May 8, 2017

I have been asked many times to publish a meal diary based on what a typical few days in the Magryta household kitchen looks like. Since food is the avenue to true health and vitality, I will oblige the requests this week.

A couple of disclaimers: 1) I have an excellent chef that works hard at her day job and then changes hats to cook for us (the boss), 2) Our family spends a lot of money on food. We believe that there is no better place for our hard earned money to go. That being true, as I have said in the past, meals do not have to be expensive if you limit meats and focus on staples like vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

We do most of our shopping at Trader Joe's (better cost ratio) as we stock up there every other week. We pick up fresh produce at the farmers market, Harris Teeter or Whole Foods as needed.

In a typical week, breakfast is consumed by my wife and daughter, but not my son and I as we have chosen to fast until lunchtime (see previous newsletters on intermittent fasting). The standard breakfast choice for my wife and daughter is eggs and fruit every other day. On the opposite days, the choice is usually one or two of the following: granola, yogurt, fruit, breakfast meat like bacon or sausage and occasionally a whole grain bread slice.

My children pack their own lunch and snacks most mornings. They get up and cut up fruit, vegetables and then add a main meal. Dinner is usually homemade and consists of a protein source accompanied by vegetables and fruit or a starch. We occasionally eat out at Zoe's, Pickled Peach, Toast or other healthy local favorite.

Meal Diary:

Monday:
Breakfast (B) Two eggs, melon slices, piece of Three Bakers GF toast
Snack (S) Sliced red peppers, cucumbers, popcorn
Lunch (L) Salmon with mayonnaise and crackers, apple slices
Dinner (D) Homemade grass fed beef chili, steamed broccoli and pesto quinoa

Tuesday:
B - TJ's almond granola with homemade vanilla cashew milk
S - TJ's seaweed snack, mandarin oranges, kiwi fruit cut up
L - Chili in a thermos, organic corn chips, apple sauce
D - Black bean burgers, asparagus grilled, oranges

Wednesday:
B - Almond joy smoothie
S - Apple sauce, red peppers, Chips
L - TJ's chicken Tiki Masala, banana
D - Grilled fish (not kids favorite - but they eat it), brussel sprouts baked with pancetta, baked sweet potatoes

Thursday:
B - Oatmeal with ground chia seeds
S - Mandarin oranges, popcorn, peperoni sticks
L - Minestrone soup, pears
D - Chick pea, rice vegetable stir fry

Friday:
B - Two eggs, blueberry smoothie
S - Red peppers, cucumbers, crackers
L - Sliced turkey sandwich, hummus and carrots
D - Eat out

The more time that my wife and I spend studying human physiology in relation to food, we settle on the fact that a varied predominantly high quality whole foods diet is the route to optimal health. This is but a snapshot into our weekly routine at home. I do cook often as well, however, the boss is far better at it and the taste outcomes please the kids more.

Getting back to budget expenditures in the American family. In the year 1900, we spent 43% of our money on food. By 1950 that number had shrunk to 30%. In 2003, we reduced food outlays to 13% only. As a society we have chosen to spend our money on cars, transportation and other non health benefiting endeavors. I remember my parents telling me that we need to spend our money on education and good food above all.

My mother cooked with abandon and it was always wholesome. She would save money, for example, by buying the less expensive chicken legs for us to eat as opposed to the white meat. There were always ways to maximize the buying power of the dollar with food.

We need a societal shift toward self benefiting budgetary issues like food and move away from fleeting self indulgent quick acting expenses. The truth is in the numbers and it is hard to look away from. Read the article below for the history of our society.

Think food first,

Dr. M

Food expenditures over time
Intermittent fasting