($7 per coffee at 30 days = $210)
If you have less people living in your house this would be cheaper too for example a 4 person household based on my above calculations will equal $453.60.
Usually we come under budget but I always allow for the larger amount for weeks where we need the more expensive ingredients such as almond meal and this shopping was done via the Coles website, our fruit and veg we buy from a green grocer so it is cheaper, you can make it cheaper again by growing your own which we want to start.

Here is an example of a typical fortnightly meal plan for us, including shopping list and costs.

Lunches through the week are a wrap, fruit and carrot and cucumber sticks. I'll be making a lunchbox blog post shortly so watch out for that.

Saturday
BREAKFAST - Yoghurt and fruit
LUNCH -  No carb pizza
DINNER - Satay Chicken Tacos (we omit the soy sauce due to allergies)

Sunday
BREAKFAST - Banana bread
LUNCH - Chicken Laksa
DINNER - Lemon Roasted Chicken served with peas and roast pumpkin

Monday
BREAKFAST - Yoghurt and fruit
DINNER - Lamb & feta meatballs (I always make a few extra for a change from wraps for lunches) served with zoodles

Tuesday
BREAKFAST - Poached eggs on wilted greens
DINNER - Spaghetti Bolognese (wine omitted)

Wednesday
BREAKFAST - Banana bread
DINNER - Stuffed sweet potatoes

Thursday
BREAKFAST - Yoghurt and fruit
DINNER - Mushroom risotto

Friday
BREAKFAST - Banana, berry and yoghurt muffins



SHOPPING LIST
rolled oats
10 bananas
6 sweet potatoes
chives
2 cans chickpeas
raw cashews
basmati rice
cottage cheese
chai seeds
2 cauliflower
1milk 3 litres
2 passata
pears
grapes
minced garlic
brown onions
800g lamb mince
spring onion
wholemeal bread
500g mushrooms
500g beef mince
brown rice
parmesan cheese
2 mountain bread
ham
worchestershire sauce
800g tinned diced tomatoes
250g wholemeal spaghetti
fresh ginger
self raising flour (wholemeal)
almond meal
pumpkin
frozen peas
2 large chickens (enough leftover chicken to use in wraps)
5lemons
rosemary
baking powder
cinnamon
20 eggs
160g feta
2kg carrots
4 zucchini
coconut oil
honey
2 red capsicum
1 bunch celery
1.5kg chicken breast
6 small heads bok choy
laksa paste (save even more money by making your own)
chicken stock
coconut cream
peanut butter
1 lettuce
taco shells
frozen mixed berries
2 baby spinach leaves
2 greek yoghurt
1kg block cheese
tomato paste

red onion
bocconcini

Things are about to get real!

My body .... what do I say about it. I try not to be too negative but there is not one part of me that I like right now, well maybe the life inside of me, I am certainly treasuring that and with that do have a valid reason to be getting bigger BUT I was big (for me) before so it still looks like flab not the nice round baby bellies I had with my other kids.

My goals are:

To eat better - healthier, better portions, no binge eating, no skipping meals. We become so busy as mums we often neglect ourselves. I make breakfast for the kids and while they eat that I pack their lunches, ship them off to school and do housework, pick the kids up before I know it dinner time is here and I'm eating for the first time in the day.

To workout more - or workout at all, I used to have a really good routine of getting up early and taking the dogs out for a walk, I'd do about 7km before 8am. I don't do much anymore and I don't have any valid excuses, it is harder when my husband is interstate (he works away) but the kids walk better now (behavioural issues and development delays) and there are 3 days in the week where I am child free for 5 hours.

Reduce my medications - I have bipolar, borderline personality disorder and PTSD as well as anxiety so I am taking a concoction of various medications that hopefully as I get healthier I can reduce and who knows maybe even stop some of them.

Be a better mum - This baby craves sugar, not a good start. My other kids take healthy lunches to school then watch me gorge on chocolate and doughnuts on a night. I want to be a good role model, I want to set standards and be able to ensure they live a long and healthy life without self inflicted illness.

I'm not setting lose weight or cm's right now as obviously being 23 weeks pregnant I am going to grow but I want to grow for the right reasons, my thighs have been growing just as much as this baby so far!

This next bit I HATE but they do say to confront your demons so here goes, my before photos taken today (10th Feb 2017)

YUCK! Those photos right there as embarrassing as they are, they are my motivation. You can see quite clearly it is more that the pregnancy contributing to my size.

So how am I going to do it?

No more take away, no more take out coffee (goodbye caramel lattes you have been a much loved friend!), no alcohol (no brainer at the moment anyway), join the gym, eat regularly and do the 28 Day Healthy Mummy Challenge


I've got this, I can do it!!