Broke-Ass Meals of the Week

January isn’t even half over and I have already somehow managed to break all of the New Year’s Resolutions I knew I wouldn’t keep. Why are New Year’s Resolutions so important? Well, once you break one, and they lead to more ill behavior that will snowball into an even worse predicament.

In my case, I coped with a very poor dating choice by partaking in retail therapy, buying expensive Americanos while writing in the window of my favorite coffee shop, and spending money at dinner while laughing about my situation with friends. Next thing you know, my bank balance is down, my refrigerator is empty, and this Fiscal Cliff thing I tried to ignore took a small chunk of my paycheck.

I get paid on Friday and I need to try to live on a cash basis (another resolution I failed to keep) for the next week. Let’s say I have $30 to spend on food- a budget that goes against my urge to charge $25 on dinner like I did last night. Obviously I want to try and continue to eat healthy for the mind, body and soul, so I’m skipping anything salty and avoiding Ramen Noodles at all costs. Here’s my game plan.

Cereal: $3, 1 box, 6 meals

Morning, noon or night! There’s no quicker meal than throwing some cereal into a bowl, pouring some milk (soy in my case) atop and enjoying the crispy goodness. My favorite are flakes with almonds. I can find this for $2-3 a box depending on the store, and yes, I totally go for the generic store brands. You’ll also need to spend about $2 for milk.

Quinoa: $7, 5 meals

A cup of quinoa, some vegetables and spices= lunch and dinner. I’m pretty small and don’t eat a ton, so a cup is good for me. I get a container which lasts me about a week. Whip up a stir fry, throw on some vegetables and voila! You have a hot meal or a salad, whatever you prefer. Quinoa is super healthy and loaded with fiber, so have at it.

Salmon: $10, 3 meals

Throw a salmon filet in the oven on broil with some spices sprinkled on top. While fish isn’t always amazing to eat later on, salmon is decent the following day. Make it for dinner one night and have it for lunch and dinner the following day. It seems to work for me. It’s also good served cold on a salad.

Kale: $5, 4 meals

Now that I mentioned a salmon salad, consider the overly-hyped green everyone is talking about. 5 days, many ways. Make that salad I was talking about, cook the kale with your salmon, or throw a few leaves in the oven to make some kale chips for a mid-day snack. You’re good to go with this power food. There are a ton of ways to spice up your kale.

Eggs: $3, 6 meals

The milk will double for the eggs. Scramble them for breakfast OR dinner- everyone loves breakfast for dinner.

Throw in some filler vegetables- onions, tomatoes, potatoes and garlic, and you’ve got a few meals. Sweet potatoes are also super cheap. You probably have this stuff in your refrigerator now.

Grand Total: $30 on the dot. You, too, can live on a food budget while avoiding fast food, microwaves and canned tuna.

Photo Credit: CooksandBooksandRecipes.com, 123rf.com, Inerikaskitchen.com