Week 2 Grocery Bill

Groceries Purchased:

• Arnold Multigrain Bread: $2.99
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter: $3.19
• Granny Smith Apples: $6.87
• Spinach: $3.99
• Red Grapes: $6.64
• Sliced Mushrooms: $2.49
• Orange Pepper: $1.76
• Plum Tomato: $.85
• Kalamata Olives: $3.26
• Shelled Soybeans: $3.89
• Lemons: $1.60
• 1% Milk: $3.59

Groceries Purchased Weeks Ago and Still Being Used:

• $10.81

Total Expenditure for Week 2: $51.93

Total Expenditure to Date (Monthly): $147.65

SNAP Snacking Budget Remaining: $46.35

It's very clear that I will go over budget this month. I'll have to make changes to the diet and the grocery shopping to get there next month. Looking at this week's bill and last week's bill, I know I'll have to cut out the maple syrup. I can do without that. Where to find the other savings though? I don't know.

The Meal Plan

This week I stuck to eating the same thing every day. I found this method of eating to make it much easier to plan meals on a limited budget. And, despite eating the same thing, it was a varied diet in that I consumed different types of food (fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, etc.).

Anyway, for the first part of the week I documented every meal. This was time consuming and I don't want to do it anymore. So I'm compiling and documenting the meals I eat here so I won't have to type them up any longer on a daily basis. If I eat anything else, however, I will document it on the blog both in terms of how much it cost me and also the nutritional values.

The following satisfies the SNAP Snacking Experiment^*:

Breakfast

Ingredients:

• Plum Tomato: .5 cup
• Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms: .5 cup
• Spinach: 1 cups
• Red Pepper: .125 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• Egg Whites: 7.5 tbsp
• Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedge: 1 wedge
• Tabasco Original Hot Sauce: 1 tsp
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/2087 remaining

Morning Snack

Ingredients:

• Granny Smith Apple: 1 cup
• Kalamata Olives: .25 cups (1o olives)
• Red Grapes: 1 cup (20 grapes)
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter: 2 tbsp 

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/ 1782 remaining

Afternoon Snack

Ingredients:

• Multigrain Cheerios: 1 cup
• 1% Milk: 1 cup

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Calories: 220/ 1459 remaining

Lunch

Ingredients:

• Old Fashioned Quaker Oats Oatmeal: 1 cup
• Maple Syrup: 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon: pinch
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Oatmeal: 1 oz / 3 oz remaining
• Calories: 425/ 1034 remaining

Dinner

Ingredients:

• V8 Original Low Sodium Vegetable Juice: 1 cup
• Petite Potatoes: .5 cups
• Organic Shelled Soybeans: .5 cups
• Quinoa: .25 cups
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• 1% Milk: 2 cups
• Multigrain Bread: 1 slice

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups / already satisfied
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• V8: 1 cup / Satisfied
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup / already satisfied
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups / already satisfied
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/1 gram remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 2 cups / .75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Soybeans: 3.5 ounces / protein foods satisfied
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Quinoa: 1.625 ounces / 1.375 ounces remaining
• Multigrain Bread: 1.5 ounces/ Grains Satisfied
• Calories: 994/ 40 remaining

_________________________________

* This meal plan actually shorts the USDA's Dietary Guidelines by 1 gram of oil and .75 cups of dairy. So maybe once a week I'll add those into the meal somehow. 

Weekly Weigh-In (06.14.15-06.20.15)

Weight last week: 283 pounds
Weight today: 280 pounds.

Three pounds. I thought I'd lose more. I certainly felt hungry enough to justify that thought. Who knows? Maybe I'll lose more next week. Still, it's an improvement. I'll take anything. I'm a fat bastard.

Afternoon Snacks - 06.16.15

I had to attend a "graduation party" for my three year old son this morning so I skipped a meal and combined them here. 

Ingredients:

• Granny Smith Apple: 1 cup
• Kalamata Olives: .25 cups (1o olives)
• Red Grapes: 1 cup (20 grapes)
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter: 2 tbsp 
• Multigrain Cheerios: 1 cup
• 1% Milk: 1 cup

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Calories: 220/ 1459 remaining

Breakfast - 06.16.15

Ingredients:

• Plum Tomato: .5 cup
• Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms: .5 cup
• Spinach: 1 cups
• Red Pepper: .125 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• Egg Whites: 7.5 tbsp
• Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedge: 1 wedge
• Tabasco Original Hot Sauce: 1 tsp
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/2087 remaining

Day in Review - 06.15.15

I definitely felt more hungry today than I did yesterday. I suppose it's because I'm accustomed to eating so much and now I'm restricting myself to merely 2,400 calories. I feel full now, however. The dinner meal I eat is fantastic and really does a good job filling up the belly.

I ended the day forty calories short of my goal, .75 cups short of dairy and 1 gram short of oil. That's probably a de minimis though.

Dinner - 06.15.15

Ingredients:

• V8 Original Low Sodium Vegetable Juice: 1 cup
• Petite Potatoes: .5 cups
• Organic Shelled Soybeans: .5 cups
• Quinoa: .25 cups
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• 1% Milk: 2 cups
• Multigrain Bread: 1 slice

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups / already satisfied
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• V8: 1 cup / Satisfied
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup / already satisfied
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups / already satisfied
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/1 gram remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 2 cups / .75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Soybeans: 3.5 ounces / protein foods satisfied
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Quinoa: 1.625 ounces / 1.375 ounces remaining
• Multigrain Bread: 1.5 ounces/ Grains Satisfied
• Calories: 994/ 40 remaining

Lunch - 06.15.15

Ingredients:

• Old Fashioned Quaker Oats Oatmeal: 1 cup
• Maple Syrup: 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon: pinch
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Oatmeal: 1 oz / 3 oz remaining
• Calories: 425/ 1034 remaining

Afternoon Snack

Ingredients:

• Multigrain Cheerios: 1 cup
• 1% Milk: 1 cup

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Calories: 220/ 1459 remaining

Morning Snack - 06.15.15

Ingredients:

• Granny Smith Apple: 1 cup
• Kalamata Olives: .25 cups (1o olives)
• Red Grapes: 1 cup (20 grapes)
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter: 2 tbsp 

Updated Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / Fruit satisfied.
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 oz / 1.25 remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/ 1782 remaining

Breakfast - 06.15.15

This morning I ate the same breakfast I ate yesterday. Information on this meal is located here.

This breakfast is a much smaller breakfast than I am accustomed to eating. Part of SNAP Snacking, it turns out, is going to be an exercise in not only cost-control, but also in self-control in terms of food consumption.

Ingredients:

• Plum Tomato: .5 cup
• Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms: .5 cup
• Spinach: 1 cups
• Red Pepper: .125 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• Egg Whites: 7.5 tbsp
• Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedge: 1 wedge
• Tabasco Original Hot Sauce: 1 tsp
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/2087 remaining

Morning Coffee -06.15.15

Drank it while reading a book. 

Day in Review 06.14.15

I did well today. I feel like I ate enough. And I even fell (just) short of the calorie count. In addition, I'm one gram shy of the recommended oil consumption and .75 cups short of my daily dairy. I'll have to figure out a way to get those without going crazy on calories. Shouldn't be a problem.

Dinner - 06.14.15

A delicious vegetable soup puree with milk and bread.

Ingredients:

• V8 Original Low Sodium Vegetable Juice: 1 cup
• Petite Potatoes: .5 cups
• Organic Shelled Soybeans: .5 cups
• Quinoa: .25 cups
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• 1% Milk: 2 cups
• Multigrain Bread: 1 slice

Updated Satisfactions of USDA Dietary Guidelines:

• Grains
• Bread: 1.5 oz / 5 remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Oatmeal: 1 oz / 3 oz remaining
• Quinoa: 1.625 ounces / 1.375 ounces remaining
• Multigrain Bread: 1.5 ounces/ Grains Satisfied
• Dairy
• Cheese Wedge: .25 cups / 3.75 remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Milk: 2 cups / .75 cups remaining
• Fruits:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / fruit satisfied (+.75 cups)
• Diced Tomatoes: .5 cups / already satisfied
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Soybeans: 3.5 ounces / protein foods satisfied
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• V8: 1 cup / Satisfied
• Mixed Vegetables: 1 cup / already satisfied
• Baby Carrots: .375 cups / already satisfied
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/1 gram remaining
• Calories: 994 / 48 remaining

Lunch - 06.14.15

Ingredients:

• Old Fashioned Quaker Oats Oatmeal: 1 cup
• Maple Syrup: 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon: pinch
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Updated Satisfactions of USDA Dietary Guidelines:

• Grains
• Bread: 1.5 oz / 5 remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Oatmeal: 1 oz / 3 oz remaining
• Dairy
• Cheese Wedge: .25 cups / 3.75 remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Fruits:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / fruit satisfied (+.75 cups)
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 425 / 1042 remaining

Afternoon Snack - 06.14.15

Ingredients:

• Multigrain Cheerios: 1 cup
• 1% Milk: 1 cup

Updated Satisfactions of USDA Dietary Guidelines:

• Grains
• Bread: 1.5 oz / 5 remaining
• Cheerios: 1 oz / 4 oz remaining
• Dairy
• Cheese Wedge: .25 cups / 3.75 remaining
• Milk: 1 cup / 2.75 cups remaining
• Fruits:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / fruit satisfied (+.75 cups)
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 220 / 1467 remaining

Morning Snack - 06.14.15

Ingredients:

• Granny Smith Apple: 1 cup
• Kalamata Olives: .25 cups (1o olives)
• Red Grapes: 1 cup (20 grapes)
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter: 2 tbsp 

Satisfactions of USDA Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruits:
• Apple: 1 cup / .5 cups remaining
• Olives: .25 cups / .25 cups remaining
• Grapes: 1 cup / fruit satisfied (+.75 cups)
• Protein Foods:
• Peanut Butter: 1.25 ounces / 1.25 ounces remaining
• Calories:
• 408 / 1687 remaining

Breakfast Meal - 06.14.15

Ingredients:

• Plum Tomato: .5 cup
• Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms: .5 cup
• Spinach: 1 cups
• Red Pepper: .125 cups
• Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
• Egg Whites: 7.5 tbsp
• Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedge: 1 wedge
• Tabasco Original Hot Sauce: 1 tsp
• Natural Psyllium Fiber: 1 tsp

Satisfactions of USDA's Dietary Guidelines:

• Fruit Servings:
• Tomatoes: .5 cups/1.5 cups remaining
• Vegetables:
• Mushrooms:.5 cups/2 cups remaining
• Spinach: 1 cup/1 cup remaining
• Red Pepper: .125 cups/.75 cups remaining
• Oils:
• Olive Oil: 15 grams/7 grams remaining
• Dairy:
• Cheese: .25 cup/3.75 cups remaining
• Protein Foods:
• Egg Whites: 4 ounces/2.5 ounces remaining
• Grains:
• Bread: 1.5 ounces/5 ounces remaining
• Calories: 305/2095 remaining

I eat this breakfast pretty much every day. Because it's time consuming to type up all this information I suspect I'll just link to this post whenever I consume this meal. And that will pretty much be the case for all my meals. To simplify the process of healthy, conscious eating I will most likely adhere to the same diet on a daily basis. 

Morning Coffee - 06.14.15

Maxwell House Coffee, black: 7 calories

Grocery Bill for Week 1 (06.14.15-06.20.15)

Groceries Purchased¹:

• Arnold Sandwich Thins: $2.99 
• Multigrain Cheerios: $5.79 
• Goya Quinoa: 4.49 
• Jiffy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter²: $1.60
• Maple Syrup: $14.99
• Olive Oil: $16.99
• Granny Smith Apples: $6.79
• Spinach: $2.99
• Red Grapes: $6.31
• Sliced Mushrooms: $2.49
• Red Pepper: $1.68
• Plum Tomatoes: $.74
• Milk³: $1.80
• Egg Whites: $5.98

Grocery Bill: $75.63

Allocated Dollar Value of Food Purchased Previously to be Used This Week: $20.09

Total Expenditures: $95.72

So right off the bat I've already spent 49% of my maximum monthly allotment of SNAP funds. I only have $87,84 left to spend this month. That sounds horrible. On the other hand, there are a few high-price items here that I will not have to purchase for a few weeks. The olive oil should last me 200 days actually. The Cheerios and Maple Syrup should last me two weeks.

This is going to be interesting.

_______________________
1. I removed the bananas and multigrain bread because I will not be eating those. See also: note 2 and 3 below.
2. Half-price here because I split the peanut butter with my son.

3. Half-price also because I share with my son.

Dietary Guidelines

The following are the dietary guidelines for the SNAP Snacking Experiment. The information is taken from the dietary guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Food Policy and Promotion.

According to the USDA the average sedentary male in my age group (31-35) should consume 2,400 calories per day¹. Further, the USDA publishes adaptations for certain diets. The daily food intake recommendations for the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, my own dietary practice², are listed below³.

Fruits: 2 cups.
Vegetables: 2.5 cups
Grains: 8 oz
Protein Foods: 6.5 oz
Dairy: 3 cups
Oils: 22 g






_______________________
1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Washington, D.C.: December 2010), 78.

2. I'm actually a "soft-vegetarian" which I define as generally following the traditional lacto-ovo vegetarian diet but with certain social caveats. I will not, for instance, refuse a host's offering of meat products at meal.

3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Washington, D.C.: December 2010), 81.

The SNAP Snacking Experiment

Question: Is there such a thing as food insecurity in the United States of America?

Information: Information on food, nutrition, SNAP and food security issues in the United States can be found here (updated regularly). 

Hypothesis: Food insecurity does not exist in the United States of America. Even the poorest American citizen is able, through various welfare programs, to access and consume adequate daily nutrition. 

Experiment: Over the course of one year I will attempt to limit my food expenditure to the maximum monthly allotment for a single person in New York City. That amount is $194. In addition, this expenditure must finance the consumption of a diet that satisfies the dietary guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Data, Analysis and Results: To be reported through a series of blog posts over the course of the next year (06.13.15 - 06.13.16)



Nota Bene: This is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical and good faith personal social experiment. I could be wrong. Though I hope not, for other people's sake.  I'm counting on readers, if I am ever blessed with any, to help fine-tune methodology, offer recipes and share information on food issues. Thank you.