The First Month on the Meal Plan
A month ago, my spouse as part of a class he is taking was put on a specific and regimented meal plan for 12 weeks designed to help him lose weight, lower his cholesterol, and lower his blood pressure. None of those three things are in the “danger” zone, but all three are a little higher than they should be. The good news is, he’s lost 13 pounds so something is working (and in fact, if he loses more than a few more, he’s going to talk to the nutritionist about changing the diet to a “maintaining” plan vs a weight loss plan). The less good news was that the meal plan really wreaked havoc with our budget. Which is okay - but we’re trying to figure out ways to minimize the diet’s impact a little more financially.
Before the meal plan, our budget for food was $75 a week for a family of four, two adults and two kids (3 and 1). The first week shopping for things on the meal plan, I spent about $135. So it was a bit of an adjustment. Some of that was buying things that would take many weeks to use up (still working on the same bag of frozen flounder) but some of it was just that primarily fresh food with some select frozen items vs a mix of fresh, frozen and processed foods was just more expensive for us. Because the meal plan is very specific, I couldn’t really shop for things on sale at first, and had to buy them as they were. Now that I know the meal plan and know what to expect, I can shop around sales a bit more, and stock up on certain items (my freezer has a lot of frozen salmon right now) when they are available.
So, this week, I spent $36.19 at Aldi, $33.07 at Walmart, and $6.71 at Kroger for a total of $75.97. This brings my average per week for this month to about $98, which honestly, is better than I expected after the first week of shopping. The meal plan only lasts for 12 weeks, but a number of the meals and snacks from it are going to end up being incorporated into our general rotation of foods, so I expect a permanent upswing in the grocery budget as a whole. I think with planning and creative shopping, I might be able to meet my original goal of only raising the grocery budget by $10 per week. We’ll see what happens in March.
I probably should get on the diet train (although I’d need a completely different menu) because I’d like to lose 13 pounds in a month, too. 
I also think that buying more expensive foods is also going to be balanced out in the long term by smaller portion sizes. The biggest impact the meal plan is having, I think, is showing what realistic portions are. And they are a lot smaller than either of us thought. My spouse is adjusting really well though, he is doing a great job. When he gets frustrated and hungry he cheats on his meal plan with an extra stalk of celery. If celery is the worst cheating you are doing, well, I think you are doing good.
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February 25th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I think, too, that you figure a cost/benefit type relationship when you’re changing your diet. In the past 18 months, I have lost 80 lbs… and our grocery budget IS higher than it used to be. But I’m using more healthful foods now (fresher meats, fresh vegetables) vs the frozen foods and processed foods that I was eating before, for cheaper. And I wouldn’t think twice about going back and spending that money again, in exchange for the health benefits that I am enjoying now.
However, I am COUNTING THE SECONDS until March when the produce market I frequent opens back up. Buying all my produce at the grocery store SERIOUSLY cramps my budget!
February 25th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Congrats to both of you for staying committed to the nutrition plan! I’ve always wondered if by having smaller portions/eating less you compensate for the more expensive “healthy” foods. Of course, there’s always the longer term benefits [savings] of good health, less medications, so forth.
Will be interested in continuing to follow your progress!
Congrats again.
February 25th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hi, just came across your blog, and first off have to say I’m way impressed that you can target a $75 weekly food budget for 4. That’s amazing.
But my experience is that when trying to eat healthier, our costs average around 20% to 30% higher. Also, portion sizes don’t seem to make much difference.
The good news is that we feel so much better, that it’s just worth while to keep at it.
Best of luck on the diet - and the debt!
February 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I think having good health is an incredibly valuable asset, and one that should always been looked at even when trying to eliminate debt.
I think you’ve found a good balance and will be taking advantage of the increased flexibility as you can to reduce costs.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I just ran into this problem as well. My wife and I cut hydrogenated oils out of our diet recently (your body doesn’t process them well so it gets stored as fat), and it blew our grocery budget out of the water. It’s a lot more expensive to shop healthy. Anything organic or all natural will cost you quite a bit more. We realigned our priorities though and found a way to make it work. Being healthy is worth making some sacrifices to me.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Man, I should buy some celery. I love it for a snack or in a lot of meals, but my wife hates it so I rarely eat it.
February 26th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Hopefully the higher grocery costs will be offset by lower health costs - fewer prescriptions, fewer sick days, etc.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
If he is actually hungry, he isn’t getting enough to eat. It’s that simple. And he should tell the councillor he is working with (if he still is) that he is hungry. If they aren’t a quack, they will offer recommendations for change to reduce his hunger.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:18 am
I bet once you’re off the actual meal plan but still sticking to the aspects of it that your family enjoyed, you will be able to take advantage of sales a little more and it will also allow you to be more flexible… if X healthy item is on sale this week, a lot of your meals can include that, next week Y will be on sale, etc. Love your blog… lots of helpful information.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
It’s important to remember that *all* food is organic. All food is made of organic materials. The label “organic” has been improperly used to describe a method of production and not content.
The label or method of production doesn’t determine the chemical makeup of something.
I am also on the same meal plan, and after 14 days I’ve lost over 8 pounds. I’m eating less, and even when I cheat, I cheat better. This week I’ll be adding Wii Fit routines.
On the other hand, all that additional fiber is certainly clearing out my system