Stressed Over a Food Budget? Maybe Less Really Is More!

I’m intrigued with the “grazing” experience. After a week of being mindful of what I eat, I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe “less is more”.

I seem to have more energy ~ and more money! How novel is that?

I made notes of what I ate for a week ~ Instead of no breakfast, I had either a hard-boiled egg, a little fruit and some tomato juice ~ or an English muffin and peanut butter and tomato juice.
Lunch was again some fruit with something like tuna/celery salad, or avocado and lemon juice with a slice of Swiss cheese on a flour tortilla, and dinner was often a salad with lots of vegetables.

Nuts and fruit were the main fillers mid-day and mid-afternoon.

If I had a hamburger for lunch or dinner, I skipped the bread and added fresh tomatoes and an ear of corn. There was no potato side dish. You get the idea.

That’s more or less the gist of it ~ but it allowed me a night of eating dinner out mid-week without that nagging guilt that I was spending too much money on food.

I admit it does feel strange not to have to run to the store as part of my meal planning, because then you have to decide what to do with that big hole in your day.

It’s also been easier to provide good nutrition for my granddaughters when they visit because kids are generally programmed to graze. A half a cheese sandwich with some sliced pears was just fine for lunch the other day ~ and so much cheaper than fast food and pop!

A caveat here. The men and women who work all day sweating calories out there in the hot sun most likely require more food for fuel. Just pay attention and eat more of those nutrient-rich foods and watch out for the packaged, processed stuff that just adds empty calories and makes you only crave more. A big hamburger at noon is probably just what you need ~ but some carrots and a bottle of cold water would be a much better choice than fries and soda pop!

Bon appetit!