Food Goals & Disclaimers

I feel like this is what we want to do for us, right now. I'm sure things will change over time. Or maybe even tomorrow. But it's good to have specific, attainable goals in the beginning . . . We want to become more self sufficient and experience a whole foods, well balanced lifestyle. We can't grow a large garden and live on a farm, currently, but there are other things we can do.


So, some of my current Food Goals:

1. Only buy whole wheat pasta, bread, brown rice and other whole grains with one exception, some recipes still need a mix of wheat & white flour so I will still by the unbleached from time to time.

2. Buy a wheat grinder and more hard wheat so we can have whole wheat flour whenever we want it: homemade tortillas, rolls, baked goods even. All that will be new for us. I'm not sure about tortilla chips, but there are whole wheat options there too.

3. Make sure fruits and vegetables make up 70% of my weekly shopping cart and my weekly grocery budget is $50. Aldi makes that doable. {we're at the point now where we can just replace items already in our food storage as we use them}

4. At least three meatless meals a week, which basically means using items purely from food storage. Bring out the legumes!

5. No more than one meal a week with eggs or two meals with cheese

6. Eat more oatmeal for breakfast. Give up sugar cereals.

7. No more HIC Punch or other high fructose things, except for Mr Smith's strawberry jam. We will also try to avoid artificial sweeteners & flavoring except for the occasional Koolaid. That also means limiting the candy intake to only special holidays. I will name them for Mr Smith: Halloween, Valentines, Easter & Mr Smith's birthday.

8. Use plain yogurt, avocado, honey, applesauce & bananas more as substitutes for mayo, sour cream & white/brown sugars

9. Learn to cook more soups

10. Max: one package of bacon per month & two fried potato nights a month.

11. Enjoy Lactose Free milk and maybe one day transition to Silk Almond milk

12. Grow my own herb garden

13. Don't eat out for dinner more than once a month. (Papa Johns doesn't count, but should be limited to special events & missionary dinners)

14.  Learn to make my own salad dressings. Then eat salad.

15. Stay away from prepackaged snacks with the following limited exceptions: Ocean Spray or Target brand fruit snacks, Aldi brand chocolate fiber bars (weaknesses), & cliff bars for hiking trips. Also (haha) certain crackers & chips.

Food Goal Disclaimers:

We can't afford to buy "organic"

I will be using up whatever white flour, white rice and white pasta we currently have, but I won't be buying any more, unless I have a really good reason.

I plan on getting whatever I feel like when we go out and spend money at a restaurant. If I want a 6 oz steak, I will get it. But it turns out we probably eat out less than once a month.

Same thing if we go to someone else's house for dinner or find ourselves at a party, I will not be picky.

I will continue to buy chicken broth from a can. I don't buy the most expensive oils. and we will probably always have shortening in food storage.

Almond butter is too expensive to substitute for regular peanut butter

We haven't agreed on an ice cream limit for Mr Smith

I will still buy Rhodes rolls to eat whenever I feel like it.

The only time we buy soda is for sweet pork. The only time we drink soda is when we're at a party. Both do not happen often.

I will probably edit this post a ton more times. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Or you will inspire me with something else to add.

I will probably always use instant pudding and Dream Whip. Sorry people.

I also will continue to use Country Time butter in a tub. Unless someone can convince me otherwise. I'm open to options for stick butter (which I only use for baking which I hardly do)