I’m a weird eater. I don’t particularly like food and am content to eat the same things over and over. The advantage to being a boring eater, is that it simplifies things:
- I don’t have to spend hours in the grocery store
- I don’t have to spend a ton of time cooking
- I know exactly what food will cost
- I know I won’t ever struggle with weight gain or loss
- I know my heart likes what I put into my mouth
It also helps that no one else is depending on me to serve appealing meals. I have foody-friends who don’t get my indifference towards food; that’s okay, because I don’t understand food as a hobby.
I came up with a meal plan that I like and is heart healthy (although I don’t eat dairy and clearly, dairy is needed for a complete diet). I ran it by my doctor and got the short-term green light. This is definitely not something to stay with long term and it’s sure nothing you’d want to serve guests, but I wanted to drop a few pounds and inches, without busting the budget; it worked for me.
Healthy Breakfast for Less than $2.00
Breakfast is:
- ½ cup serving of old-fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon and nutmeg; 1T of brown sugar
- 12 whole natural almonds
- 2 cups coffee, with a regular and decaf mix
Calories for breakfast are 190 (oatmeal) and 80 (almonds), coffee is 0. Protein count is 8 grams. Total cost is $1.80.
Healthy Lunch for Less than $2.00
- 2 veggie patties. (I like Boca Burger Flame Grilled Veggie Burgers, but it’s just a matter of taste and what’s on sale; there are lots of options.)
- Sliced tomato or apple
Calories for lunch average out to 300, depending on condiments. Protein count, depending on what type of veggie burger, averages out to about 24 grams. Total cost averages $1.75.
Healthy Dinner for about $2.00
- Turkey patty
- Small salad with tomato; with lemon
- Grilled or baked peppers, squash, or some other plain veggie
Calories for dinner average 350, depending on what condiments I use or how I prepare veggies.
Treats – Cheats -and Common Sense
I munch on a few handfuls of plain popcorn every day, just because I like it. If I’m hungry, I snack on natural whole almonds. I also keep dark chocolate in the house, so if I want a treat, I don’t sweat eating a few dark chocolate kisses. They’re only 20 calories each, so you can enjoy them without blowing it. The popcorn and candy treats average less than .50 a day, and the cost of almonds is in my breakfast budget. I always take a good multi-vitamin, because I know I am missing nutrients eating this way.
If you can’t stand the thought of eating this stuff every day, mix it up: Just use it interspersed with your real meals, and odds are, you’ll still lose weight and inches.
Check with your doctor and also read federal dietary guidelines for tons of great information on eating right and various food programs.
