One of my favorite activities is grocery shopping, which probably stems from my love of food. I love how every trip is a chance to try something new and make something yummy for the week! My Sundays are spent meal prepping for the week, both mentally and physically. So, I decided to take up the challenge of not eating out at all for a whole week. Here’s what happened!
Sunday:
Sunday morning was a great time for a quick trip to Reading Terminal’s produce stands for some college budget-friendly buys. This week whole carrots, cucumbers, and grapes were especially cheap. I always seem to splurge for my favorite foods, like peppers because they are my go-to during a busy week.
After I conquered produce, next up was Trader Joe’s for everything else. Eggs, chicken, ground turkey, cheese, crackers, and pita are my usual restocks. Oh, and Joe’s O’s they are my personal favorite cereal. The rest of Sunday was spent hard-boiling some eggs, making tuna salad, skinning and cutting carrots, and planning meals for the week. My roommate and I decided what we would have for dinner everyday this week, so it was one less meal to worry about!
Monday:
Waking up to a fully stocked and prepped fridge was a great feeling. Knowing I packed my lunch the night before class or co-op allowed me to hit the snooze button one more time. Breakfast was easy, just a bowl of Joe’s O’s and berries. This morning I had an extra 10 minutes so I threw together a spinach, banana, orange, apple, and yogurt smoothie in my NutriBullet. Here is a big secret to making smoothies: dump all of your fruit that is starting to go bad (It tastes sweeter!) and a big handful of greens into a blender. Don’t like the taste? A splash of orange juice will help sweeten it up! Smoothies are not a science, just a way to eat whatever fruits and veggies you have. After a long day on campus and a yummy packed lunch, I was excited for dinner. Alyssa and I already planned a dinner of chicken sausage and peppers sauté with a side of Mexican rice. After eating dinner, I jumped right into packing a lunch for tomorrow so it was out of the way.
Tuesday:
I felt fantastic yesterday; not having to worry about what to eat was one less thing to stress over. Having everything run so smoothly on Monday really made me more motivated for Tuesday’s challenge. Breakfast was pretty static, consisting of cereal and milk (I swear I am addicted to Joe’s O’s) and my morning smoothie gave me the little boost I needed to get the day started! Usually on a midterm day I grab something while studying at Starbucks, but today I packed my own yogurt and trail mix to munch on. Packing my lunch made me feel more in control of my diet. I knew exactly what I was eating today, so there was no excuse to buy that cupcake in LeBow at the fundraiser. Post-exam I was ready for something sweet — my weakness is my terrible sweet tooth. After dinner, Alyssa and I made homemade sugar cookies, because they make studying slightly more bearable.
Wednesday:
I did not pack my lunch last night, so getting up early this morning to do it was a struggle. I managed to put together an okay lunch in what little time I had on this dreadful hump day. Having precut peppers and whole fruits, like apples and banana, made the morning run a little smoother. The day moved slowly, and I am pretty sure I moved even slower. After two meetings full of bad news, the only thing I wanted was a chocolate croissant from Starbucks, but I settled for inadequate apples and peanut butter. Wednesdays are the worst.
Thursday:
My favorite part about having a bad day is being able to go to bed and start over again in the morning. This morning I sort of popped out of bed and ran for my bowl of Joe’s O’s. While eating breakfast I ran around the kitchen and packed what was left over for lunch — a few cherry tomatoes, tuna salad, crackers, cut peppers, and leftover chicken sausage pieces. Regardless, I had a lunch ready to tackle the day. Okay, maybe I packed a few homemade sugar cookies from Monday night just in case today to help my mood. Thursday buzzed by and, before I knew it, I was home making left overs into a new dinner. Left over pasta, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and raviolis became a garden pasta dish with olive oil and lemon sauce. The fridge was looking a little bare; somehow it always does at the end of the week.
Friday:
I couldn’t be happier it is Friday! With my lack of classes, I tried to catch up on schoolwork and go to the gym, but I ended up in Center City at my part time office job. After my Barre class, I ran home to make my green smoothie with left over spinach that was looking just a little sad in the back of the fridge. I threw together a quick salad and headed into the office. My boss bought pizza for the office, but it was so much easier to say no when I had a colorful green salad waiting for me. Tonight Alyssa and I are headed out to a happy hour with free food and drinks. Before we left, we cooked a quick dinner, just to make sure we didn’t stuff ourselves with happy hour apps!
I had the hardest time not buying something yummy on campus when I had a really bad day, but having snacks in my bag helped me resist the temptation! While eating all my own food took extra time out of my day, I saved a ton of money throughout the week. Not only that, but eating what I made gave me more energy throughout the week. I felt fantastic eating fresh fruits and veggies all week! I also felt more in control of what I was (and wasn’t) eating. Give it a try and I promise it will make you feel more in control, energetic, and a little bit more like an adult!