The Ten Item Challenge

How often do you walk into your kitchen, open the refrigerator and all the cupboards, and then complain about how you have nothing to eat.  Be honest.  I am totally guilty of this, especially when I am on a between-meal snacking craze.  Chances are, there is probably an abundance of food in the kitchen, and I just don’t have time or patience to make something...or I want junk food, which we don’t buy.  Does this happen to you and your family?  

My husband recently read an article about a father in a family of four who complained about having no food.  When he stopped to think about it, he realized that not only did he have plenty of food in the cabinets and was just too lazy to make something, but he was also setting a bad example for his two kids about always wanting more, even when you have plenty.  He decided to eat what they had in their kitchen, without any grocery shopping, until they really ran out of food.  His family was excited about the challenge, and they ended up eating from their pantry and fridge for three and a half months.  Three and a half months for four people!

This story inspired me to do this ten item challenge.  I really believe we could eat for quite a while on what we have in our kitchen right now, especially since we buy in bulk.  We have items in our pantry and freezer that I’m ready to use up- I am tired of looking at them to be honest.  So I decided to only buy ten items this month, and meal plan from those items and what we already have on hand.  I decided to buy ten items (instead of none at all like the man from the article) because as a vegan, I need fresh produce in my meals, and we have used almost all of ours from the month of July.  So what I am buying is mostly produce.  Here is my shopping list for August:

1. Lettuce
2. Peppers
3. Onions
4. Tomatoes
5. Carrots
6. Potatoes
7. Vegan sausages (we are out)
8. Sugar (we are out)
9. Burger buns (I would usually make my own or just use   homemade bread, but I found the thin buns at Costco for a great price, and I can freeze them for easy, on-the-go lunches and dinners if needed.)
10. One item of choice (we decided to choose any single item that we both wanted, and ended up with shelled pistachios)

My day of shopping for the month was cheap and quick.  Based on what I bought and the prices that I have researched, I only needed to go to two stores, and they were right next to each other.  Our total cost for the month was $77.39.  It could have been less, but the pistachios were a splurge at $14.49 and the vegan sausages run $13.99 (I think I need to research how to make my own).  I have a list of items to make from scratch to supplement what we are buying, including whole wheat crackers, bread, black bean burgers, salad dressing, raspberry muffins, applesauce, and soy yogurt.

My intention in eating what we have in our kitchen is not to use up all of our bulk items, but rather to use up some odds and ends that I have had on hand for a while.  I really dislike throwing food away, so this will help us go through things before they get close to expiring.  Plus, it is always a good feeling to clear out items in your pantry. 

I have one exception to my once-a-month and ten item rules in August.  I am giving myself permission to spend money on u-pick produce.  I would like to pick corn, peaches, and more blueberries for canning and freezing, and August is the month to do it.  So there is a good chance these items will appear in some of our meals this month, but I figure that by picking and processing it all, I will earn the exception.   

I hope everyone is doing well with meal planning, preserving, and/or whatever else you’re doing to help your families eat healthy and save money on food.  A ten item challenge (or less) may be just what you need if you’re having a rough month financially, if you need to eat through some items in your pantry/fridge, or if you just enjoy the challenge.  Best of luck, and thank you for reading about this mindful home.