I'm a little scared and a little excited... January 2022 Announcement
Once I thought of it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. What is the real cost of our groceries, in our own house? What could we trim and still enjoy with satisfaction? What is a nice lean budget meal plan that still nourishes us?
Without a doubt, grocery costs have been increasing and it's noticeable every time I go up to the checkout. An average stop at the grocery store costs more and more every time. I've got a family f four now - two adults and two preschoolers - and, let me tell you, little appetites are growing by the day. With two young kids, I think we can be sure demands are only going up!
When I work with clients and groups, I always try to take costs & budgets into consideration. I never insist the people I support go out and buy all new "superfoods", or order them in from afar. Certainly I like to explore all kinds of foods and supposed superfoods and encourage others, but only when we have sufficient capacity to embrace and make use of them. In meal planning, my first questions are often - 'what do you like and what do you already have'.
With so much local and global uncertainty in supply chains, climate, the economy and employment, I can't help but think about what we need to know about maintaining health in our households while also reducing the stress of increasing food costs. At the same time, eating nourishing food makes all the difference for us and those we love - so how can we make it work and more accessible for the most people?
And - in our house, we love to cook. We often say it's our entertainment (to justify food spending). I love going out to buy cool ingredients or dropping into specialty food stores. I love buying local food. I love trying out new recipes and buying all the groceries for them. Enter: why I feel a bit scared about this:
JANUARY 2022: REAL FOOD ON A REAL BUDGET
We're doing it. I'm planning a full month of real, whole food meals on a very trim budget for our family of four living in rural Manitoba. And I'm going to write about it.
I want to know:
What simple, budget friendly meals can we rely on and repeat
What ingredients are simply out of reach & why. And does it matter?
What whole ingredients fit the budget and are nourishing and helpful
Can this approach also save time & energy using repeat meals and thorough planning?
What does it cost weekly and for the month
Did we save money in the end?
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