Family Primal-Where Primal is a Family Affair page 2

[belinda]

There are a few threads on doing primal on a budget, try the search function. I know it's not easy because I'm still trying to figure it out 10 weeks in. And I'm the only 100% primal in my family of three (but we get by on one income - mine).

Here's a couple of things that might help you: Buy frozen berries in the biggest bag you can find. I got a 5 lb bag for $9. The small 1 pound bags are $4. Cream is lovely, but expensive, consider buying a can of coconut milk instead. I decant mine from the can into a jar so that I can shake it up really good to mix the oil back in before I pour it onto my berries. Here, right now a fresh cauliflower is $3. I got a bag of frozen, equivalent to 2 or 3 heads for $3.50. Look for discounted beef, cook it or freeze it right away. Consider buying almond butter instead of cashew. I'm sure it would be less expensive. Flats of chicken thighs will give you a lot of protein for lunches, and they can often be had for 2 thighs for a dollar or less. Don't buy one avocado - buy a bag full. Leave one out to ripen, keep the rest in the fridge. Take them out one at a time as you use the ripes ones. Stock up on canned tuna when it's on sale.

That's about all I can think of for now, but I'm sure you'll get creative with your meal planning and your budget as you get settled in your new home

[PaleoCurious]

Today was an ok day. I ran errands this morning. One of those was to pick up 3 dozen nice fresh pastured chicken eggs. Eating was ok for everyone but I did let my son have a tornado at the gas station My husband and I ate some of that stew I had in the freezer. It had a couple potatoes in it but not too much so we will just pretend it never happened.

One way I am trying to make things easier and keep prices down is to cook large batches of things. When I make something I try and make enough to last a couple days. I make big batches of burgers, meatballs, salad, chili, hardboiled eggs, etc.

I lost another pound And in great produce related news cherry season must be upon us. I see them coming out in the stores. Cherry season like berry season makes me squeal with delight! The cherries were a bit pricy still but I still bought a pound. guess what I am having tonight?

[PaleoCurious]

I have some interesting things to note today.

Yesterday my husband gleefully came out from getting dressed telling me how exciting it was to go into his drawers and wear clothing that used to be too snug and uncomfortable to wear but he had held onto it because he got it new and did not want to waste it. Now those clothes are loose on him. I think he is convinced that this is the way to go.

On that note as I have said before we are not perfect and sometimes I fall back on non-PB foods. Yesterday was one of those days. What I ended up making for dinner was awful. I tried making something else and it did not come out either. It was 90 degrees and I was cranky and getting a head ache. We ate the green beans I prepared and the kids were really hungry so they had some hot dogs. Not the best but we felt like grilling. At least they were sans buns

So...when my husband got home from work I asked if I could go get a salad. He said yes and when I asked him what he wanted he asked for a small pizza. Ok, whatever, he is a big boy and can make his food choices. So he eats part of the small pizza and gets full. THis is a miracle on it's own because in the old days when we met 11 years ago he could eat a large himself I am sure. As soon as that pizza strarted digesting he had to RUN to the bathroom.

Now I am wondering if part of the problem last weekend was not the pain reliever but more the gluten he was eating when we went back to eating non-primal while we were moving. I looked up the situation on the forums and found a post where someone had a similar thing happen and someone suggested that people can have hidden gluten sensitivity and when they stop and eat some again it makes them sick because the helpful bacteria they had helping them break it down dies off. I don't know if that is true or not but it certainly makes sense in this situation.

As far as I know the situation cleared up after a couple trips to the restroom. He says he is going to test it out again and eat more of the pizza to see if it happens again. I wouldn't but again I am not his mommy! Although this scares me some what because if now I have a medical reason why he can not eat gluten it means I *HAVE* to make this work budget wise. I am just a bit scared of that but I am praying I can go it.

Today on the menu

B-I think I am fasting, not really hungry, the family can grab a hard boiled egg or something

L- hot dogs, sausages, leftover pizza (sigh) and salads

D- I think I am going to make caesar salads with sliced flank steak and instead of croutons I will make parmesan cheese crisps

S-fruits, nut butters, hard boiled eggs, smoothies, etc

[PaleoCurious]

Well the pizza test failed. He ate the pizza with no ill effects. BUT...my husband admited to me that he ate a piece of his partner's corn dog (wow if your mind is in the gutter that sentence will make you giggle) and that may have caused the illness.

I have an interesting event. I have two 2X Old Navy strapless tube maxi dresses. I can no longer wear them. They are too big and were falling off me all day. I almost had an incident at the store! Thank goodness I am wear a tank top under them! My body is changing.

I must be back in the primal groove. When I am being good I am not very hungry or thirsty. Today I ate two meals (one was more of a snack) and nibbled on a little dark chocolate. The steak caesar salad with parmesan crisps I made for dinner was amazing. My 8yo loved it and he was the first one to clear his plate! My husband was less than thrilled to be served salad for dinner but he survived. He does not consider soup or salads to be real meals.

[PaleoCurious]

It is too dang hot. Our central air does not work. Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I have cramps!!!!!!!!!!! Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

BUT

I seem to have lost more weight!

Probably because it is too damn hot to eat, but what ever.

I am starting to think I am the worst primal Momma ever. Today I had a mile long list of errands and was in a huge hurry to leave. I let my son eat cereal from the pantry. Then we wrestled with some window air conditioners and it was just so hot and miserable in the house. My hormones are raging today and I made the executive decision we were going to get ice cream. We went to the frozen yogurt place for dinner....seriously! I did cook steak when we got home for my husband and son. My daughter had a salad. I had some egg squares and a couple bites of my coconut dark chocolate concoction (hormones again). I am so bad at this. Ughhhhhh. I am ashamed of how often I come here and post that we ate something not primal. I guess that should just motivate me to do better.

On a happier note, my husband keeps looking at himself. I think he is enjoying seeing the change in his shape. However he is complaining he can't sit and play WoW as long now because he has less padding on his butt. LOL

Here is how our day looked food wise

Me: half a sausage, BLT salad with avocado, chocolate frozen yogurt with pecans, 2 small egg squares (have ham and veggies in them), 2 bites homemade dark chocolate coconut oil stuff

Husband: I really don't know but I think he had some egg squares, leftover meatballs, fro-yo, steak and maybe some coleslaw I made

Daughter: again not totally sure what went on when I was not home but I know she had a BLT salad for lunch, some pistachios and apple sauce for snack, fro-yo, salad

Son: cereal and milk (bad mommy), BLT salad served in his glass fish shaped bowl arranged like a fish, orange for snack and I think he had a piece of bacon left from lunch too, fro-yo, steak

Tomorrow will be better......I promise!

[PaleoCurious]

Okso I promised today would be a better day. What I did not promise was that my husband's tooth ache would flare up so bad that he could not stand it anymore (vomitting from the pain) and we would have to run out the door with out eating and spend all day at the dentist and oral surgeon.

TOMORROW will be better as long as life stops throwing me curveballs.

[ShannonCC]

I just read your intro and oh my goodness, you sound like us! Hi! My dh has diabetes, high blood pressure and triglycerides through the roof (got himself a lovely set of stents in his heart last year and is on multiple meds - fun fun!). He's down to about 250 now but was about 300 at one point. I'm about 225 now but I guess I got better genes because there is nothing seriously wrong with me either - cept the rings under my eyes, the thinning hair, the tiredness. I feel a lot better on primal though I think I still need my thyroid meds (which I'm currently off) but so far, after a month primal, I am definitely healthier.

Oh, and I also unschool my kids. I have a 12 y/o g and a 9 y/o boy. Mine aren't eating primal, though my 12 year old has showed interest (she keeps quoting the Fathead movie to people, lol!).

So hey, good luck

[PaleoCurious]

Wow, I wish you were my neighbor We would have a lot to chat about!

[PaleoCurious]

We are having a much better, and much more primal day. My son did get to indulge in a quickie gas station breakfast and a chocolate milk but after that we jumped right back on the wagon. Well we did have a couple Lara bars while we were out that had peanuts in them but we still eat peanuts as a matter of preference.

My husband is feeling a lot better today. His teeth that were pulled stopped bleeding and he will go back to work tomorrow. I did a little research while I was out today for a blog post I am working on about being primal or paleo on a budget. I am going to do some proce comparing at different stores. I will be posting the price lists on my blog which I am going to put in my signature. Should be interesting. More later!

[PaleoCurious]

Yesterday was a good day. Not 100% primal for the males of the family but us females had a good day.

One of my favorite things about eating this way is how satisfying the food is. I never knew how bad carby grains, etc messed with my body. If only more people knew that if they removed the starchy filler foods like pasta and rice from their meals they would not need those fillers because they would not be so hungry. People just do not believe it though, especially those with a low income and small grocery budgets.

One thing I think I need to work on is keeping too much food on hand. I am not sure where, but some where along the lines having a variety of food in the house became a huge security blanket for me. I am not talking about having a emergency stockpile, I feel strongly about that too. This has nothing to do whith that, it is all about variety. I want to have every kind of fruit, veggie, oil, meat, nut, ect on hand. This is silly and I do not need to do it. I spend too much and waste food this way. I have to find a way to beat this addiction to variety, I think it would help our budget a lot.

On a weight related note good things are still happening in our home. We seem to be losing weight daily, well my husband and I are. I don't keep track of the kids weight since I just want them to be healthy and grow. As they grow up they will slim if they are eating right and playing. And they were playing more. Until is got to be like a thousand degrees. Nothing a package of water balloons and a hose won't cure Anyway, my husband is now in the 260's, a weight he says he can not remember since being a teen possibly. I have never seen him at that weight. It is almost time for some before and during pics of him! I am now supposedly at the weight I was at after I had my last baby eight years ago. I have been lower than this since then but last time I lost it was through unhealthy nutrisystem and the minute I got stressed I ate crap and bloated back up. If I can recall the lowest I have been since my son was born was 197, I am fast approaching that weight and will be so happy when I get back there. Right now I am just happy that my clothes are getting big. A pair of Thai fisherman pants I bought several months ago finally fit me today. Yay! I am not losing pounds as fast as my husband but my body is changing.

If anyone is interested I have a blog and I am starting a series on primal/paleo on a budget. I am going to different "cheap" stores and doing price checks on different primal friendly foods. This is aimed at those who want to do this but can't afford the grassfed, organic perfect food.