It has also become a thriving side business.
Welcome to the latest post in TreeHugger's series, "How to feed a family." Every week we talk to a different person about how they approach the never-ending challenge of feeding themselves and other household members. We get the inside scoop on how they grocery shop, meal plan, and food prep to make it go more smoothly.
Parents work so hard to feed their children and themselves, to put healthy meals on the table, to avoid spending a fortune at the grocery store, and to fit it all around busy work and school schedules. It's a feat worthy of more praise than it commonly gets, which is why we want to highlight it – and hopefully learn from it in the process. This week features Tiffany and Mike, a couple from Vancouver Island that takes their meal-planning very seriously and even teaches others how to do it effectively. Responses are written by Tiffany.
Names: Tiffany (31), Mike (44), Max (4)
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Employment: Two busy professionals and a successful online health & fitness business on the side
Weekly food budget: CAD$200 (US$150)
© Tiffany M. (used with permission)1. What are 3 favorite or commonly prepared meals in your house?
Clean eating has become a very big part of our life, so you will typically find healthier staples in our house. On Sundays we make one big pot meal with lots of leftovers that can be quickly taken for lunch or served on the fly at dinner. Three of the most common big pot meals for us are spaghetti sauce, tortilla soup, and a casserole of some kind. For lunches we tend to keep it simple with sandwiches, wraps, and salads.
2. How would you describe your diet?
Our diet would be described as healthy and portion controlled. Our family is omnivore, although some days I wonder if Max is going to be a vegetarian. We tend to eat more seasonal meals; however, we splurge on things like berries and fruits when they are not in season because we like to eat well. Our meat selection is typically Free Run or from local Vancouver Island farms. Over the past few years our meat consumption has decreased to more lean choices like extra lean ground beef, chicken breast, roaster chickens or pork. We are very lucky to have no allergies or restrictions in our home.
3. How often do you shop for groceries? Is there anything you absolutely have to buy every week?
We shop on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, depending on the weekend. This trip to the store is always planned out in advance, as we make our meal plan for the week on Friday evening. Both Mike and I sit down and choose the dinner options and plan them out in our shared Google Drive. Once we have planned the menu, I sit and write out all the things we need to purchase. At any point we can both look at the plan so that we can switch things around if need be, or pick up the slack if one of us is working late.
Once the dinner items are taken are taken care of, I map out my lunches based on the specific meal plan I am following, and then write out what is needed for those meals. I tend to plan my lunches around what we are having for dinner so that we mitigate overbuying certain ingredients. We then plan out the key things Max likes to eat – yogurt, berries, rice cakes, seeds/nuts, etc.
Our every week items include: berries, melon, apples, organic juicing carrots, organic celery, beets, avocados, bagged salads (I love the sunflower mix!!!), spring mix, spinach, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, zucchini, lemons/limes, parsley/cilantro, onions, cucumbers, chicken breast, extra lean ground beef/chicken/turkey, coffee, soda water, black beans, almond milk, Greek yogurt cups, coconut whipped cream (for my shakes), free run eggs, whole wheat bread & bagels, nitrate-free deli meat, chia, cashews, trail mix, steel-cut oats.
I stay far, far away from the kids’ school snack aisle. The sugar in the granola bars and “snacks” make Max go absolutely loopy, so I buy a special granola bar that is low in sugar and high in protein for him. Otherwise he gets clean choices like fruits, veggies, rice snacks, etc.
© Tiffany M. (used with permission)4. What does your grocery shopping routine look like?
Shopping usually happens after swimming lessons on Sundays, which works well for us. Once we finish our activities, we shop and then head home to prep.
At the store we always stick to the outside aisles. We buy a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat and tend to stay away from the inside. The only things we buy are all-natural peanut butter, beans, canned veggies, some Annie’s noodles for Max, coffee, soda water, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, things like that.
Our bill typically ranges from CAD$160-$200 (US$120-$150) depending on the sales. We also tend to buy everything we need in one big shop, so if we run out of staples our bill increases.
The larger purchases like dried organic mangoes, quinoa, oil, nut butters, etc. are typically done at Costco where you can get good quality and lots of it for cheaper than at the store! Our Costco run tends to be once every 2 months as the nearest store is a 45 minute drive for us.
5. Do you meal plan? If so, how often and how strictly do you stick to it?
We are big meal planners! Without a plan, we legitimately wouldn’t be eating good food on a regular basis because Mike and I are so busy. I have also lost a significant amount of weight and completely changed our way of life over the past 6 years, so it has become a huge part of our life. It has been a process learning how to eat well, as both Mike and I used to eat a lot of processed junk food and takeout.
Our side business is actually health and fitness with a focus on nutrition, so I lead by example and meal plan/prep consistently every single week and share it with my clients. Not only does this hold me accountable, but over the years I’ve helped other women learn how to meal plan and prep effectively.
Mike isn’t as strict with the actual food and portions like I am, but we always eat the same things – same with Max. Our dinner is always a protein and veg which is easy, and if Mike wants a carb he can add it.
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I wanted to share this recipe with you! Its one of my favourite healthy zucchini loaf recipes and Max loves it. Actually, all the kids love it and it has zero processed sugar! . . INGREDIENTS: . . •¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans (optional) •⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil •½ cup honey or maple syrup •2 eggs •½ cup milk of choice or water •1 teaspoon baking soda •1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top •2 teaspoons vanilla extract •½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt •¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg •1 ½ cups grated zucchini (you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces—if your grated zucchini is very wet, squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter) •1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour . . INSTRUCTIONS: . . 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, and grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. 2. Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.) 4. Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini, then add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! 5. Gently fold in the toasted nuts now. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern. 6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing it with a sharp, serrated knife.
