It is my intent to feed my family well without breaking the bank. As a long-term breast cancer survivor I believe that food is fuel for my body. I am sure that it has made a difference over time, allowing my immune system to be stronger and eliminating foods that responded to my cancer. Eating well requires some thought and early planning. It also requires spending more money at certain times of the year and having an extra freezer. It is so worth it though.
This is how I do it:
To begin with I focus on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. We don’t eat a lot of meat in general. I have always eaten fish, especially salmon and tuna. A plant-based diet is very healthy and economical. I stopped eating meat and chicken during my treatment ten years ago because of the hormones (both natural and synthetic) that are in meat. I think of meat more as an addition rather than the main component. We always have refried (vegetarian) beans with tacos or cut steaks into kebobs. Even hamburgers are smaller than average.
It is easy to be meatless with pasta dishes and pizza. We eat a lot of these, and my family loves it. Use whole grain pasta, and whole wheat bread dough for the pizza. You can also use soy cheese or at least the hormone free cheeses that are everywhere now. (Buy them when they are on sale and freeze them.) Add a salad and/or frozen veggies and you are set.
When buying meat, check around for sources of meat besides the grocery store. I buy a large amount of beef from a local farmer who raises it on grass without any extra hormones. This lasts for a long time. It is also very lean. As for chicken, for a long time I stayed away from it all together. Nowadays I will buy whole roasters from the Amish or occasionally buy the no hormone brand chicken breasts when they are on sale. A four-pound roaster will make one dinner with enough leftovers for two full size potpies.
Most weeks I think of dinners like this: pasta night, pizza night, soup or sandwich night, fish night, crock pot or stir fry night, frozen food or breakfast night, and Mexican night. I can do all of these things healthfully and cheaply. Most importantly it works with a busy schedule and gets no complaints from my family. My family still eats more meat than I do, so these types of meals are easy for me to serve with meat for them and meatless for me.
I buy staples when they go on sale. Whole-wheat pasta, canned beans, taco shells, pasta sauce, tomatoes, peanut butter, brown rice (especially the heat and serve), and tuna are all things I stock up on. I also buy lots of berries in the summer to freeze and use throughout the year. These are great for putting on oatmeal or in smoothies as well as for baking. I can get a great deal on whole grain bread at the bread outlet that is right across the street from the grocery store.
My weekly trips to the store are more for perishables. I buy soy milk, EggLand’s Best eggs, fruit, veggies and bread. All summer and fall I go to the farmer’s market.
My latest focus has been on not wasting the food that spoils. I have found it works wells to throw all the veggies that are on the edge into a pan and stir-fry them. After they cool I put them into bags and freeze them for side dishes and lunches.
I would be lying if I told you there is no junk food in my house. But for each thing that isn’t so good there are plenty of great choices. You can always find nuts, good granola bars, natural applesauce and popcorn that is perfectly healthy if not laden with oil and butter. My kids eat cereal, spaghettios, and ramen noodles but they also fight over fresh raspberries. Even though they can be expensive I would rather buy that than a bag of chips.
It is really all about the choices. I go for whole grain, no hormone, high-fiber whenever I can. I don’t have to spend more. This way I feel like every day I am killing cancer. . . and you can too.
BIO:
Heather is breast cancer survivor, the author of “Letters to Sydney: Every Day I am Killing Cancer," and a contributing writer for the Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine. Heather also blogs at www.GoBeyondTreatment.com and www.Mlive.com/health. Jose lives in Michigan with her husband, children, and pets.