Blue Palate

He could save 20% on his food budget. (Image credit: Tambako the Jaguar)

The other day my sister Caitlan asked me if I thought $350 was an excessive monthly food budget for one person. I said I thought it was, but eventually changed my mind. Those of us who are conscious about what we buy and put in our bodies can easily spend $12 a day on groceries. In our current food system, whole foods like lean meats, fresh produce, whole grains and unprocessed sugars are generally more expensive than refined foods made with cheap fructose. Cost rise considerably for those who choose organic over conventionally grown foods.

It’s a dilemma I share with my sister. How do we feed ourselves well, have less impact on the planet, and spend less than $50 per week per person? I decided to experiment by cutting one of the most expensive items from my food budget this week: meat.

My husband and I cook meat at home about 4-5 times per week. Even though it’s not an every day occurrence, meat accounts for approximately 20% - 30% of our weekly food budget. Trim that off the bill and we’ll have met our goal of less than $50 per week per person. But will we feel satisfied? Will we get enough protein? Without possessing the convictions behind vegetarianism, will it be difficult to stick to a truly meatless diet? And do we really have to eat tofu?

Today we started with a meatless breakfast burrito and plan to have leftover veggie pizza for lunch. Dinner will be a cauliflower and pea curry with brown rice. So far so good. I’ll blog over the next week about our experimentation with vegetarianism. Stay tuned.

image credit: Aubrey Arenas

Traveling on a tight budget can be tricky, especially in winter months when camping isn’t an easy option for those light on gear. After the costs of airfare or gas, hotel, and sightseeing add up, often there’s little leftover for fine wining and dining.

The gastronomic experience in a new city or town is as important to many as the museums, events, sports, shopping or hiking. Also, part of being on vacation is a holiday from the kitchen and monotony of everyday cooking. How do we eat well on the road and have money leftover to buy groceries when we get home?

Having taken many trips with limited funding, I’ve devised a few strategies for sticking to a budget and enjoying the culinary aspects of tourism.

• Book a hotel room with a small kitchenette. Cook most meals, especially breakfast and lunch, and splurge on a couple of nice meals. Grocery shopping in a new city can be as fun as dining out!
• Drink in your hotel room and save your money for meals. Alcohol can be the most expensive part of dining out. Buy a couple of your favorite bottles of wine or some cocktail makings and have a drink and appetizer (like some healthy nuts) on your balcony rather than the bar. At the restaurant, hold the alcohol or just order a glass instead of a whole bottle.
• Research restaurants before you go. Often, if we are unfamiliar with a city, we find ourselves hungry, desperate and eating in over-priced, underwhelming tourist-trap restaurants recommended by the concierge. Read up on a city or town’s top-rated restaurants, which aren’t always the most expensive, especially in local entertainment guides or weeklies. Websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor are useful too. (Read the customer reviews!)
• Be adventurous. The fun of traveling to a new place is trying new cuisine, the best food is often the local food. Eat where the locals eat. Venture from the downtown. Visit an international neighborhood or a college campus. You’ll likely find yourself paying less and having a more intriguing experience than if you ate at the fancy bistro across the street from your hotel.
• Splurge on one or two great meals. If you can’t have a vacation without visiting a five-star restaurant, pick one or two to visit for lunch (cheaper) or dinner, and eat frugally for the other meals.

Are you a seasoned budget traveler? Share your tips for vacation dining with fewer finds.

A Yuctatan breakfast (photo credit: joiseyshowaa)

I’m definitely a savory breakfast person.  I’ll take hashbrowns over pancakes any day, and biscuits call out to me more than any version of danish or muffin. When I traveled to England and Ireland and ate my first fry up, I discovered the joys of beans for breakfast, and have been trying to conjure ways to serve them with eggs ever since.

With a big pot of leftover black beans needing inspiration this morning, I decided to make the “full breakfast” of the Americas: huevos rancheros. However, after a little research, I discovered my version of this popular Mexican breakfast is actually a closer cousin to huevos motulenos, the classic breakfast of the Yucatan Peninsula. While rancheros call for tortillas, eggs and the eponymous ranchero sauce, motulenos always incorporate black beans, the star of my Saturday morning.

I decided to use some bagged spinach for extra nutrients. The result: a healthy, inexpensive savory breakfast and enough protein to sustain my frosty morning run.

Saturday Morning Quick Huevos Motulenos
Heat 2-4 servings of leftover or canned beans in a large skillet. Add veggies, such as chopped spinach, frozen corn, diced bell pepper, etc, if desired. Crack desired number of eggs onto beans and cover. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until eggs poach to desired firmness. Serve beans on or aside heated tortillas. Serve with optional toppings, such as salsa (I used Trader Joe’s chipotle salsa) or picante, grated cheese, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, etc.