Healthy Eating vs Take Out

I bought food today. I sat down yesterday, worked out a meal plan, then bought the ingredients. It cost me $116. I was amazed. Most of it was admittedly fresh food which is a good thing, a few things that I won't have to buy for a while because it is part of the pantry now, and the rest was meat. Some of that meat will also last a few weeks, being only one person it's not like I'm cooking for an army.

I wanted to compare it to the fact that take away is so much cheaper. For example, Hungry jacks offers a complete meal for $5. So say you had that meal or something similar at the same price.... for seven nights worth, it's about $35. Compare that to my $116 for one week. Which is insane. I can spend less money and eat more crap or spend more money and eat healthy. Thanks government. When it's hard enough to keep afloat in these times, some people would be forced to make this choice. "Cheaper to feed my kids even if it's junk food.....quicker, cheaper, easier, yes please." Even in my position (uni student) this choice is sometimes easier to make. Also, the preparation that is involved in it.... many people would rather consider it.

However, I did do my meal plan and I made my first meal. Asian pork skewers and Asian greens with basmati rice. It was brilliant. Soo yummy. Worth the money I spent on ingredients. Plus I don't feel sluggish or really heavy... or sick like I normally get from junk food.

Based on this I am actually planning to stick with this new plan. Choose seven healthy dinner meals from my HFG magazine, base lunches and breakfast on healthy foods and see how the weight loss/getting healthy eventuates.

Also based on tonight's success, I have decided to compile my own recipe book. It will be based in a folder with the plastic sleeves with dividers. I will type up the recipes and put them in there. Also because there are certain ingredients that I don't like, (red onion on the skewer... no go) I will simply take them out of the recipe to suit me.

My adventure into the healthy cooking has begun and looks like it will be fun :)

Rosalinda, xoxo.