Let the Challenge Begin!

Even though it's June 2nd, I'm starting the June Food Challenge today, since it's Monday. What's the point of the challenge?

• save money
  
• eat healthier, choosing organic when feasible, and buying less processed food
• save time, by planning ahead and limiting number of trips to the grocery store
• drive fewer miles (by limiting trips to store)

Step 1: Shop the pantry and fridge. Look at all the things that you already have and plan your meals from that. How many times have you gone shopping only to find that it's hard to cram the food you bought into the fridge because it's already full of food? Using what you have reduces waste and prevents food from rotting away in the back of the fridge or pantry.

Step 2: Make a plan.
I usually plan 5 dinners because we eat lots of leftovers. I also have to think about who will be home for lunch and plan plenty of things for snacks (ie. tons of fruit). I actually have a lot of food on hand, so I made the following plan:
Dinner:
Homemade pizza, salad
Chicken & barley soup, homemade bread
spaghetti, salad, bread
bean & veggie crumble tacos
curry couscous
salmon, rice, vegetables

Lunch:
veggie burger
salad
PB & J
curried lentils

breakfast:
cereal, yogurt with fruit, toast, eggs

snacks:
applesauce, graham crackers & PB, carrots & hummus, smoothie, banana bread, chocolate pudding

Step 3:
Make a list and shop from the list. Buy enough for the whole week, planning only to buy fresh fruit/milk in one other trip.
Here I ran into trouble. My list only had 10 items on it (amazing, huh? We really needed to shop the pantry), so I didn't want to go all the way to HEB. I decided I would check out the farmer's market. My daughter and I went, but all I ended up buying was summer squash (2 dollars a pound). They had blackberries at $4 a pint, but for some reason that seemed too much. I wanted lettuce, broccoli, and carrots, but they weren't there (out of season, I guess). Funny, peaches are IN season, but were not at the farmer's market. So, we went down the street to WF. There, I was able to buy organic carrots, organic lettuce, broccoli and local peaches. They also had local grass-fed ground beef on sale, so even though it wasn't on my list (already breaking the rules!), I bought 3 pounds, wrapped in 3 different packages. We don't often eat meat, but I like to have some on hand and it was a great deal.

Later in the day, my son complained about a lack of "juicy" snacks, so I went on my bike to Expensive Mart and bought apple sauce, bananas, a cucumber (there were none at WF), cherries and blueberries.

Observations so far?

• Obviously, I have trouble sticking to a list.
• I am a sucker for a good deal if it is something I can freeze. That is why my freezer is full of stuff.
• Why did I refuse to buy organic blackberries at the farmer's market for $4 but bought conventional blueberries at Expensive Mart for $3.88? Because of the "sale" sign? I am more of a sucker than I thought. The cherries, also conventional, were also on sale.
• There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to my organic buying. I am consistent with lettuce, and that's about it. I looked back at the Environmental Working Guide's rankings of the pesticides in foods and found that blueberries rank #32, so that's not too bad. Broccoli is #35, so choosing conventional doesn't seem like a big deal (44 fruits and veggies were rated). Peaches, however, were #1 -- and although my peaches were local, I don't think they were organic.
• Going to 3 stores in one day, even if they are nearby, is not what I want to do.
• Salad as I know it is not seasonal in the summer time. I should know this. I have tomatoes in my garden, but the lettuce has bolted and is bitter and disgusting. Cucumbers? I'm not growing them, but they are starting to grow in a neighbor's plot. Carrots -- out of season.
  

Do you have any "rules" you follow as to when to buy organic? How many stores do you go to?

Food expenses so far this June: 53.43
Miles driven: 5