$200 a Week

$200 a week. Yep. That's what our new food lifestyle costs. That's $50 a week per person/$7 per day per person. A little over $2 a meal. For organic. For local. For sustainable. For REAL food. For NON processed. This surprises me. Last August when we set out on this adventure, I was worried about the money. But I had determined that I'd rather pay more now to eat better quality than to pay later for health costs, not to mention new clothes for me as I was gaining weight uncontrollably. I was exhausted by 4pm every day and found myself scarfing some fast food option while on the road from small town Oklahoma.

In January I began saving every receipt from every food purchase. I averaged every month from January through May and came up with this very consistent amount. Nearly every week came up to just around $200, except the week we had my daughter's birthday party. But the average was consistent. I can do this!!

Granted, part of the cost factor is that we nearly NEVER eat out anymore. There are not a lot of options in this real food adventure where restaurants are concerned. We have found four that we can tolerate in our hometown of Norman. Four! See, here's the deal. Even if you are just tired and hungry and decide WHATEVER...I'm gonna eat out there is a problem. The food sucks! Yep, the same old things I used to eat all the time, i.e. burgers, fajitas, FRENCH FRIES, quesadillas, artichoke dip, even chips and salsa...taste wrong. They either taste like paper or salt or sugar or my memory of raw celery (yuck, still hate celery)...and have an AFTER taste. Trust me, it's nasty! So, this provides the reinforcement I need to keep on the straight and narrow. I can no longer tolerate fast food, most restaurants, even pre-shredded cheese. Everything has to be fresh, and most must be organic. Local makes it even better...and if you can find good ole' grass fed beef raised by a local farmer...well you've hit the jackpot!! American processed, convenient food just no longer is good enough.

I'm really proud of us. I've never in my life been able to conquer food. It has always had me by the throat. I like food. It is a social event for me to eat. But now I can cook what I like, eat healthy, eat less and despite what people may tell you, it's NOT more expensive. You just have to do it right, commit and cook. No take out, no eating out...and then there are the dishes. Lots and lots of dishes. If you cook, you create dishes.

But this experiment has been a great success for us. I have energy throughout the day. I eat less. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables and grains. I am cooking more and experimenting more with foods...which I love! The kids are healthier. Allergies are better, cholesterol is better. I've lost weight and one jean size. $200 a week has been a great investment!