The $25 Food Project: Day 4

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

We’re more than halfway through our experiment, and things are mostly pretty swell. Admittedly, I’m developing a little agita. The planning and math are fairly intense, and I’m kicking myself for not including protein in my calculations. Maybe I’ll remember next year, when I try to feed the Chicago Bears for eight weeks on 80% of a May 2007 Euro.

On the bright side, this is only due to the blog element. I think the non-obsessive layperson would have a much easier time, as you wouldn’t be calculating the price of 3/4 of a pineapple ring.

But enough whining! On to today.

We don’t really eat lunch on weekends, preferring instead to do a big brunch. Husband-Elect also had two cups of coffee, creating another caloric obstacle. As a result, we missed the 2600 minimum and failed miserably on the produce front.

After much therapy, I am okay with this. He’s far from hungry, and our fridge is filled with leftovers. It’s entrancing, really. Like a lava lamp made of pork.

And with that, the numbahs!

DAY 4 TOTALS: 2454 calories, 95 g fat, 28.1 g fiber, $3.58
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $14.47

BRUNCH
5 homemade pancakes (Betty Crocker recipe): 550 calories, 21.5 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.50
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
1/2 tablespoon butter: 51 calories, 5.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.03
1/3 cup Aunt Jemima butter lite syrup: 131 calories, 0 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, $0.25
1 cup coffee: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.22
TOTALS: 855 calories, 27.7 g fat, 5.8 g fiber, $1.23
PREP TIME: 15 to 20 minutes

SNACKS
1 cup coffee: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.22
1 tablespoon Coffee mate: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.05
2 Snickerdoodles: 300, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 337 calories, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.47
PREP TIME: 2 minutes

DINNER
3 ounces Tasty Kitchen Puerto Rican Pork: 229 calories, 17.3 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.46
2 corn tortillas: 100 calories, 1 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.09
1/4 teaspoon Adobo sauce: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
1 pineapple ring: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0.6 g fiber, $0.18
1 cup brown rice: 219 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.15
1 serving refried black beans: 220 calories, 7.9 g fat, 10.5 g fiber, $0.39
2/3 cup organic mixed baby greens: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
TOTALS: 875 calories, 34.4 g fat, 17.6 g fiber, $1.55
PREP TIME: about 15 minutes for everything but the rice, which took another 15 or 20 minutes of waiting

DESSERT
2 tablespoons peanut butter: 190 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.13
1 piece Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 387 calories, 19.3 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.33
PREP TIME: 2 minutes

NOTES

• I scored a 5-ounce clamshell of Earthbound Farms mixed baby greens for $0.99 this week. It was in the markdown bin, presumably because it hit its inspiration date. The greens were perfectly fine, though. So, YAY! Organic greens for less than a buck!
• Our favorite Mexican place makes a dish called Tacos al Pastor, which is basically spicy pork with pineapple. I tried to mimic it with leftover pork and pineapple juice mixed with a little adobo sauce. All considering, it worked well. It’ll never be confused for the real thing, but I’d eat it again and twice on Sunday.
• The refried beans are basically: beans, olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat em, mash ‘em, and *poof*, there you go. Easy and delicious.