Day 13/Mini-Grocery Haul

This morning, I had quite the hefty breakfast. I was originally planning on eating my normal scrambled eggs but due to my clumsiness, I spilled the egg batter. So instead, made about 2 full cups of oatmeal and milk with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Soon afterwards, I went to campus to begin studying for my finals so I headed to my schools library. Around noon, the hunger started to kick in. Then, I was on a quest to find the cheapest and healthiest thing to eat. While I was waiting in line for Subway (which is the best choice we have) I eyed our salad bar. I didn't take long for me to realize that paying $3.99 for a salad was a better option than a $5 foot long.

 

• Spinach
• Brocoli
• Cucumbers
• Boiled eggs
• Red beans
• Chickpeas
• Shredded carrots
• Diced Ham
• and....a sprinkling of cheese

With a little bit of the oil (hopefully it was canola or olive oil, you never know with these things) sprinkled with black pepper and crush red pepper, I made a satisfying an filling lunch. The ham and cheese were just a light sprinkling. I know, I know I was being naughty but I just COULDN'T resist. It practically wasn't even a tablespoon amount. I was able to fit all of this in a container for a mere $4.31 (tax included) 

Snack: An apple

Grocery Haul (Wal-Mart)

• A dozen eggs
• Walnuts
• A bunch of red leaf lettuce
• Cottage Cheese
• Mangos
• Hot Salsa
• Gala Apples
• Bell Pepper
• Whole Grain Bread
• Bananas
• White Onion
• Avocado
• Jalepeno
• Zucchini

Total: $17.17

The only reason why I don't buy grains (pasta, rice) on trips is because my mother stocks up on those pantry items at the beginning of the year! Also, I have a freezer filled with meats (turkey, chicken, salmon) that is pretty full at the moment so all I ever need to replenish are fresh produce, eggs, and a couple of snack items here and there!

Dinner: I was planning on making fajitas but then decided to get a little bit festive...

I started off with 1 whole chicken breast that I marinated and cubed. Then I diced and browned less than 1/4 cup of the white onion and cut the bell pepper into strips. I only cut the top portion into strips and used the bottom as a "shell" for the fajita mixture. Once the onions were browned, I added in the cubed chicken and cooked that until done then tossed in my bell pepper strips for the last 2 minutes. Fill the shell with the chicken mixture and top with avocado. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes, then top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Finally, I broiled the shell for a about a minute (or until the cheese was nice and melted) Voila! A very easy and delicious meal to make filled with lean protein, vitamins, and a good fats.

 After dinner was over, I decided to divide my lettuce into smaller portions. Doing so makes it easier to grab and go a bag of salad...instead of making excuses. From one head that costs me $1.48, I was able to ration out 6 bags of salad! Enough for the rest of the week :)

-Eating Clean in College