1.17.09

Breakfast
Today I had a larger portion of oatmeal than usual, because I wasn't sure what time I would get a break (at practicum) for lunch. I microwaved 1/2 cup of quick oats with 1 1/4 cups of skim milk, then added 1/4 cup of raisins. I also had a cup of orange juice on the side.


All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (oatmeal)
Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (raisins and orange juice)
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 1 1/4 cups
Meats & beans: 0
Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.99

Lunch
I did get to take a break, but it wasn't until later in the afternoon. I was glad I had that big, fiber-rich breakfast to keep me feeling full all morning. For lunch, I had a PBJ my usual way (2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 teaspoon jelly) on Sara Lee whole wheat bread. I also had a 6 oz cup of Schnucks fat free blueberry yogurt. It was a short lunch-I was glad I had brought foods that were ready-to-eat and could be finished quickly!

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 0
Vegetables: 0
Milk: 3/4 cup (yogurt)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)
Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.85

Dinner
I decided to make chili for dinner tonight. It has been so cold, and winter weather always gets me in the mood for chili! I used to make it with meat, but I found a great vegetarian recipe on CookingLight.com. I have made it once before, so I knew it would not disappoint. I prepared it just as the recipe says, except I added double the tomatoes it calls for, and a little extra chili powder and cumin (I like it spicy!). I addition to being satisfying and nutritious, this recipe is very inexpensive since it does not contain meat. I also found a good deal on the canned beans I used in it. S&W 50% less sodium beans are on sale at Schnucks 3 for $2.00 (that's only 0.67 each!). I have never found low sodium canned beans, and it was nice that they were being offered at a good price as well. I will definitely be going back to stock up on these. My serving of chili was about 2 cups, and for a side dish, I made cheese garlic bread on the rest of the wheat french bread I had sitting around (no wasting!). The two slices I had were topped with about 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. I also added about 1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar to the chili, and had a small glass (about 1/2 cup) of Old Orchard blueberry pomegranate 100% juice blend.

Chunky Vegetarian Chili Recipe

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 2 1/2 oz whole (bread)
Fruits: 1/2 cup (juice)
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cup (onions, peppers, tomatoes and 1/2 of the beans in chili)
Milk: 1 3/4 cups (mozzarella cheese=3/4 cup, and cheddar cheese=1 cup)
Meats & beans: 2 oz (other 1/2 cup of beans in chili)
Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.25

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups out of 2 1/2 cups
Milk: 3 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & Beans: 4 oz out of 5 1/2 oz
Oils: 3 teaspoons out of 6 teaspoons

Total cost for the day: $3.09