I ate well today, but arrived home starved, and I cannot explain why.
I drank a large glass of water, trying to ward off the desire to consume whatever I can in the first 5 minutes after I walk in the door. This is not stress eating. I had a great day at work, and things are pretty good overall. I just want to eat. I cave in and have a piece of whole wheat toast (the bread that I bought a a couple of weeks ago I broke into two slice freezer bags and stuck in the freezer. Then I toast another.
Drat. This was not apart of today's meal plan. I did well all day long. A baby orange, three rye-crisp crackers, a single slice of cheddar and a hard boiled egg for breakfast. A large bowl of vegetable barley soup for lunch, along with a second baby orange, and a piece of cake (small) left over from the luncheon rental (they left the cake and cookies for us). I should not be this hungry. But I am. And it wasn't a particularly active day.
Again I wonder to myself how a teenager or a a fully grown young man would deal with my low calorie diet. I know there are ways I can add calories--there are low cost ways to eat (think box of mac and cheese).
After taking the edge off my hunger, I start dinner. Black bean tacos. Which I have never had before, but the recipe is easy and cheap. And I have everything in the house, because I have left over groceries from last week.
While my black beans are heating, I call up a friend. Her advise: Coupons.
They arrive in every Sunday paper, and you can print out coupons from several web sites now. A few months ago, a local food bank even hosted a class on couponing to bring down the cost of your groceries. And there is something to that, but here is the problem for me: coupons do not exist to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and there are not a lot of them out there for things like flour, sugar, etc (except during the holidays).
I took the time (and it took some time) to count the number of coupons in this Sunday's Paper: 162. Only 42 were for food items that were food stamp eligible. Most of them were for items like high sugar breakfast cereal, or kid's yogurt. Of those that were good for item that everyone needs that food stamps don't cover, most were for the higher end versions of tooth paste and toilet paper. Oh, and there were two coupons for condoms. Which is not the worst idea ever, but they aren't on my shopping list.
Coupons are not really meant to help the poor; they are their to hook the middle class on purchasing a particular brand. $1 off a box of high sugar cereal is really not all that much, when the cereal costs $4 and would only feed a teenager for a week.
IF you have a computer and printer at home (or can use one at the library), you can print your own coupons. Albertsons and Winco allow you to print manufacture coupons, printing only the ones you need. Safeway has a cell phone app for coupons and discounts. I don't do cell phone apps, but I have no problem printing coupons. This is slightly better for me--I can at least get coupons for cereal I will eat (plain old Cheerios), I print $15 dollars worth of coupons--some for me, some for my daughter, and a couple for items we use at work. But I have already done the bulk of my shopping for the week, so they will have to wait.
Coupons have been around for 125 years. You can thank a guy by the name of Asa Candler for this--in 1888 he had a new product he was selling, and he wanted to encourage people to buy it. So he created coupons for a free glass of his new product: Coca Cola. Back then it contained coca leaf extract. The same plant we get cocaine from. But that's another story to be told another time.
CW Post made use of a 1 cent off coupon to sell a new cereal he was introducing in 1909: Grape Nuts. By 2000, over $3 BILLION a year in coupons were used in the USA.
It is kind of a shame that so few of them are for nutritious food. There are few for frozen or even canned vegetables and fruits. There are fewer for anything like fresh salad ingredients--even the ones that come in bags. Lots for meat that has sauce or frozen meals or canned soup (traditionally high in sodium, and not particularly healthy).
My black beans were in the cupboard from before I started this challenge. I usually use them for soup, but I am tired of day after day of soup (I may freeze what is left for later in Lent).
The Black Bean Tacos are WONDERFUL. Here is the recipe:
I can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 corn tortillas
6 tablespoons shredded cheddar
2 cups Romaine lettuce, shredded
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup salsa
Heat black beans in microwave or oven
While they are heating, in a nonstick pan heat corn tortillas. I actually sprinkled the cheese over them before removing them from the pan. Then divide black beans, lettuce, romaine and salsa among the tortillas and serve. 2 servings.
I am short on cheese, so I use a little less than it calls for, but use a little bit more salsa. I don't know if it is the spice or what, but for the first time in a couple of days, I feel happy with what I am eating.
This recipe is adapted from the CarbLovers Diet. I used less cheese, more salsa, and I suspect less beans--I seem to have more left over than I used for three tortillas. But from bite one, it felt wonderful. And healthy. And cheap.
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