Day 1 - Mission 1

Determine what my family should be eating on a daily basis based on USDA Pyramid and meal plan accordingly.

According to mypyramid.gov our family breakdown is as follows:

My results 6 ounces Grains, 2.5 cups Vegetables, 2 cups Fruits, 3 cups Milk, 5.5 ounces Meats/Beans

Hubby's results 9 ounces Grains, 3.5 cups Vegetables, 2 cups Fruits, 3 cups Milk, 6.5 ounces Meats/Beans

Toddler's results 3 ounces Grains, 1 cup Vegetables, 1 cup Fruits, 2 cups Milk, 2 ounces Meats/Beans

Initial thought on these results is that it seems a little measily but of course that is part of this excersice, to eat what we are supposed to not what we have learned to. The milk thing will be a problem for the hubby since he doesn't drink it but the alternatives like yogurt, ice cream and cheeses add the unneccesary sugars or fats that we are trying to avoid also. There is the Stonyfield Organic product that I will have to look into.

For budgeting and shopping purposes I have calculated that I will need about 14 oz total meats/beans a day. Adding the infant into the picture who will soon enough be eating 1-2 oz a day it is about a pound a day. Striving to only use meat about 3-4 days a week, buying 4 lbs of meat won't kill the budget if trying to go organic...but I will have to price this out to confirm.

8 cups of milk a day equals a HALF A GALLON - WOW. Now that will put a damper on my plan of organic milk. 3-4 gallons of milk a week at $6 a pop - WOW. Maybe I will look into cost savings for using Soy Milk in addition to cow's milk.

Tonight's meal is Tilapia and Baby Spinach with Balsamic Vinaigrette. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/seafood/fish-fillets-with-spinach-red-pepper-and-onion/

The link is close enough to the recipe I found in the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook I've had for about 5 years or so. It is a new recipe for us and instead of the red pepper jelly I am substituting pure honey. It will count as most of our lean meat consumption for the day as well as two vegetables...looking forward to this new step.