VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – With any challenge there are bound to be hurdles and mistakes made. News1130′s Andrea Macpherson continues a Welfare Food Challenge this week to live on just $26 worth of groceries and is finding out how to better stretch her dollar.

DAY 2 – Hurdles and mistakes

I figured grains would at least fill me up, so I rushed out and loaded up on oats, rice, pasta and other goods. What I didn’t think of doing was buying in bulk.

Registered Dietitian Ali Chernoff with nutritionatitsbest.com says if I’d bought in bulk, I’d have a few extra dollars in my pocket right now.

“Keeping in mind that one cup of raw rice makes three cups of cooked rice and that is six servings right there,” she explains. “Another thing if you drink milk, a great way instead of buying fresh milk, buy skim milk powder. It is less expensive. All they do is remove the water and you just take a scoop and put it in your cup and add water.”

I haven’t been able to find that yet, but there are lots of canned fruit and vegetable options and Chernoff says they still contain lots of nutrients.

“Maybe you don’t eat red meat every day but there are meat and alternatives such as chickpeas, lentils, things like that. If you buy them dried, they are really inexpensive. One cup is equal to once serving of meat.”

It’s day two, I have $4.18 left for the week, and I’m hanging on to it until I need it!

Dinner update:

Andrea how are you holding up?

“It’s funny, I am eating way more than I normally would, but because it is mostly carbs it isn’t filling me up the same and I’m hungry every few hours.”

What’s on the menu tonight?

“I was planning on saving my steak until the end of the week when I was really hungry but I think I’m going to break down and eat it tonight, I need the protein!”

How much money have you spent so-far?

“I have spent just over $21 so I have about $4 left, enough for probably one or two items, I haven’t decided if I’m going to spend it or hang onto it yet.”

Are you already re-thinking some things you could have done better?

“Sure am, buying in bulk!  My nutritionist says I could have gotten a lot of rice, beans and other products like that for a lot less and right now I’d have a lot more money in my pocket.”



You can follow my progress on Twitter @AMacOnAir