Eating Well for Less Than $30 a Week

By Kathryn Collis

Plenty of books have been written about budgeting for families. Eating Well for Less Than $30 a Week is aimed at helping single people on limited incomes eat nutritious food without breaking the bank, based on planning weekly or fortnightly menus.

In the first section, I address the question, Am I getting enough food?

Here I outline a typical weekly menu, which forms the basis for that weeks food purchases. The cost of these items is shown in detail in Section 4.

Other sections cover eating while travelling, health issues, food storage, and tips for people working outside the home. I have also provided some recipes for cheap meals that can be prepared quickly and easily.

This is a down-to-earth, commonsense guide to budgeting, with nutritional and health information thrown in for good measure.

Praise for Siblings: An intense, well-crafted story of how the people closest to us can become our worst enemiesKirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503503304

Kathryn Collis

Kathryn Collis has published sixteen books through Xlibris, including Siblings, Eating Well for Less Than $30 a Week, Not So Grim Fairy Tales, and R.I.P. Details of her works can be found at www.kathryncollis.com. Kathryn lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Kathryn Collis.

ISBN:      Softcover  978-1-5035-0329-8

                eBook        978-1-5035-0330-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/27/2015

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1 AM I GETTING ENOUGH FOOD?

WEEKLY MENU

Breakfast

Morning Tea

Lunch

Afternoon Tea

Evening Meal

ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE DIET/BUDGET

Goodies

Alcohol

Beverages/Juices

Entertaining/Having Visitors

REDUCING/INCREASING DAILY INTAKE

SECTION 2 EXPLANATION OF FOOD CHOICES

MEAT (CHICKEN, LAMB, MINCE, PORK)

Chicken

Lamb

Mince

Pork

PROCESSED MEATS

SAUSAGES

FISH (ESPECIALLY TUNA)

Barramundi

General

Sardines

Tuna

Sundry Seafoods/Shellfish

OTHER PROTEIN SOURCES

Beans

Dairy Products

Eggs

Nuts

VEGETABLES

Staples

Other

FRUIT

Staples

Other

Preserved Fruit

MISCELLANEOUS FOOD ITEMS

Herbs & Spices

Pasta & Rice

Sauces

Soups

Spreads

Tinned/Packaged Items

FROZEN TV DINNERS

STIR FRIES

SECTION 3 EATING WHEN TRAVELLING

GENERAL

FULL MEALS

STAYING IN VARIOUS TYPES OF ACCOMMODATION

Apartments/Holiday Units

Backpacker Hostels

Bed & Breakfasts

Cabins/Caravans In Caravan Parks

Camping

Hotels

Motels/Motor Inns

TAKEAWAY FOODS

TRAVELLING BY AIR

SECTION 4 SHOPPING SENSIBLY

PART 1 – GROCERY SHOPPING

WEEKLY STAPLES

MEAT AND OTHER PROTEIN SOURCES

VEGETABLES

FRUIT

CHOOSING NON-STAPLE VEGETABLES OR FRUIT

OTHER STAPLES

BREAD

OTHER ITEMS I ALWAYS KEEP IN THE PANTRY OR FRIDGE

Beverages

Dairy

Flour

Herbs, Spices & Seasonings

Pasta

Rice

Sauces & Salad Dressings

Soup

Sugar

Sundry Bottled, Packaged Or Tinned Items

GROCERY LIST

ADDING UP THE COST

Cost Of Sundry Items

THE FLOAT

COOKING MEALS

MICROWAVES

SECTION 4 SHOPPING SENSIBLY

PART 2 – GENERAL COST CUTTING TIPS

Big Budget Expenses

Brand Buying

Buying Australian

Calculating Costs

Chemists

Credit Cards

Generic Brands

Goods Marked Down For Quick Sale

Mistakes At The Checkout

Outings/Socialising

Shopping Around

Specials May Not Actually Be Cheaper

SECTION 5 HEALTH CONDITIONS

PART 1 – MY HEALTH CONDITIONS

Acid Reflux

Arthritis

Blood Pressure

Brain

Dysphagia

Gallstones

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Osteoporosis (Medium Level)

Sensitive Stomach/Digestive System

Sinus/Allergy Problems

PART 2 – OTHER COMMON HEALTH CONDITIONS

Celiac Disease And General Gluten Sensitivity/Intolerance

Diabetes (Mellitus)

Heart Disease

SECTION 6 FOOD STORAGE

PANTRY

FRIDGE

Meat

Other Protein Sources

FREEZER

Thawing

SECTION 7 TIPS FOR PEOPLE WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME

Lunches

Evening Meals

SECTION 8 RECIPES

CHICKEN

Apricot Chicken

Chicken Paprika

Curried Chicken

Spaghetti Chicken

Other Chicken Dishes

MINCE

Chilli Con Carne

Rissoles

Savoury Mince

Spaghetti Bolognaise With Pasta

OTHER DISHES

Rogan Josh

Coleslaw

BIBLIOGRAPHY/LIST OF RESOURCES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 - SPECIMEN WEEKLY MENU

Table 2 - DAILY CALORIE INTAKE

Table 3 - SUNDRY SEAFOODS – KILOJOULES/CALORIES

Table 4 - VEGETABLES I NEVER BUY AND WHY

Table 5 - FRUITS I NEVER BUY & WHY

Table 6 - COMPARISON OF KILOJOULES, CALORIES & COSTS TAKEAWAY FOODS

Table 7 - PROTEIN CONTENT – MEAT AND

OTHER PRODUCTS

Table 8 - COST COMPARISON – MEAT PRODUCTS

Table 9 - COST OF VEGETABLE PURCHASES

Table 10 - COST OF FRUIT PURCHASES

Table 11 - COST OF A TYPICAL WEEKLY MENU

Table 12 - COST OF SUNDRY ITEMS

Table 13 - USING THE FLOAT TO SAVE MONEY

Table 14 - WEEKLY RECORD OF FOOD/LIQUID INTAKE – WEEK / /2012 - / / 2012

Table 15 - DO/DON’T FOODS FOR PEOPLE WITH STOMACH/DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

INTRODUCTION

There are plenty of books about cooking for a family on a budget, but I haven’t noticed much that’s written for single people.

This book is designed for students, pensioners and single people on low incomes, both as a general guide, and as a personal account of how it is possible to eat on a very tight budget without sacrificing nutrition or going hungry.

I will be using some abbreviations in this book, mainly in the tables. They are all in common usage.

cm = centimetres

cal = calories

g = grams

kg = kilograms

KJ = kilojoules

lbs = pounds

mg = milligrams

mls = millilitres

One kilojoule is approximately 4.18 calories. To make the calculations simpler, I’ve allowed for one kilojoule being 4 calories. I know that’s not exactly accurate but the calculations are a rough guide only.

There are times when I have used numerals instead of words (for example, 5 instead of five) knowing this contravenes the rules about numerals in the Style Manual for authors, editors and publishers (6th edition) published by John Wiley & Sons, Australia, Ltd. However, I have done this for the sake of emphasis, particularly when describing quantities.

When I tell people that my food bill amounts to less than $30 per week they are astounded. I must be half starving myself, they say. Not so. I eat three meals a day, including one main cooked meal, with fruit in between.

Others say that I must be living on pet food (apparently some people who are on benefits do this). Well, given that a 90-100 gram tin of Whiskers or Dine costs approximately $1.00 and I can buy 95 gram tins of tuna for the same price, why would I eat cat food? As for dog food, a 700 gram tin of Pedigree or Pal sets a person back $3 or more. I can buy 300 grams of diet/best/premium mince for $3.30 and get four good meals out of it. Therefore, eating foul smelling pet food is not an option.

Please note that prices quoted were those applicable at the time of writing this. Even if prices vary slightly over time, the budgeting principles remain the same, as do the other concepts and ideas I’ve expressed. (planning a weekly menu and purchasing food to fit around that menu. I’ve demonstrated ways of saving money, and I’ve also said a lot about what I regard as eating well. (As opposed to merely eating as cheaply as possible).

Two issues can greatly influence a person’s diet. The first is health conditions from which a person might suffer (these can have quite drastic effects on diet). The other is sporting activities.

I have included a section in the book (Section 5) relating to health conditions. At first glance it would appear that the kind of weekly menu/diet I have outlined does not take medical conditions, allergies or special dietary requirements into account. However, when I looked at the recommendations in the reference materials referred to in my bibliography, much of what they said concurred with my own thoughts.

This book is not essentially a guide on health or nutrition. I have no medical qualifications, nor am I a qualified dietician/nutritionist. Recommendations I have made are simply based on personal experience. A lot of them (such as avoiding junk foods) are just plain common sense.

With regard to medical conditions, I have referred to various sources in this book, but in general rather than specific terms. This is not an academic work, treatise or thesis. Sources are listed in the bibliography in order to provide people suffering from certain common medical conditions with a starting point for further research.

The second issue which can influence a person’s diet is the amount of physical exertion entailed either in their exercise regimen or their employment. Naturally people who indulge in moderate to heavy forms of exercise are going to burn more calories. Additionally, those in sedentary occupations are not going to burn as many calories as people in physically demanding jobs.

This is not a food diet, like the Atkins Diet or the Pritikin Diet or any other; it’s just a basic guideline as to how a person can make sure they’re getting the food they need without spending a fortune.

It must be noted that the $30 a week covers food only. Cleansers, toiletries and other sundry items are not included.

Naturally this budget excludes all takeaway foods. Other exclusions are beverages such as tea or coffee not consumed at home, and meals (lunch, dinner) eaten out. These should be budgeted for separately under an item such as Entertainment (or, given the rapidly escalating costs of going out for coffee, lunch or dinner, perhaps they would be better classed as Luxuries). I have covered the subject of eating while travelling in Section 3.

The book is divided into eight sections:

1. Am I getting enough food?

2. Explanation of food choices

3. What if I’m travelling?

4. Shopping sensibly (this section is divided into two parts)

5. Health conditions (this section is also divided into two parts)

6. Food storage

7. Tips for people working outside the home

8. Some quick, easy and cheap recipes

My pricing is based on the prices at my local shopping centres. They would of course vary from place to place. Additionally, fruit and vegetables are seasonal when it comes to prices (so naturally it’s advisable to buy what’s in season).

Regardless of variations in prices from one place to another, the principles of planning a weekly menu and capitalizing on specials still apply. They can be put to use anywhere, anytime.

If anyone who reads this book gains even a couple of handy, money-saving tips or a bit of nutritional advice, then my efforts will have been worthwhile.

SECTION 1

AM I GETTING ENOUGH FOOD?

Most dieticians outline the five main food groups as grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, and meat and/or beans. Additionally, Queensland Health regularly advertises that we should have at least five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day. These factors should be borne in mind when planning menus and making food purchasing choices.

According to dietitian Allan Borushek (see bibliography) a person such as me who is over 35 years of age, 158 centimetres (5 feet 2 inches) tall and weighs 51 kg (8 stone) – which is described as a medium frame - requires 6600 kilojoules (1650 calories) per day. I will outline a typical weekly menu in order to demonstrate that the diet I adhere to daily provides approximately this number of calories.

The crux of this book is the planning of weekly menus. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of doing this.

WEEKLY MENU

The main advantage of planning a weekly menu is the fact that food purchases can be targeted at that menu (which is why my first chapter concentrates on the menu rather than the shopping). That way we don’t find ourselves buying ingredients that can only be used in one or two meals. Put simply, the meals we eat in any given week should complement one another in their use of ingredients.

There are limitations to some items in my weekly menus. For instance, I have only 1 cuppa per day, usually tea. I try to limit coffee to once a week, or even once a fortnight, except when socializing. If I want a real treat I might have one Tim Tam biscuit with my cuppa. (If I’m gonna have a biscuit, I’m gonna have a really good one!). Needless to say, that biscuit is totally ex-budget (and ex everything else).

I try to limit bread to 2 slices per day. Bread (naturally) contains yeast, which is not good for people like me who have sensitive stomachs/digestive systems. It also contains gluten, which Dr. Alvin Newman, in The Essential IBS Book, has quite a few adverse comments to make.

Similarly, I try to limit milk to 100 millilitres per day and cheese to 20-25 grams. Because I have gallstones, my doctor has told me I’m not supposed to have any dairy foods at all, so he wouldn’t be very happy about this. However, I really don’t think such small amounts are going to be too harmful. Certainly I never experience any pain or discomfort after consuming them.

The limitation on dairy foods means that I need a calcium supplement, particularly as I have mild to medium osteoporosis (These issues will be further covered in Section 5: Health Conditions).

My doctor has also cautioned me to watch my salt intake (he has not always been delighted with my blood pressure readings). According to Allan Borushek, we should have no more than 2,000 mg of sodium (salt) per day. That sounds like a heck of a lot, but it’s actually only a teaspoonful.

Sodium/salt has a way of sneaking into things unsuspectingly. For example, one plate/cup full of canned or packet soup contains 700 milligrams to 800 milligrams of it. A serving of baked beans contains 440 milligrams. Chicken or beef stock (whether in cubes, powdered, or in liquid form) can contain up to 800 milligrams. Soy sauce is pretty deadly, with 10 millilitres (a dessertspoonful) containing up to 720 milligrams of sodium. A 500 gram bottle of standard spaghetti sauce contains 480 milligrams of sodium. It even finds its way into cereals!

My doctor also warned me against ingesting processed sugars. This basically means anything other than raw sugar, or the natural sugars contained in fruit. Processed sugar can be as devious as sodium, turning up in cereals (anything up to 20%), spaghetti sauce (25% sugar!), and of course all goodies like cakes, ice cream,