Comments on: Balanced Diet – Day 43: Eating Well On $1 A Day

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:26:26 +0000

I on occasion make a grilled pb&j with banana and a bit of honey for dessert sometimes. It is quick to make and tastes great while not being terribly overprocessed depending on what type of peanut butter, bread and jelly (fresh strawberry!) you use. No one cam contest that it is a regular food (not even your sister) given the amount of people who have replied saying they eat them!

By: kazari

kazari — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:33:33 +0000

Hiya,
I’ve just read all the way through your challenge, and it’s been a great read!

My doctor’s advice about a balanced diet is:
On your plate, have half vegetables, one quarter protein and one quarter carbs.
If you can do that most meals, and have a couple of pieces of fruit, your doing fine.

By: ami

ami — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:25:41 +0000

Eloriane-The PB/banana does have a name, and it has 5 stars on food networks site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-recipe/index.html
It was also the favorite of Elvis, so it’s not a new concept. Of course that version is fried. I used to eat it (without the banana) when I was a kid.

Personally I feel that your bfst needs more protein… but that is because I am doing the sugar addicts diet (radiant recovery) but it doesn’t sound like you need that….

You also say that you only eat whole grain bread. Which is awesome on $1/day. However you still are eating white rice and white pasta. But again, it’s hard enough to get non-white pasta that actually tastes good when not restricted to $1/day.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:20:50 +0000

Hey that is how we used to make carrot salad only when we had the funds we threw some chopped walnuts in as well.

I think the well balanced diet is a figment of most people’s imagination. It is something we can all agree we need to be doing but we all interpret it differently depending on our family/ethnic backgrounds. The problem for people on very limited funds is affording all the foods that go into that balanced diet as fresh fruits and vegetables can be very expensive. I think for what you have to work with you are doing very well.

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:39:23 +0000

I don’t know if you have Oberweiss dairy in your area, but I can get half a gallon of milk (grass fed cows, no antibiotics) for $2.99. If I bring the glass bottle back, I get $1.50. So half gallon of organic milk for $1.50…which is excellent here.

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:55:36 +0000

If you get a hold of some Salmon(which if you are on a coast you should be able to for pretty cheap) cover it with miracle whip and and fennel and then bake or broil it on foil. When the run off starts to brown and burn a little it should be done. Probably a little on the pricier side but should still be doable with a little effort.

Also try to find butcher shops in your area, not just the ones at the grocery store and tell them what you are doing. You might be able to meat that is starting to get old for cheap, it should still be good but a lot cheaper.

By: Jenelle

Jenelle — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:55:06 +0000

Hmmm, I’ve read through all your posts and I would have to say your diet is on the healthier side, so I don’t know what all the criticism is about you not eating a balanced diet. I don’t even think you are light on protein, at least on most days.

You are doing a great job and I am really enjoying reading about your project.

By: Monkey Mama

Monkey Mama — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:17:04 +0000

What on earth is so unbalanced about your diet? I am curious about the criticisms.

By: ceejay74

ceejay74 — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:02:08 +0000

I think you’re doing really well nutrition-wise. The best advice I can give without getting too complicated is “eat the rainbow” with your fruits and veggies. Eat as many different colors of both, every week, as much variety as you can. Even if you don’t achieve the rainbow every week, trying to do so makes a huge difference from the all-beige diet that a lot of Americans end up eating.

Kudos on getting whole grains in there. That’s a huge deal.

Couple of things:
Walnuts are delicious in carrot-raisin (or carrot-craisin) salad.

My city stocks the pond in my neighborhood park with edible fish that people are allowed to fish for. I’m vegan but this seems like a wonderful thing; check if your city does something similar.

We have tons of dandelions in our park and I’d be tempted to harvest them & try to cook them, but the thought of dogs peeing on them freaks me out too much. Plus I don’t know what chemicals, if any, the park staff uses. Since I can afford grocery-store greens, I’ve never done the research to find out. Make sure you look into the health concerns of foraging in public parks, because that’s an interesting option but I wouldn’t want you to endanger yourself.

By: Kristy

Kristy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:23:42 +0000

I am finally all caught up. And now I am off to forage my own berries – but from SIL’s backyard. (She gave permission)