$3ADDP: The Social Aspect

I'm going to take a break from the research to talk about some of the conversations I've been having about this project. My friends and I were all intrigued by the $1 a Day Diet Project and I have a lot of respect for what they've done. They brought to light what the reality of living below the poverty line really means to a high speed internet audience. Do any of us, while we're clacking away at our keyboards checking out our favorite forums and news feeds, even worry about what we're going to eat unless we're on a diet?

I got to thinking though, that there is a large middle class, actually the bulk of the population who could benefit from eating less and saving more, myself included. Think of what we as a nation could save in health care costs that could be put towards better use if only the majority of the nation wasn't obese? How much of our tax money is spent on preventable health issues through Medicare and Medicaid? I'm not saying we shouldn't be spending on these things, especially in light of the health care crisis in the US, but shouldn't we also be focused on preventative care?

The capitalist in me knows that part of the reason that we Americans will stay overweight is because big food corporations pay marketers a ton of money to make eating look good. Have you seen the recent Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Whole Grain Bread being advertised with High School Musical? And the weight loss industry isn't any better; they've made it seem like to lose weight you have to spend money. Since when did being thin signal wealth? Since plastic surgery and celebrity personal trainers.

Why not create a place where being healthy is not only affordable but also accessible and delicious?

$3ADDP: Whole Wheat Rolls

When I think of bread a million different ideas pop into my mind. Sara Lee Delightful sandwich bread? 45 calories per slice isn't too shabby and at $4 a loaf with 20 slices that's about $0.20 a slice or $0.40 a sandwich. I think of Whole Grain Baguettes from Trader Joe's that inevitably only last a few days in our household. So I'm going to try a few kinds of bread recipes over the course of this project. The first of which being the No Knead Whole Wheat Bread recipe.

Why is this first? Well, isn't there something so delectable about eating your sandwich on a roll? The crusty crispiness of the bread, the cute look of a little dome atop your fillings? Sure, this isn't going to work for PB&J, for that we'll use a loaf pan based recipe, but rolls, these will mix it up a bit.

Here is a recipe from Cooks.com:

1/2 c. sugar ($0.17)
1 1/2 c. hot water ($0.00)
2 eggs, beaten ($0.33)
2 tsp. salt ($0.02)
3 tbsp. butter ($0.42)
2 pkg. yeast ($0.66)
1/2 c. warm water ($0.00)
3 c. sifted whole wheat flour ($0.65)
4 c. sifted white flour ($0.74)

Put sugar, butter and 1 1/2 cups hot water in large bowl and set aside to cool. Place yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. As soon as first mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add beaten eggs. Add yeast mixture then stir in 1/2 flour and salt. Mix until smooth. Then add rest of flour and knead well. Let raise until double. Punch down and cut into rolls. Let raise again. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

Makes 12 servings at $0.25 a roll and 337 calories.

I'll upload a picture when I actually make them. They seem like a good accompaniment to both Lunch or Dinner.

$3ADDP: Grains, the Long and Short of It All

Carbs definitely get a bad wrap these days. Partaking in low carb diets had me convinced that Carbs really do make you fat. Whole grain carbs in moderation, however, do no such thing. If you're going to burn it all off, it doesn't really matter.

In this case of this project, grains are going to be vital to getting the most bang for the buck.

In reading the $1 a Day Diet Project, I noticed that most of their meals consisted of at least one of the following grain products: homemade bread, polenta, rice, tortillas, oatmeal and the vegetable starch that I consider part of this grainy group, potatoes.

Here is my shopping list for grains, luckily, they keep in the pantry:

1. Whole Wheat Flour.
2. Rapid Rise Yeast.
3. Bread Flour.
4. Honey.
5. Whole Grain Polenta.
6. Brown Rice.
7. Bulgar Wheat.
8. Whole Wheat Couscous.
9. Vegetable Oil.
10. Oatmeal.
11. Salt.
12. Baking Soda.

Next up I'll post the recipes related to the whole grain bread, polenta and whole grain tortillas.

$3ADDP: The Rules

I've thought long and hard about these rules. They had to be loose enough so that I could be creative with my menu planning but still critically important.

Being fitness minded makes me think about how sustainable a diet change will be on my body. My best friend, who tries to eat as healthy as possible, swears that eating healthy is much more expensive than eating whatever. I suppose that the $1 cheeseburger specials on every value menu would lead anyone to believe that.


Required Daily Food Intake:
-5 servings of Fruits/Vegetables
-1 serving meat/poultry/seafood
-50% of all grains must be Whole Grains

So that's the short list. Tomorrow I'll be posting on grains: What grains I'll be using, how much they'll cost per serving, etc. Stay tuned!

The 3 Dollar A Day Diet Plan

If you took a look at my Google Reader it reflects what my interests are (Personal Finance, Food, Lifehacking, Fitness, etc.) but recently I've been seeing that the feeds I read are starting to blend together. I'm talking about lots of blogs starting to focus on Cheap, Healthy, Good recipes and more recently, the One Dollar a Day Diet Project.

It inspired me to start my own diet program, the $3 a day diet program. Why $3? Let me walk you through my mind:

1. Read the diet plan for the $1 a day Diet Project and it was made for vegetarians. Don't get me wrong, dear Readers, you have seen me go Vegetarian, Raw, etc many a time. My Husband will not.

2. In addition to the vegetarian basis for the $1 a day Diet Project, it was severely lacking in fresh vegetables and fruit. The key in my mind is to eat as healthily, cheaply and deliciously as possible.

3. Currently my husband and I have a household food/groceries budget that sits at about $500 a month or approximately $17 a day. I want to know if I'd be able to shave off $10 a day and have us both eat for $3 a day total.

4. I want to create a plan that is executable by the average person and even if my dear readers don't actually end up trying out my project, at the very least they'll have some decent cheap recipes they might want to try.

But I'm not starting today. No, this next week will be about research. Research and coercing my dear stubborn husband to partake in my new project.

During my research period I'll be establishing nutritional guidelines and compiling a Food Cost Index including location purchased.

After my voice losing bachelorette party in Vegas I came home to realize that I have a fridge full of vegetables nearing their expiration date and a body that needs cleansing. How convenient.

So I have some big plans to clean out my fridge and make some healthy, affordable (I blew a lot of money in Vegas) yet delicious easy to make dishes. Did I mention figure friendly? Because the wedding is in less than a month. My body better take heed.

So I'm thinking about this red cabbage is have sitting in my fridge. A cabbage that I bought because the color was so lusciously pretty and the idea that I could bring a new vegetable into my Fiance's favorites was just too much to pass up. I'm going to make that guy love vegetables if it's the last thing I do!

Here is my recipe I submitted to caloriecount.about.com.

Braised Red Cabbage

I have this Red Cabbage staring at me every time I go into the fridge pissed that I haven't eaten it yet.

Ingredients

4	slices turkey bacon, thinly sliced
2	onions, thinly sliced
1	cinnamon stick
1	bay leaf
1	teaspoon salt
1	head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 1/2	cups chicken stock
1/2	cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1	tablespoons Splenda or sugar substitute
1/2	teaspoon black pepper
1	tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Saute onions and turkey bacon in olive oil until onions are golden and bacon is crispy.
   
   
2. Add cinnamon, bay leaf and salt and stir in the cabbage until soft.
   
   
3. Add chicken stock, apple cider vinegar Splenda/sugar substitute and black pepper.
   
   
4. Cook on low for 45 minutes.
   
   
5. Cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the water is reduced. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon before serving.

99 Cent Store Turkey Chili

My upcoming nuptials have really brought out some new and healthy habits that some might call unconventional. For instance, the need to save up tens of thousands of dollars to blow on one day of my life has forced me to cut my food budget. Less eating out, less gourmet ingredients and more of the discount chains. But cheaper doesn't have to be less healthy.

I have started frequenting the local Farmer's Market more often, where I can buy a week's worth of fruits and veggies for under $20. I have been to the Hispanic markets which have some of the lowest prices on meat and produce, though there isn't a whole lot of selection. Lastly, and the one I've gotten the most quizzical stares about is the 99 cent store.

Well I showed those naysayers, it turns out that the 99 cent store actually carries a good amount of organic foods like blackberries, mixed greens, celery, etc. In their frozen foods section you'll find a good amount of turkey based meat products including ground turkey, turkey hot dogs and turkey bacon. Their canned and jarred foods are also pretty extensive, having a large variety of the staples like tomatoes and beans. But yowza, check out jars of herbs for $0.99! That's a steal!

Anyway, perusing the shelves I came across all the ingredients to make a healthy and delicious chili. Here it goes:

Ingredients

24	oz. chili beans
12	oz. white beans
1	lb ground turkey
24	oz diced tomatoes
1	onion
7	cloves of garlic
1	yellow bell pepper
4	tablespoons chili powder
1	teaspoon cumin
1	teaspoon bay leaves
1	teaspoon olive oil
2	cups beef broth
1	package chili seasoning

Directions

1. Dice the onions, garlic and bell peppers.
   
   
2. Add olive oil to a hot skillet and sauté the onions, garlic and bell peppers.
   
   
3. When the onions garlic and bell peppers start to slightly brown, add the ground turkey and the chili seasoning. Break apart the ground turkey and allow to brown to develop a depth of flavor.
   
   
4. Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of chili beans and 1 can of white beans to the crockpot.
   
   
5. Add the ground turkey mixture to the crockpot.
   
   
6. Deglaze the skillet with the 2 cups of beef broth and then add the broth to the crockpot.
   
   
7. Season the chili with chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of bay leaves.
   
   
8. Cook on low for anywhere between 3-8 hours. I leave mine on all night or all day, it just gets better with time.
   

Enjoy!