Hunger Challenge: The Grocery Haul
By: Andie Mitchell
Published: March 21, 2011

To kick off hunger challenge week, I went to the grocery store on a strict budget. $84 is all that my boyfriend and I would be allotted for a full 7 days according to the Basic Food Program, and by golly, $84 is what I stuck to. Here’s what I’ll be working with this week:

Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, butternut squash, parsley, spinach, carrots, tomato, organic cucumber, red bell peppers, romaine lettuce, garlic, onion, lime, lemon, scallions

Fruit: Frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, bananas (I always choose ones with brown, spotty skin because they taste sweeter in my oatmeal, and in things like banana bread), grapefruits, apples, oranges

Beans and Grains: Flour, whole wheat flour, stuffing mix, whole wheat English muffins, bulk old fashioned rolled oats, quinoa, dried black beans, dried garbanzo beans, short grain brown rice

Poultry, Fish, Dairy, and Eggs: eggs, 3 cans solid white tuna fish, one 5lb whole chicken, organic lowfat cottage cheese, organic lowfat sour cream. Also, a 1 lb block of firm tofu that escaped the photo

Canned and Jarred Items: two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, salsa, tomato paste, sweet corn

Pantry Staples: French roast coffee (on sale), unsalted butter, olive oil ($5 at Trader Joe's), sesame oil, black pepper, salt, brown sugar

Special Treats: Kerrygod Irish cheddar cheese, Hershey’s special dark chocolate chips, creamy salted peanut butter
I found it very hard to stick to my imposed $84 budget. Very, very difficult, especially considering that my boyfriend Daniel and I typically spend $140 a week for all of our meals and snacks. I can’t imagine how it would work on weeks where I need to buy other household items like toilet paper, soap, and the like. I picture trying to feed young children and the many “No”s I’d have to muster when they wanted even one boxed snack food. It all must be homemade- from snacks to soups to sweets- if we’re really to make it work.
I’m happy to say that at least half of my budget went to produce, which lets me know that it is possible to buy healthy, fresh ingredients despite strict finances. Although, I did frown half a dozen times when I realized that one pound of white pasta was almost always two times cheaper than one pound of any fruit or vegetable. I can see how easy it would be to load the cart with simple carbohydrates.
Will I be able to make this bounty bend to the length of a week? Will I be able to make one roasted chicken stretch six ways to Sunday? 
Stay tuned as I cook my way through the week! 
How much do you typically spend on groceries each week?
The Hunger Challenge is an exercise of empathy—to live in someone else's shoes for one week and learn how we can help fight hunger. How you can help: volunteer, learn more about the Hunger Relief Now! Plan, encourage your friends and family and make your voice heard, donate to your local food bank. If you're participating in the Hunger Challenge, consider donating what you save this week on food.

Comments:
wasabi prime
March 21, 2011

It IS difficult to stay on a budget, no? We typically spend $100 or less on groceries per week, but it's probably more, as I also do periodic bulk shopping meant to last 3-4 month periods, where things like meat or staples like butter are frozen and defrosted as needed. And this is literally all our food; all meals are cooked at home with only rare restaurant/takeout meals. It's not on principle, either - this is our financial situation, and you just figure out ways to make the budget stretch. I agree with your buying strategy of sticking with basic ingredients, very little that's processed/prepared, as it's inexpensive and provides more meal options.
Julie

Looking forward to how you do this week.  It is impressive you went with several organic products as well.
Sheila

Here's a tip for the bananas, since you like them brown -- many stores will occasionally put out the browner bananas in bags for a discount.  I get a good-size bag for 50 cents!
Andie Mitchell

Great tip Sheila! Thanks for sharing!
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