Feed The Fam On $40 a Week!

For $40 per week, a family of four can eat several McDonalds' dollar value meals; cheap food that is filling and addictive but not very healthy. Yet fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, and chicken can be too pricey for a family on a tight budget. The challenge - to devise a healthy, balanced menu for $40 that will feed a family of four!

It can be done with a little work, preparation, and time. Shop at produce and ethnic stores over big name grocery stores. Although stores like Aldi can be inexpensive, they do not carry a wide variety of fresh produce; instead offering unhealthier canned, boxed and processed foods.

Plan menus ahead of time, checking on-line for prices and specials. Choose a couple of menu items, such as soups and stews, that can be made in large batches to stretch over several meals. And prepare a large salad, resplendent with a variety of vegetables, to use as an accompaniment for dinner and a main course for lunch.

At some grocery stores you can buy several items, including protein, dairy, and a variety of vegetables and fruits, for just over $40 and stretch it to cover 3 meals daily for a week! Check out some shopping list, menu, and recipes at http://www.dailyappleforhealth.com. The menu included a delicious Baked Polenta with vegetables, Butternut Squash soup, Chicken Chili, and Minestrone soup.

Most prepackaged meat and chicken offers serving sizes that are much bigger than needed. Portion sizes of protein should be 3 to 4 ounces or the size of a deck of cards. Instead, fill your plate with more vegetables and whole grains.
This shopping plan does not include any expensive, sugary desserts and snacks; instead, use fruits and vegetables. Celery sticks with peanut butter make a great energy boost. Grilled pineapple and baked pears star as sumptious and healthy desserts.

The long term costs of eating cheap, unhealthy food are tremendous, resulting in obesity and chronic lifestyle diseases. Optimize your family's health on a budget and live a better life!