- My grandpa died...
- I was depressed for months and still feel the sting and randomly cry almost every day...
- I started and will finish grad school course work in three summers...
- My son has ADHD...
- We tried meds - four of them actually - some with horrible results...
- We stopped medicating and now use essential oils, vitamins, and the Feingold diet - a full time job in an of itself...
- I quit my job as a band teacher...
- I don't have another "real" job lined up but do plan on teaching private music lessons and being a stay at home mom, something I have honestly wanted to do all my life but never thought I could...
- We bought cattle to start a herd...
But I digress...
When we made the drastic switch to the Feingold Diet, which eliminates all processed foods and food additives, colors, and preservatives, I posted on FB looking for closer grocery options for organic, natural, and whole foods. St. Paul has a ton of options, Rochester has a few. HyVee in Austin was better than Albert Lea and I hear Mason City is even better yet... But at any rate, one of my friends saw that I had mentioned meal planning and wanted to know how to do it. I had a done a post a while back but have updated my format since then, learned a lot more about how to stretch my budget and food purchases, and now of course, we eat a completely different diet. I figured my first full post back could cover two bases at once - what a week in the life of a Feingold family looks like and how to effectively and efficiently meal plan on a budget. Furthermore, once a few meal plans have been built, and quick copy and paste moves around favorites or deletes disasters and just keeps building! Right now, I have 3 - two week meal plans. That should take us through the first 7 weeks of Stage 1 of Feingold, which is a 6-8 week process. (I had the first week that we were on the diet that we were in Duluth and I made meals from what we had on hand.) Following this first stage, we can begin to reintroduce foods to test for sensitivity and reactions and our menu choices will change again.
This isn't entirely impressive, but our monthly food budget for our family of four people ranges anywhere from $300-500 a month, or about $75-125 per week. Sometimes I simply have to restock pantry staples and I end up spending more; sometimes I just need fresh produce and milk. One big reason we can keep it somewhat low is because we raise our own beef. I would love to get in on some sort of meat co-op where local farmers exchange meats - I'll give you 10 pounds of burger for 5 pounds of sausage and 3 chickens. Wouldn't that be awesome!?! I know I have said this before and I'll say it again, home-raised meat is healthier and most cost effective. You will pay the same price for burger as you pay for steaks. When was the last time you saw steaks for $2.50 a pound?? Chickens weighing 7-9 pounds usually run around $10-15 dollars, and I don't know about you, but I can get at least three meals plus bone broth and stock out of one chicken. Yes -- even the carcass doesn't go to waste in our house! And you know exactly where it comes from. Remember a few weeks back about a family being treated for consuming LSD in tainted meat sold at Wal-Mart? Try tracing that meat back to the original packing house let alone the original herd. Buying locally means that most likely that farmer knows exactly which animal you are getting. Now that's quality control!
After quitting my job, I did some number crunching. I sincerely do want to live on less. We have so much stuff and so much of it isn't even necessary. So in an effort to see this goal through, I recently gave up paper plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups. It is an added expense we don't need. I have beautiful dishes, a sink, and a dishwasher. Soap costs a fraction of what disposable dinnerware does when all is said and done. Not only that, but the environmental impact of plastic production and waste is a pretty hefty price. At one point, I needed the convenience to keep me sane, but I am now on a different path towards a more crunchy lifestyle where living on less, wasting less, and wanting less is making me and my family happier and healthier.
Apparently I like side bars tonight... Sorry about that soapbox. But it all contributes to how I build a meal plan centered around a well stocked pantry and freezer.
So how do I build a meal plan...? To be honest, I don't read the flyers, although I know I should. That will be the next step to fully realizing this crazy idea of living on less. I ask the kids and the huzzy what they want to eat and feed them accordingly. Right now, it is more important that they are eating and enjoying it than saving a few pennies. But if that is something your family values, building a meal plan around sales is another excellent, cost-saving method. (Can you teach me how???) I usually ask them on Saturday or Sunday what they want to eat for the week, start putting things in place, and then build a grocery list.
With treating Minihe's ADHD by dietary needs and not wanting to put extra pressure on caregivers, I pack all his meals every day - breakfast, lunch, and snack. This usually means a quick, hearty breakfast with a protein punch, leftovers for lunch, and a satisfying and fun snack. I like things that I can make ahead and reuse as needed -- whole wheat pancake bites (pancake batter baked in mini-muffin cups), any muffin or bread (we can have cinnamon, pear, streusel, banana), eggs & cheese, ham/egg/cheese cups, sausage egg tortillas (I make a bunch ahead and freeze in individual plastic wrap for a quick breakfast), fruit and veggie smoothies with a protein boost... Anything I can make or prep the night before and reuse for a snack or other breakfast is a definite plus!
As we adjust to our new norm with foods, I am finding that we eat even better now than before. Our options are only as limited as our creativity. At this current stage, we can't have any tomato-based sauce.. We can't have berries. We can't have yellow cheeses. And the list goes on.... But looking at my menu, it's still full of flavor and nutrition. Follow me on Pinterest to get a lot of the recipes I use as the basis to help build my meal plan and follow the Feingold structure.
Also, if you're family is dealing with ADHD or Autism and is looking for another way to treat it without medication, you are at the right place! I will be posting several entries over the next few days that essentially chronicles our journey. It is most definitely not a how-to manual but rather like an online journal. It's rudimentary, but I did not want to forget what these early days of a natural treatment method are like. I found it so incredibly helpful to know I wasn't alone when I began researching natural methods, so if our story can help someone - anyone - I am glad.
Peace and goodwill to you and yours...
Reeder Ranch
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| This is a .jpg but if you would like a Numbers or Excel version, email me and I'll ship it out to you! |
