Food Diary: How a 30-Year-Old Nurse and Mother of Two Toddlers Eats on $3K/Week in Yakima, Washington

1:20 p.m. Trying to keep with the topic of self-neglect, I acquire 5 bites of my leftover rice from E.Z Tiger before I reduce my appetite. It’s my very own fault, nevertheless, due to the fact I detest reheating leftovers. 

5:45 p.m. Before, my partner prompt I make soup for supper, which is unheard of. Not only does he not cook, but he hardly ever offers me any notion as to what to make for meal. Most of his contributions to meal setting up occur as I am getting ready the meal. Try to remember, he tends to make up for what he lacks in this section in other approaches, and at minimum he proposed one thing, so I’ll acquire what I can get. 

I experienced stumbled throughout a recipe from Half Baked Harvest (my lord and savior) for an orzo hen soup that sounded good. To make it, I use the rotisserie rooster, natural kale, lemon, shallot, and yummy artisan cheese blend I bought before. I also incorporate my very own product and chicken bouillon that I had on hand. Unfortunately, the soup is amazingly thick and is much more of a pasta dish. It is still fantastic, but I make way as well significantly and I never want to take in it for every meal for the next 5 days. I can not make a proportionate food for two for the lifestyle of me, especially when it will come to pasta! It’s the whole box of pasta or nothing at all at all!

Thursday overall: $94.00

Friday

6:46 a.m. An additional working day, a further dollar, a further pre-shift fuel. I’m again at the healthcare facility currently so you currently know my very first pitstop is the coffee shop there, particularly when I’m doing the job on the ground device currently. Time to set on the significant wondering cap and turn the brain on for the ripe selling price of $4.50.

12:14 p.m. I packed a Quest bar ($2.25) for breakfast, but someway it is by now midday and I have barely experienced two sips of water today, permit alone created a dent in my coffee. Tending to my critical clients puts my own needs on the back burner, but my brain may perhaps shut down from lack of glucose, so I shove my confront with the protein bar whilst I attempt to capture up on charting, or documenting individual care.

3:32 p.m. Just after taking my 1st lavatory crack of the day—yikes—I barely make the time to take in my packed yogurt and my Perfect Bar. I did carry my usual retail outlet-acquired salad, but I really don’t have the time or the work to take in it. When your sufferers rely on you to endure, you simply cannot afford to pay for to be away from the nurse’s station for far too extensive. And even if you can sneak absent, it’s rare that you really feel like you can get your whole 30 minutes. Again to the grind!

8:15 p.m. Today was hellish and my knees are Sensation it. Like, throbbing and pulsating from the continuous power going for walks. I take a much-necessary shower to destress, plop myself on the couch with my legs elevated on major of 4 pillows, and try to eat a smaller bowl of leftover pasta/soup. Then I come to be just one with the couch.

Friday whole: $4.50

Saturday

7:46 a.m. Saturday early morning and the gang’s all below, all…day…long. I acquired Annie’s Natural Cinnamon Rolls ($8.89) on Thursday, so we have cinnamon rolls with a aspect of strawberries ($19.98 for two large containers, beforehand bought organic and natural, but sheesh). I assistance myself to a chunk or two of a cinnamon roll as I reduce the babies’ rolls up. I want to choose them to the indoor enjoy location later, so I hold out to fill up on mommy juice, a.k.a coffee, until eventually we get there.

9:17 a.m. I get my iced 50 percent-sweet white chocolate Americano with oat milk from Perform/Cafe, but I’m a small underwhelmed by the dim coloration and absence of creaminess ($5.00). Simply call me certain, but the best Americano has just enough milk to generate a wonderful tan color—not murky, watered-down mud. But caffeine is caffeine and I compensated $5.00 for it, so I drink it as I check out my young children interact and frolic with the other toddlers, my little one woman toting close to the infant dolls and my toddler boy flying down the slide at an ungodly pace facial area initial into the tower of blocks he set up. It’s wholesome.