This morning I headed out to the grocery store with one goal in mind: to return with a bagful of delicious, wholesome, and nutritious food without spending over $25. I’ve read about it here and here but I didn’t really think it was possible to grocery shop and spend that little. Well, I did it! I returned home with an assortment of goodies that I can turn into healthy meals all week long. Greek yogurt + sliced bananas for breakfast, a spinach, chick peas, and roasted sweet potato salad for lunch, and sesame roasted broccoli + brown rice for dinner are just a few examples of what I’ll be able to cook for myself this week. There are SO many options that can be created from healthy and simple staples, and shopping simply forces you to be creative with what you cook.
The trick I relied on to keep my grocery bill down was making sure I bought a lot of fresh produce and vegetables, small quantities of meat (but to be honest, all-veg dishes are inexpensive to make and are very hearty so I rarely purchase it), along with staples like beans, rice and cans of tuna.
After the grocery shopping haul was put away, I wanted to whip up a recipe for baked oatmeal using what I had just brought back from the store. Baked oatmeal is very high in fiber and can be made in large quantities on the cheap. It also lends itself well to being reheated in the morning at breakfast time!
We followed this recipe for baked Banana Walnut Oatmeal. I never thought I’d say this but it actually came out slightly less sweet than we wanted. Yikes! I never thought I’d say that but it was true. We found that after slicing, a little drizzle of amber colored honey on top really elevated the sweetness ever so slightly and went very nicely with a hot cup of English breakfast tea.
I definitely recommend making this baked oatmeal in your own kitchen as well as attempting your own $25 grocery shopping haul. I never thought I would be able to pull it off but alas it is truly manageable if you have a list of the essentials you need and the determination to eat fresh!
