Indian Buffet

Went to an Indian buffet with coworkers for lunch. Had two heaping plates of veggie dishes so along with the two bananas I had, I'm guessing I hit 10 servings overall!

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $13.81

$3.81 over budget for the day

$34.26 under budget overall

Going bananas!

Bananas were on sale at Trader Joe's for 19 cents each! That's the cheapest fruit I've seen available in SF outside of farmer's markets!

Daily Summary

• Groceries, $0.76: bananas on sale at Trader Joe's, apple at Safeway*
• 0 servings, Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 0 servings, Lunch: silk nut milk
• 1 serving, Snack: banana
• 8 servings, Dinner: brown rice, beans, tvp chili, and a LOT of added spinach
• 1 serving, Snack: apple

* Received a refund of the rotten apple from yesterday and bought a cheaper variety (gala vs. red delicious).

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $0.76

$9.24 under budget for the day

$38.07 under budget overall

Bulk Buying

Brown rice and pinto beans were on sale, so I bought 10 pounds each. Even though the upfront cost put me over for the day, I'm saving overall by a good margin.

$0.99: 15 ounce can of pinto beans -> 6.6 cents per ounce

vs.

$8.46: 10 pounds of dry pinto beans -> 20 pounds & 5 ounces cooked -> 2.6 cents per ounce

That's about 60% off the price of canned beans. While canned beans are undoubtedly more convenient, I have a pressure cooker, so dry beans aren't too much of a hassle. Totally dry, the pressure cooker can finish them in about 30 minutes. Soaked overnight, it only takes 15 minutes.

Daily Summary

• Groceries: $20.31
• 0 servings, Breakfast: silk nut milk
• 0 servings, Lunch: silk nut milk
• 8 servings, Dinner: tvp curry, rice, and 4 cups of veggies
• 1 serving, Snack: orange

The apple I bought looked perfectly fine, but the core had been eaten through by insects so I had to toss it out :(.

9 servings of fruits and vegetables on $20.31

$10.31 over budget for the day

$28.83 under budget overall

Silk Saturday

Whipped up another batch of tvp chili, this time with tons of spinach and the free tortilla chips from work yesterday. Later, I made red lentils, rice, and veggies (masoor khichdi), before heading to the supermarket. 

Since I've been good on both my budget and my diet, I wanted to splurge a little bit. Before, splurging meant going overboard with takeout. This time, I went with some +protein Silk nut milk (heh) on sale and grabbed it along with the usual frozen veggies and fruit. 

Daily Summary

• Groceries: $9.69
• 2 servings, Lunch: tvp chili with spinach and tortilla chips
• 6 servings, Dinner: masoor khichdi
• 2 servings, Snack: nut milk, apple, and orange

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $9.69

$0.31 under budget for the day
$39.14 under budget overall

I love work meetings!

There's at least 1 big department meeting at work every week, which means free food for the whole floor. There was a ton of fruit left over, plus some tortilla chips I took home.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $4.29 - Breakfast: peanuts
• 3 servings, $3 - Lunch: tofu, broccoli, brown (and peanuts added after pic)
• 3 servings, $0 - Snack: watermelon, strawberries, and pineapple
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: masoor khichdi

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $7.29

$2.71 under budget for the day
$38.83 under budget overall

Public Transportation Snafus

Except for the first 2 days of this month, I've used public transportation, rather than Lyft. Today was a tough one. I had a board game night with some friends that required 2 separate bus lines. Unfortunately, I got a limited stop bus and ended up on the wrong side of Golden Gate Park :(. With some quick checking online, I was able to find an alternate route that put me within walking distance and I actually made it on time. Still, the temptation to just click for a Lyft ride was strong. Speaking of temptation, I resisted my normal game night gorging and passed on the cookies. Separate issue from my budget, but I'm about 40 pounds overweight, so I've been cutting back on junk food, too. I ate dinner before heading over and drank sparkling water, which was my only purchase for the day.

After game night, I found an alternate route with a bus line to an underground stop. San Francisco can get rather cold in the summer, so I didn't want to be outdoors more than necessary on a chilly night. Turns out, I was on the wrong corner for the unfamiliar bus and had to take my regular route after all. Of course, I missed the connecting bus. It was an 18 minute wait in the cold for the next one. I sooooo wanted to use Lyft, but stuck it out and waited. It wasn't that bad and my wallet was certainly in better shape than the usual takeout & lyft combo for game nights!

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 4 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor dal & rice
• 2 serving, $0 - Snack: 2 bananas
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: masoor khichdi
• 0 servings, $2.45 - Drink: sparkling water for game night

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $2.45

$7.55 under budget for the day
$36.12 under budget overall

Coasting Along

Even though I've been eating the same thing for quite a while, it actually hasn't been bad at all. I've settled into a routine and each meal still hits the spot. I'll probably change some stuff up this weekend, but so far so good!

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 4 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor dal & rice
• 1 serving, $2.34 - Snack: apple (+orange & 4 bananas for later)
• 4 servings, $1.99 - Dinner: TVP curry & rice (cost from frozen veggies)
• 1 serving, $0 - Snack: orange

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $4.33

$5.67 under budget for the day
$28.57 under budget overall

Cripps Pink

Introduced my coworker to Cripps Pink apples today, which are currently my favorite apple. They're quite sweet, with just a touch of tartness. Definitely give one a try if you haven't already!

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 4 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor dal & rice
• 2 servings, $2.37 - Snack: orange, apple (bought 1 for coworker)
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: TVP curry

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $2.37

$7.63 under budget for the day
$22.90 under budget overall

On a roll

Definitely on a roll. It's been over 2 weeks since I've eaten out or had takeout!

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 4 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor dal & rice
• 1 serving, $0.79 - Snack: orange
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: TVP curry
• 1 serving, $0.79 - Snack: apple

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $1.58

$8.42 under budget for the day
$15.27 under budget overall

More in whatever form!

Snacked on junk food for most of the day while gaming with friends, so I really loaded up on veggies for dinner. I went with masoor dal (Indian red lentil soup) packed with mixed veggies.

According to dietary guidelines in the UK, you can't count legumes toward your daily count, but that's a load of bollocks. Beans and lentils are still a healthy choice, especially compared to my usual takeout on weekends. The US guidelines for fruits and veggies really emphasizes getting more in whatever form, and I'm definitely on board with that.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Lunch: snacks bought the previous day
• 8 servings, $9.21 - Dinner: masoor dal & rice
• 2 servings, $0.77 - Dessert: apple

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $7.78

$2.22 under budget for the day
$6.85 under budget overall

TVP Chili with Mixed Veggies and Doritos

I host a tabletop RPG campaign at my place every month, so I had lots of doritos around. I made of broth of several random spices, including two different chili powder blends, then simmered the TVP along with some veggies. It was pretty good, though regular tortilla chips would probably work better. Still, I'm all about using what's on hand, and the day before tabletop game day, doritos are in the house!

Daily Summary

• 5 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor khichdi with tons of celery
• 4 servings, $9.21 - Dinner: TVP chili with mixed veggies and doritos
• 1 serving, $0.77 - Dessert: apple

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $9.98

$0.02 under budget for the day
$4.63 under budget overall

Spicy TVP, Celery, and Rice

Thanks to a work party, I was able to manage a zero spend day and finally catch up on the splurging I did at the start of the month.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 3 servings, $0 - Work Party: veggie spring rolls, fruit platter
• 3 servings, $0 - Lunch: Creole'ish black beans & rice
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: Spicy TVP, celery, and rice

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $0

$10 under budget for the day
$4.61 under budget overall

TVP and Green Bean Stir Fry

Bought an onion and some fruit on the way home. Stir fried the last of Sunday's green beans with the onion, then added a dollop of black bean & garlic sauce before stirring in the TVP and steaming it for a few minutes. Pretty simple and really delicious. I wasn't in the mood to do more dishes than necessary, so I ate right out of the skillet.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 3 servings, $0 - Lunch: Creole'ish black beans & rice
• 5 servings, $1 - Dinner: TVP & green bean stir fry with rice  
• 1 serving, $1.88 - Dessert: apple, orange

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $2.88

$7.12 under budget for the day
$5.39 over budget overall

Peanuts, Celery, and Green in Black Bean and Garlic Sauce

I tend to let store-bought sauces sit in the fridge forgotten after a single use for a particular dish. Not this time around! Taking a nod from Sunday's dinner, I whipped up this crunchy, savory meal. Similar preparation, just with added water to replace the liquid from the mock duck and the peanuts were added at the very end, rather than at the start.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $4.29 - Breakfast: peanuts & rice
• 3 servings, $0 - Lunch: Creole'ish black beans & rice
• 5 servings, $0 - Dinner: peanuts, celery, and green beans in black bean & garlic sauce, rice  
• 1 serving, $0 - Dessert: apple (bought 2 yesterday)

9 servings of fruits and vegetables on $4.29

$5.71 under budget for the day

$12.51 over budget overall

Work Lunch: Tofu and Gai Lan

Normally I just get rice and veggies from the lunch provided at work, but they had tofu and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) as an option today :). I added peanuts for some extra protein and calories since I had a particularly intense workout at the gym (I go at lunch, then eat at my desk while catching up on emails). In fact, I was so hungry that I had Creole'ish black beans as a second lunch. 

The $14 restaurant lunch at the start of the month was me taking it easy. My usual lunch was over $25 and consisted of an appetizer, entree, rice (sometimes double!), and Thai iced tea. Taking advantage of the $3 lunch at work has been a huge help with my budget.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: 3 oz peanuts
• 2 servings, $3 - Lunch: tofu and gai lan work lunch + peanuts
• 3 servings, $0 - 2nd Lunch: Creole'ish black beans (tough workout day, HUNGRY)
• 1 serving, $1.58 - Snack: apple (bought 2, saving the other for tomorrow)
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: TVP curry and rice 

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $4.58

$5.42 under budget for the day

$18.22 over budget overall

Creole'ish Black Beans and Rice

I was in the mood for Creole red beans and rice, but Trader Joe's didn't have any kidney beans. No biggie, as I'm also a fan of black beans, which they did have. 

I like to improvise in the kitchen, so instead of just the usual Creole spices, allspice and turmeric were also included. The allspice gave the beans a bit of a Caribbean flavor, but the trinity kept the overall flavor profile closer to Creole.

Creole'ish Black Beans and Rice

1 lb. black beans, dry
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 tbsp oil

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne 
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

6 cups water

black pepper and salt to taste
1 cup rice, cooked

Fry the bell pepper, onion, and celery until the onions and celery become translucent, but before they get heavily browned. Turn off the heat. Add all the spices and stir vigorously. The residual heat will toast the spices without burning them. After a minute or so, add the beans and the water. Cook in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes or in a standard pot for 2-3 hours... yeah, I LOVE my pressure cooker. You can add salt before cooking the beans in the pressure cooker, but if using a regular pot, wait to add the salt later. Serve hot with rice.

Makes 6 portions with 3 servings of vegetables each.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: 3 oz peanuts
• 4 servings, $3 - Lunch: work lunch + 3 oz peanuts
• 1 serving, $0.79 - Snack: apple
• 3 servings, $5.06 - Dinner: Creole'ish black beans and rice 
• 2 servings, $1.58 - Dessert: 2 apples

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $10.43

$0.43 over budget for the day

$23.64 over budget overall

Mock Duck and Green Beans in Black Bean and Garlic Sauce

I have a weakness for Chinese takeout. When the craving strikes, the greasier and saltier, the better! Unfortunately, cheap Chinese takeout really isn't all that cheap in San Francisco. Most of the time, I'm really only craving one dish, but to hit the $20 minimum, I have to get two entrees, overshooting the minimum by $5 bucks. Then factoring in tax and tip, it comes out to nearly $30.

Today, while heading home from the laundromat, I stopped in at the Chinese grocery store around the corner. I spent only $6.08, a far cry from the usual hit to my wallet.

Mock Duck & Green Beans in Black Bean & Garlic Sauce

1 can mock duck
2 cups chopped green beans
1 tbsp black bean & garlic sauce
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup cold water

Drain the liquid from the mock duck into the saucepan. Add black bean & garlic sauce and mix well. Chop the green beans and mock duck, then add both to the saucepan. Cover and let simmer for 6 minutes. Uncover, add cornstarch solution, mix until thickened, then serve hot with rice. Easy peasy! Also, there's no need to add any soy sauce, as mock duck and sauce both contain more than enough sodium and umami flavor. As an added bonus, there's only a fraction of the usual fat.

Daily Summary

• 2 servings, $0 - Lunch: masoor khichdi
• 4 servings, $6.08 - Dinner: Mock Duck & Green Beans in Black Bean & Garlic Sauce 
• 4 servings, $2.10 - Snack: 2 apples, 2 bananas

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $8.18

$1.82 under budget for the day

$23.21 over budget overall

TVP Curry

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is a super affordable source of protein. I buy Bob's Red Mill brand on Amazon in bulk. The batch I purchased was about 2.2kg for $19. That works out to $1.83 per 100g of protein. On its own, it isn't that tasty. However, it absorbs flavors really well! Here's an Indian-inspired take on it that also happens to be vegan.

TVP Curry

1 cup TVP, dry
1.5 cups water
1 lb. mixed frozen vegetables
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp kalonji
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hing (feel free to use less)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder

Lightly fry cumin, kalonji, mustard seeds, and hing in the oil.







Mix the dry TVP with the other spices and set aside. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, turn off the heat and add the TVP and spice mixture. Stir well. The residual heat will toast the TVP and spice powders without burning them.

Add the water and turn the heat up to high. Add the pack of frozen vegetables, cover, and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes. Uncover and check to see how much liquid is in the pan. Depending on your batch of TVP and vegetables, you might need to cook off some of the liquid. Just turn the heat up to high and let the excess boil off.



Serve hot with rice.

Makes 2 portions with 4 servings of vegetables each.

Daily Summary

• 2 servings, $0 - lentil soup
• 1/2 serving, $0 - Snack: 1/2 cup grapes 
• 4 servings, $7.48 - Dinner: TVP curry with rice
• 2 servings, $0 - 2 apples

8.5 servings of fruits and vegetables on $7.48
$2.52 under budget for the day

$25.03 over budget overall

Peanuts

Bought some peanuts and ate them for breakfast and lunch, combined with rice and veggies from work. Peanuts are a great source of protein and calories when on a budget. The pound I bought from Walgreens was $4.29, which works out to $3.78 per 100g of protein and $3.31 per 2,000 calories.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $4.29, Breakfast: 3oz peanuts
• 4 servings, $3 - Lunch @ work
• 4 servings, $0 - Dinner: TVP curry

8 servings of vegetables on $7.29
$2.71 under budget for the day

$27.55 over budget overall

Braised Tofu with Broccoli and Green Beans

Discovered frozen veggies that former roommates left in the freezer! Since I already had some beans for an afternoon snack, I grabbed some tofu on the way home for dinner instead of the usual red lentil/masoor meal. 

Daily Summary

• 4 servings, $3 - Lunch @ work
• 2 servings, $1.89 - Snack: instant split pea soup 
• 4 servings, $1.99 - Dinner: braised tofu with broccoli and green beans
• 2 servings, $0 - Snack: 2 cups of grapes

12 servings of fruits and vegetables on $6.88
$3.12 under budget for the day

$30.26 over budget overall

Extra Veggies!

Turns out that extra veggies are free when buying lunch at work =D. It's hard to tell from the picture, but that's a whopping 3 cups of veggies / 6 servings in one meal!

Daily Summary

• 6 servings, $3 - Lunch @ work with extra veggies, veggie sausage
• 0 servings, $4 - Snack, 2 kind bars
• 2 servings, $0 - Dinner: masoor dal with whole wheat dumplings
• 2 servings, $0 - Snack: 2 cups of grapes

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $7
$3 under budget for the day

$33.38 over budget overall

Work Lunch x 2

My friends and I have a weekly board game night. It's usually a day that I splurge on takeout, but I decided on getting 2 orders of lunch from work, putting aside one for dinner.

On the days without a vegetarian entree, I get rice and veggies, then supplement with whatever protein I'm in the mood for. Tuesday was brown rice, spinach, and bok choy with veggie sausage.

Daily Summary

• 3 servings, $9.49 - Lunch @ work, veggie sausage
• 5 servings, $0 - Dinner: work lunch, masoor dal
• 2 servings, $0 - Snack: 1/2 cup of fruit from work meeting, 1.5 cups of grapes

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $9.49
$0.51 under budget for the day

$36.38 over budget overall

Work Lunch

If I'm unable to cook the night before and bring leftovers (like Sunday night because of Game of Thrones - OMG, S7E4 was AMAZING), I'm able to get a decent, veggie-packed lunch at work for just $3. That's a deal anywhere, but especially in SF. At restaurants in a 2 block radius around work, lunch is routinely $20. Today was Portabello ravioli with marina sauce and mixed veggies.

Daily Summary

• 3 servings, $3 - Lunch @ work
• 1/2 serving, $0 - Snack: fig from coworker
• 4 servings, $0 - Snack: protein powder and V8
• 2 servings, $0 - Dinner: lentil soup with dumplings
• 1/2 serving, $0 - Snack: 1/2 cup of fruit from work meeting

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $3

$7 under budget for the day

$36.89 over budget overall

Loving the dumplings!

Since I still have plenty of fruit from the 2lbs of grapes I purchased yesterday, I made sure today was a zero spend day. After yesterday's experiment with dumplings, I was craving them today. I whipped up a large batch for the entire day, swapping in broccoli for the spinach. I think one of the reasons I love the dumplings so much is that they remind me of thanksgiving stuffing drenched in gravy.

Daily Summary

• 6 servings, $0 - Brunch: double portions, broccoli lentil soup with whole wheat dumplings
• 1 serving, $0 - Snack: 1 cup of grapes
• 3 servings, $0 - Dinner: broccoli lentil soup with whole wheat dumplings

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $0

$10 under budget for the day

$43.89 over budget overall

Spinach Lentil Soup with Whole Wheat Dumplings

I was thinking about buying rice, but then I remembered I had a whole bag of whole wheat flour in the pantry that I hadn't used in a while. I whipped up a quick spinach lentil soup with dumplings.

Spinach Lentil Soup with Whole Wheat Dumplings

As with all my recipes, this uses what I have on hand. Feel free to improvise!

Soup Ingredients

• 1/3 cup red lentils
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme

Dumpling Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 takeout pack of parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 pack of soy sauce
• Enough water to form a stiff batter

Lightly fry the cumin and hing for a minute. Add the nutritional yeast, stir well, then add the water. Add the rest of the soup ingredients, except for the spinach, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mix all of the dry dumpling ingredients, using just enough water to create a stiff batter. Add the spinach to the soup, bring back up to a gentle simmer, then add spoonfuls of the dumpling batter. Don't worry about some of the dumplings falling apart. These will thicken the soup! Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Makes 2 portions with 1.5 servings of vegetables each.

All the ingredients for the soup were in my pantry, but I had to head to the supermarket for more fruit. Was planning on just an apple and orange, but saw some grapes on sale, $5 for 2 lbs. Decided to also splurge on some raspberry seltzer as an alternative for my soda cravings.

Daily Summary

• 2 servings, $0 - Breakfast: masoor macaroni
• 3 servings, $0 - Lunch: spinach lentil soup with whole wheat dumplings (had both portions in one sitting and skipped dinner)
• 4 servings, $7.93 - Snack: orange, apple, 2 cups of grapes
• 2 servings, $0 - Dinner: masoor macaroni

11 servings of fruits & veggies on $7.93

$2.07 under budget for the day

$53.89 over budget overall

I happened to notice that my receipt for yesterday was wrong. I was charged for 2 apples, instead of 1. I thought $2.86 for an apple and an orange was a little high. I'll have to pay more attention from now on.

Friday Fruit

Not quite a $0 day, but still well under $10! Leftovers + no Lyft = a happy wallet. I ate dinner at work, then stopped at the supermarket on the way home. It's so much easier to avoid bad food choices on a full stomach.

2 servings, $0 - Breakfast: masoor macaroni

4 servings, $0 - Post-workout Lunch: chocolate pea & rice protein with V8

2 servings, $0 - Dinner: masoor macaroni

2 servings, $2.86 - Evening Snack: orange and apple

10 servings of fruits & veggies on $2.86!

$7.14 under budget for the day

$55.96 over budget overall

Masoor Macaroni

As mentioned earlier, seemingly odd food combinations will show up on my blog. The reasoning is equal parts necessity and curiosity. Indian cuisine is my favorite and one of my comfort foods is masoor dal aka Indian red lentil soup.

If I'm not eating masoor dal alone, I usually pair it with rice (I don't eat chapatis very often) either on the side or together in khichdi. However, I didn't have any rice in the pantry, and with current spending already $70+ over budget, I went with macaroni. I've never paired it with Indian food, but needs must.

It turned out well! I had a satisfying meal and plenty of leftovers for lunch!

Masoor Macaroni Recipe

This recipe features what I actually used, according to what I had on hand. Feel free to improvise!

1 lb macaroni, dry

1 cup masoor dal / red lentils, dry 

3 cups assorted frozen veggies

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp hing (feel free to use less)

2 takeout red chili flake packs

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp Better than Bouillon vegetable base

1 takeout soy sauce pack

Boil the macaroni for 8 minutes. While the macaroni boils, lightly fry the cumin, mustard, and hing in the oil. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the red chili flakes and nutritional yeast. Turn the heat off. The residual heat will finish toasting the flakes without burning them. Add 3 cups of water, soy sauce, and vegetable base, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Drain the macaroni and set aside uncovered while the masoor is still cooking. Once the masoor has cooked for 10 minutes, turn the heat up to medium, add the frozen veggies, cover the pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Mix everything together and dig in!

Makes 5 portions, each with ~ 2 servings of vegetables

Cripps pink apples are a perfect way to finish a spicy meal!

Even if you're not a big fan of legumes, you should give red lentils a try. Unlike most of pulses, they don't need to be soaked and cook in less than 20 minutes! Plus, 1/3 a cup of dried lentils count as 1 cup cooked = 2 servings of vegetables.

Indian food can be intimidating to many because of the wide array of spices. And for someone on a budget, it can be prohibitively expensive to begin with zero Indian spices in your pantry. However, I highly recommend making a trip to an Indian grocery store and stocking up on 5 basic spices: cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, hing, and turmeric. If you don't have cayenne powder or red chili flakes, grab some chili powder at the Indian grocery store, too!

Since August 1st and 2nd were so terrible budget-wise, I made a conscious effort to keep expenditures low today. I woke up early and used the subway (already accounted for by the monthly $75 pass) instead of Lyft both to and from work, I brought leftovers for lunch. I didn't buy any drinks or snacks during the day. I managed a completely $0 spending day!

$10 under budget for the day
$63.10 over budget overall

Servings of fruits and vegetables
1 serving, lunch - macaroni with arrabbiata sauce
4 servings, snack - 2 cups of low sodium V8
2 servings, dinner - masoor macaroni
1 serving, dessert - apple (bought last week)
8 servings, almost got it!

Playing Catch-up

I recently landed a promotion at work, which prompted me to take a closer look at my finances. Funny how a raise made me realize I needed to buckle down on my spending. Here's a look at the first 2 days of August, before I decided to rein things in:

August 1
$16.70, Lyft to work
$15.81, super nachos for dinner
$3.75, snacks for boardgame night with friends
$10.66, Lyft home
$46.92, Total
$36.92 over budget

August 2
$16.91, Lyft to work
$7.27, breakfast sandwich
$14.00, Thai fried rice for lunch
$8, Riesling & pear donut, Matcha-dipped croissant (yes, very fancy pastries, but so good!)
$46.18, Total
$$36.18 over budget

$73.10 over budget o far :(. I've got some catch-up to do!

Intro

This blog came about after a rather eye-opening review of my finances. It focuses on eating a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables while on a tight budget. It's a blend of both US and UK dietary guidelines. My personal goal is to eat 10 servings (5 cups) of fruits and veggies on an average of $10 a day despite living in San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the US. I happen to be vegetarian, but much of what I do will be applicable for anyone on a budget.

The $10 encompasses food and entertainment. It doesn't include monthly recurring items like rent, utilities, or credit card payments, which were included in the overall budget that helped determine the $10/day amount.

Frozen veggies will be more common than fresh on this blog, as the bulk quantities purchased from farmer’s markets tend to go bad before I can eat it all. You’ll see cheap ramen (gasp) on occasion. Food combinations that might seem weird will definitely be featured. $10 a day is not a lot for San Francisco, so compromises and creativity will be needed. However, my wallet (& my waist) will thank me later! Feel free to share any tips!