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You are here: Home / Food & Nutrition / Menu Plan / Menu Planning 101, Part 4 | How to Shop & Stay on Budget

Menu Planning 101, Part 4 | How to Shop & Stay on Budget

January 22, 2018 by Emily Leave a Comment

Welcome to Menu Planning 101! As a Type 1 Diabetic eating a Paleo diet, detailed menu planning is a must. I’ve refined my menu planning methods over the last few years, and now it’s a well oiled machine. I can’t even imagine grocery shopping or cooking for my family without a plan anymore. It is that ingrained in me. Today’s topic is how to shop and stay on budget. A plan is no good if it is a hassle to complete and leaves your budget broken. Let’s dive in!

If you are new to the series, please visit:

  • Part 1 – A Dinners Only Menu Plan
  • Part 2 – How to Make A Grocery List
  • Part 3 – A EveryMeal Menu Plan!

Healthy Menu Plan

 

Shopping for an Every Meal Menu plan is not for the faint of heart, particularly if you are shopping with kids (as I am!). There are three things you need to figure out before heading out:

  1. The Driving Route
  2. The Route Through the Store
  3. How to Stay in Budget as You Shop

Just like your meals need a plan, the shopping trip needs a plan. Take a few minutes to think through your plan of attack before you head out, and it will save you time and frustration as you shop.

The Driving Route

What is the most effective and efficient route for you to travel to your various stores? I don’t follow a logical distance, as in furthest from my house and work my way back to my house. A cost-effective route is the route for me!

I begin my shopping at Aldi which I know will have the lowest prices on every day items. Aldi has special buys each week which might allow me to pick up a seasonal item at a discount, which will save me money at the other stores.

Then I go to Meijer, our local supermarket chain, and I pick up all the items that Aldi does not have that week and additional less-common fruits, veggies, or international items.

My last stop is Costco. Costco’s offerings are usually the same from week to week, so I pick up our usual items (coffee, eggs, meat, crackers, toilet paper, etc.) quickly. The layout of this store rarely changes too.

The Route Through the Store

I have a different route through each store based on the stores layout. My goal is maximize efficiency and get myself and my kids out of the store as quickly as possible. As I mentioned before, I am not a grocery shopping lover. It is just a necessary evil to put food on the table. My goal is to make it as quick and efficient as possible.

I recommend thinking about the most effective route through your stores and putting your grocery list in that  order before you leave home. To give you an idea of what I mean, here’s each of my routes:

Aldi

I think of Aldi’s layout like a maze. You enter at one end and exit at the other. The entrance is not connected to the exit which makes backtracking very difficult. I try to avoid backtracking in all stores, but especially Aldi.

Aldi’s layout also rarely changes, so once I familiarized myself with the store, I memorized the best order to shop in. Aldi is my fastest store. I am usually in and out in 20 minutes. Yes!

My route:

  1. Nuts
  2. Condiments
  3. Baking Items
  4. Canned Goods
  5. Fresh Vegetables
  6. Fresh Fruit
  7. Frozen Vegetables
Meijer

Meijer sells evrything including the kitchen sink. I am purposeful to only walk down the aisles I need to. This store takes the longest to get through (for a reason! I’m know they have their layout to maximize sales!), so I take extra thought to attack this store efficiently.

In general, my method is back of the store to the front of the store so I end my shopping by the check-outs. If I need to pick up any toiletry items, I pick those up first because they are located on the opposite side of the store from the groceries.

My route through Meijer:

  1. Toiletries
  2. Fresh Meat
  3. Produce (vegetables and fruit are all mixed together)
  4. Baking Needs
  5. International Items

I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “shop the perimeter” of grocery stores to find the healthier items. I follow this but without planning to! I primarily buy fresh meat, fruit, and veggies which are on the perimeter. The only aisles I go down are the baking aisle for spices and gluten-free baking items, and the international aisle for things like adobo chilis and canned tomato products.

Costco

Costco’s layout is roughly the same too: household items on the right side, grocery in the back and left, and seasonal in the middle. If you can guess, I don’t go in the middle section. The middle section is a budget-breaker, in my opinion! It is filled with snack foods, candy, and all the household/clothing items you all the sudden think you need!

I walk through the store in a “U”: up the household side, through the back of the store then down the right side, ending at the check-out.

My route through Costco:

  1. Household items
  2. Fresh Produce
  3. Fresh Meat
  4. Eggs
  5. Frozen Items
  6. Baking Needs
  7. Pantry Items

Menu Plan with Budget

How to Stay on Budget When You Shop

Remember back to Part 2 – How to Make a Grocery List when  I recommended estimating the cost of each menu item as you make the grocery list? Here is where that comes into use.

First, your entire grocery list should be edited to fit into your budgeted amount before you leave the house. There’s no sense in heading to the store with a list that is already $100 over what you have to spend. If that happens (and it will!), here’s some tricks to bring it down into the right range.

  1. Make simpler meals with in season vegetables and fruit. Out of season food always costs more (and is less tasty!) so try to use what is in season. Odds are it will be on sale too because the grocery store has a ton of it!
  2. Buy lesser quality meat and eggs. This is a hard one for me to say. I am totally against pesticides, hormone treated animals, etc., but the truth of the matter is, not everyone can afford it. Personally, we’ve downgraded the quality of our eggs because I buy 7+ dozen every time I shop. My budget cannot afford that many free-range, organic eggs. I believe (hope?) the benefit you get from eating fresh, whole foods outweighs the bad of lower quality meat/eggs.
  3. Buy less meat. Meat is expensive. If you are making chili and the recipe calls for 2 pounds of meat, try using just one and adding an inexpensive vegetable instead (throw in pumpkin puree as a thickener, cubed butternut squash, chopped zucchini, etc.).
  4. Repeat well-liked, simple meals. This is the one I struggle with yet fall back on when my grocery list is too pricey. I love variety, but at least for me, variety can be expensive. So I cross out the more expensive meal and replace it with a more reasonable one I already have planned. For me, spaghetti squash with meat sauce is fairly inexpensive, filling, and everyone likes it. Planning this meal for 2 meals out of my two weeks instead of just one would save my budget some $$.

Now as you shop, keep track of what you’ve spent. I do this by entering each store’s receipt into my YNAB (You Need a Budget) app as I leave each store. You could also do this by editing the grocery list (if you use my spreadsheet) as you go through the store. However you choose to do it, you need to be keeping track as you shop.

Then comes the hard decision. What if you are going to go over budget? Where should you make cuts as you shop?

Quick interjection: If you made your list fit your budget before you left home, any adjustment that might need to be made in the store should be minor, not major.

  1. Choose to buy the small sized item that will still fit your needs but may cost more per ounce. Time for a real life example because I just made this decision when I last shopped! I needed to buy vanilla, and I planned to buy it at Costco. The budget for the vanilla was $15. When I arrived at the store, it was $26! Yikes! Since Costco was my last stop, I didn’t buy the vanilla at all. I chose to wait until the next shopping trip (which I still couldn’t budget $26 for vanilla) and buy the small bottle at Aldi for $4. I know I am spending more in the long run, but I don’t think a larger bottle of vanilla is worth going over budget for.
  2. Choose the store brand. This will likely be cheaper than name brand, and yes, there is possibly a taste difference. You and your family will live though! I guarantee it! 🙂
  3. Buy the less convenient item. I’m looking at you canned beans! If you are really tight, buy the dried beans instead of canned. You will get SO many more beans from a $1 bag of dried beans than that 15.5 ounce can of prepared beans.
  4. Buy in bulk instead of convenience packaging. I’m not thinking about flour, nuts, dried fruit, etc, although that may save you money too. I’m thinking of fresh produce. Our store has a salad section that has lovely, washed varieties of salad greens in nice plastic bags or even plastic containers. This is the most expensive way to eat a salad! Look very close by there and you will see bunches of kale, spinach, lettuce, all manner of greens for $1-$2 a bunch. That bunch will have WAY more food than the entire bag of pre-made lettuce mix (maybe even two or three bags!). Learn how to wash and store these greens, and you will have way more salads/soups/sides for less money.
  5. Last, and most difficult, just stop putting items into your cart when you’ve run out of money. Now, this shouldn’t happen because you’ve estimated your grocery need when you made your list, before you ever left your house. However, maybe everything you planned to buy was more expensive than you guessed. To keep your budget and marital happiness on track, I suggest to you to just stop, go to the check-out, and leave the store. You can get your creative juices flowing at home with how to make meals with what you were able to buy. Just start searching on Pinterest. I’m 100% sure you will be just fine and not go hungry!

Bottom line: a successful menu plan is one that stays on budget. Do whatever necessary to stay within yours. Make a plan before you leave your home: know your route to the stores, through the stores, and how you will stay on budget as you shop. This will guarantee a successful shopping trip and the beginning of a two week (for me!) time period of delicious meals.


Do you have any wisdom to share on this topic? How do you optimize your grocery trip? Do you have tips and tricks to staying in budget? Do you shop every week? Every two weeks? Every day?


Check out the rest of the Menu Planning 101 Series!

Part 1 | A Dinner’s Only Plan

Part 2 | Make A Grocery List

Part 3 | The EveryMeal Menu Plan

Part 4 | How to Shop & Stay in Budget

Part 5 | How to Stay the Course

 


Menu Planning Stay on Budget

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I'm Emily, and I am passionate about using food and healthy habits to transform lives with autoimmune disease. Here you will find healthy recipes that follow the Paleo or Autoimmune Protocol diets, strategies to create a life free from autoimmune symptoms, and encouragement to press on!

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Instagram post 2197230251778723532_177481688 A common question I get in regards to my diet is what about my kids???
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Since I believe there is a good chance they could develop an autoimmune disease, since I have more than one, I keep them on the same diet as me to prevent further health problems.
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This means that my kids eat lots of vegetables. How do I do it?
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1) Involve them in the preparation of vegetables. Yes, it's hard sometimes but let them help!
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2) Let them taste and sample. Frozen green beans and raw carrots coated in oil and salt and pepper are my kids' favorite!
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3) Start slowly. Don't heap their plate with vegetables the first time you begin to eat them more regularly. Give them one or two and work your way up.
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4) Model enjoyment of vegetables. If your kids see you eating them and enjoying them regularly, then they will know that it is what they should eventually be like.
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5) Eliminate processed and/or sugary food. It will take some time, but you need to change their palate. If they are regularly snacking on sweetened or processed food then it will be more difficult for them to detect the sweetness in vegetables.
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6) Mercy sauce. There are going to be certain vegetables that are just plain difficult. Give them some mercy in the form of a dip like ketchup or mustard. Find a sauce that fits into your diet and allow your child to smother their vegetables if need be!
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What are your tips to get your kids to eat vegetables?
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#vegetables #getyourkidstoeatveggies #eatmorevegetables #kidsinthekitchen #kidchef @opinelofficiel
Instagram post 2196954893592512213_177481688 What healthy lifestyle habit are you working on lately?⁣
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Creating healthy habits is an ongoing process for me, and sleep is one I'm constantly working to keep at the top of my list.⁣
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Why?⁣
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Because good, quality, sufficient sleep helps keep my blood sugar stable. ⁣
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If you are a diabetic, have you noticed that if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, your blood sugar is more stable?⁣
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I have! If you have a hard time getting good sleep, check out FlawedyetFunctional.com today for a few strategies to help you get better sleep!⁣
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Photo: @diimejii
Instagram post 2196545632397921432_177481688 Up before the kids...reading my Bible and journaling by the light of the tree...also drinking hot cinnamon spice tea!
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What's your happy place this morning??
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#flawedyetfunctional #morningroutine #journaling #readyourbible #hotcinnamonspice #harneyandsons @harneyteas #quiettime #mommytime #refresh
Instagram post 2195433352831773490_177481688 What is the single biggest thing that has improved your health?⁣
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That's a difficult question, especially if you've seen huge changes in your health.⁣
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I'd have to say that ONE of the biggest changes has been eating vegetables at every meal. Yes, every meal, including breakfast.⁣
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Do you think eliminating gluten and grains will be too restrictive on you? It won't be if you replace those items with vegetables. ⁣
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Vegetables will fill you up WAY faster than grains and keep you full longer AND give your body so many more nutrients!⁣
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It's a win win! Try my latest recipe, root vegetable hash browns, to get more vegetables into your breakfast!⁣
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How do you get your veggies in each day??
Instagram post 2191563882953243345_177481688 Do you fear your kids developing the same autoimmune disease you have?⁣
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Are you discouraged because your children have more health concerns than you EVER had?⁣
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Hope is not lost! While diet and lifestyle changes don't cure all diseases, they go a LONG way in minimizing or completely eliminating symptoms!⁣
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One of my goals in publishing Flawed yet Functional, it to help you live in freedom. Freedom from the symptoms associated with autoimmune disease, and FREE to live your best life.⁣
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Part of that freedom, is creating it in our children. Some autoimmune diseases are hereditary, and there are steps to take to prevent or eliminate an autoimmune reaction from triggering.⁣
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Want to learn more? Click through to FlawedyetFunctional.com, #linkinbio, to learn 5 strategies to prevent autoimmune diseases in your kids!⁣
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Photo: @ibrnphotography
Instagram post 2190931330521385039_177481688 10 years ago today this lady was in part 2 of a two-part procedure to remove an AVM.
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Not to be too graphic, but they drilled a hole through my skull! That fact never ceases to amaze me, that they went into my skull, fixed my brain, and put me back together. Isn't God and modern medicine amazing!
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Here's a random tidbit from that time in my life: I was in the middle of orthodontic work, and my braces were interrupting the MRI imaging. My neurosurgeon had to call my orthodontist and cryptically, with no extra information (HIPPA!) Ask them to send someone to the Intensive Care Unit to remove the braces from one of their patients.
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So a very confused orthodontia tech arrived in my hospital room with a few tools and saying she was here to remove my braces.
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Once I explained to the severity of the situation, she not only removed my braces as best she could with manual tools. She took impressions for temporary braces, went back to the office to make them, and returned them to my hospital room... All on her day off!
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She and my orthodontist office or just another example of God's great provision through this time. I was tenderly cared for in so many ways by so many people!
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#avm #avmsurvivor #brainsurgery #frontallobe #godisgood #peoplelovingpeople
#caringpeople
Instagram post 2190090088388638753_177481688 Wow, that picture is OLD and grainy!⁣
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That's the image quality of a film camera scanned into a computer, and at the time, I'm sure we thought it was great.⁣
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Enough about old photography.⁣
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There's a huge victory in that picture. A living, walking miracle is being celebrated that Christmas of 2009.⁣
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You see I (in the black circle) had just survived an AVM resection from the right frontal lobe of my brain.⁣
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Brain surgery. As in opening my skull, removing what was wrong, and putting me back together.⁣
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In this picture, I am STANDING...something I had to relearn to do after surgery.⁣
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In this picture, I am HOME...after an almost 40 day stay in the hospital.⁣
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In this picture, I am THANKFUL...my husband (who never left my side) and family rallied around me and supported me every day through my recovery.⁣
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Flawed yet Functional means so much more than autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes, or gestational diabetes...it means my brain was malfunctioning and it was FIXED. ⁣
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My AVM is not a primary focus of my blog anymore, but writing out my story was the beginning of FyF. If you'd like encouragement in the face of dire health diagnosis, check of my AVM story through the link in my bio.⁣
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Be encouraged today, my friend!
Instagram post 2184956825441573133_177481688 Thanksgiving week is here, and with it, the largest meal of the year!⁣
I don't like wasting food any time of the year, but especially around the holidays. Why?⁣
-Throwing away food shows disrespect for the blessing of food God has given us.⁣
-There ARE starving people in other parts of the world (and in your hometown!) so drive down food costs by avoiding over-consumption and eating everything you buy.⁣
-Nothing saves a grocery budget like eating all the leftovers. You will be AMAZED how many more meals you can get from leftovers! Stretch your budget by not throwing food away.⁣
In light of "no waste" this holiday season, make this leftover heavy Paleo shepherd's pie! ⁣
Shepherd's pie is the quintessential catch-all dish that will fill you up for 2-4 more meals, and it's completely made from leftovers! Plan on it this upcoming weekend!⁣
What is your best tip to minimize waste this holiday week??
Instagram post 2180135016124981869_177481688 As soon as fall hits, the pumpkin spice craze is in full glory, but there's another fall flavor that I love just as much because it is sweet AND savory.⁣
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That flavor combo is sausage with acorn squash.⁣
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Acorn squash is sweet, just like pumpkin, and when combined with the rich flavors of sausage and sage, it's a meal to die for!⁣
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Check out the recipe at FlawedYetFunctional.com, #linkinbio! ⁣
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I think you'll find another fall favorite! ⁣
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What is your favorite fall dinner??
Instagram post 2177911072252673718_177481688 It's a pot roast sort of day here!
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A lovely friend gave me some grass-fed roasts. Yes, I do have the best friends!
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See the fat on the side of the back roast?
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It's yellow!
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Did you know yellow fat is a sign of grass-fed beef?
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Also, it tastes delicious! It is nothing like the grisly fat of traditionally raised cows. It literally melts in your mouth!
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Can't wait for dinner!
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What's on your plate tonight??
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#flawedyetfunctional #grassfed #grassfedbeef #potroast #redwineroast #beefitswhatsfordinner
Instagram post 2176366620811892851_177481688 Day 13 Medical ID
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I bought a medical ID bracelet when I was first diagnosed. I thought it was more chic to get the printing that's just etched in. However, it's quite hard to read.
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Since I manage my diabetes so differently, lows are uncommon for me. So I have gotten out of the habit of wearing my ID bracelet regularly.
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Mostly, I just wear it when I travel. Perhaps I should wear it more. What do you do?
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Do you wear your medical ID every day?
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #t1dlookslikeme #medicalid #medicalidbracelet #flawedyetfunctional
Instagram post 2176364131802794115_177481688 Day 12...maybe? I'm not good at staying on track with these 30 day challenges!
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My two favorite diabetic friendly snacks are almond butter, straight from the jar, and pork rinds. The pork rinds are definitely low carb and easy on my blood sugar, but I do have to rein myself in with the almond butter. Haha!
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What is your go-to easy snack?
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #diabetes #diabeticsnacks #lowcarb #lowcarbsnack #flawedyetfunctional #ndam
Instagram post 2176332025244616010_177481688 Don't throw the turkey carcass away after your Thanksgiving meal!⁣
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There are a whole bunch of uses for the bones, drippings, organs, and leftover meat.⁣
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Check out today's post to learn how to eliminate waste and use ALL the parts of a turkey! Just click on the link in my profile to get to FlawedYetFunctional.com to check it out!⁣
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Do you have any more tips? What do you do with your turkey leftovers??
Instagram post 2174945426209602908_177481688 What is your favorite part of a Thanksgiving meal?⁣
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The turkey? The mashed vegetables? The pie?⁣
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All of those are lovely, and I like them too. But  nothing holds a candle to traditional, homemade gravy. ⁣
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Give me a plate of all the Thanksgiving trimmings then drown the whole plate in gravy. ⁣
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Heaven⁣
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Do you want to wow your guests this year? Learn how to make gravy from scratch with the drippings from the turkey AND the organ meat. ⁣
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Don't run and hide because I said "organ meat!" It really is the key to rich, robust gravy!⁣
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Click through to FlawedYetFunctional.com to try it!
Instagram post 2172838668161685481_177481688 Day 8 | Diabetes & Work
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Blood sugar waits for no man. That's a phrase, right?.
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As a blogger and stay at home mom, diabetes management happens anywhere and everywhere.
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In the grocery store parking lot
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Interrupting my kids bedtime routine because I'm going low
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Making lunch late, much to my children's dismay, because I need to check my blood sugar and dose insulin
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Diabetes is all day, everyday. Even though one could dwell on the overwhelm of that responsibility, it teaches many good lessons: patience, empathy, and self-control.
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I have become a more patient and understanding mother and my kids have become more patient kids as we all deal with the ramifications of me managing my blood sugar all day everyday.
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What is your best lesson learned from managing diabetes (or any health condition)?
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@the.insulin.type #happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #bloodsugarmanagement #glucosemonitor @onedroptoday #diabetes #patience #selfcontrol #empathy
Instagram post 2172030473369539293_177481688 Day 6 & 7 | Diabetes Hero &  #throwbackthursday Diabetes Style
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I've only had type 1 diabetes for 2 and 1/2 years. My repertoire of old diabetes stuff is limited in regards to my experience.
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However, my brother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was nine and I was six. Diabetes management has come a long way. This is what it looked like from my perspective almost 30 years ago.
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So many syringes
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Humalog 70/30 or NPH insulin in vials
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Low blood sugar in the middle of the night
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Blood glucose test with huge drops of blood
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Family guessing games to guess his blood sugar while the machine calculated
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Often painful injections
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Unstable insulin
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No knowledge of counting carbs or what exactly is driving high blood sugar
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My brother is not a brittle diabetic, thankfully! It is amazing to me that he made it through all those years with far inferior tools than we have today.
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He is alive and a thriving type 1 diabetic today, but his road was so much more difficult than mine.
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Love you, @lukerumley!
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #ndam #diabetes
Instagram post 2171409524145507753_177481688 The holidays are almost here! Black Friday sales are already ramping up. Are you gathering ideas for loved ones on your list?⁣
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If you've got a cook or foodie that you'll be buying for this year, you've got to check out my top 10 kitchen gifts list!⁣
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In this list, I share my experience with the tool (I only recommend items I use regularly that have stood up well over time) AND how to save or splurge on the item.⁣
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Want fool-proof kitchen gifts that fit any budget? Click through my profile to FlawedYetFunctional.com to check out the Top 10 Gifts for a Cook!
Instagram post 2170845204481853939_177481688 Just a random selfie with a cool tree I found this summer. The picture has nothing to do with the post. Ha!
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Day 5 of the #happydiabeticchallenge is about my diaversary or the day I was diagnosed.
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I don't recall the exact day, but it was early April 2017.
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The only reason I know it that specifically (I generally do not hold on to dates. I forget things like that quickly.) is I constantly measure my insulin-free days to my insulin-dependent days.
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You see I've been experimenting with the whole "food is medicine" concept since my diagnosis. About 2-4 weeks after my diagnosis, I experimented with going gluten-free. It changed my perspective on food and health forever.
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When I stopped eating gluten (and eventually discovering other sensitivities of dairy and eggs), I could stop taking insulin. .
Yes, that's right. I was an insulin-free type 1 diabetic for 19 months after diagnosis!
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In December 2018, my pancreas kicked the bucket a bit more and I had to return to daily insulin injections. I am still on the same diet and following the AIP reintroductions because I know my body now. This is how I can maintain it best.
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So instead of a diaversary, I think 19 months insulin-free and 11 months insulin-dependent.
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Eventually, I will stop thinking about not taking insulin. Maybe. It was an amazing discovery and if I could go back and do it again, I most defintely would.
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#type1diabetes #t1d #diabetes #insulinfree #insulindependent #aip #autoimmunedisease #autoimmuneprotocol #glutenfree #dairyfree #eggfree #foodISmedicine #healyourgut #healthygut #leakygut
Instagram post 2169987699163054238_177481688 What is the hardest part of hosting a holiday dinner?⁣
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For me, it's getting everything on the table HOT...not lukewarm or cold...HOT.⁣
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Here's my best tip: free up oven space by cooking your turkey on the grill. Yep, the grill!⁣
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Follow the link in my profile to check out this super easy, super tasty charcoal grilled turkey. You'll never cook the turkey in the oven again!
Instagram post 2169968829072138622_177481688 Late this summer I was emotionally and mentally drained documenting and analyzing my diet and glucose numbers.
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I just needed a break. .
So I took one, and almost immediately my numbers rose. Drat it all! It's been about 2 months since I took a break in food journaling, and as of two days ago, I'm back at it again.
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I feel refreshed and ready to think about the food/diabetes connection (I follow the Autoimmune Protocol plus many reintroductions which has done amazing things for my blood sugar control!). I don't like waking up high (170+) or not knowing why my numbers are out of range throughout the day.
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The not knowing ends now!
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#motivationmonday #happydiabeticchallenge #t1d #type1diabetes #foodjournal #takecontrolofyourhealth #trytryagain #nevergiveup #takeabrake #mentalhealth
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Type 1 diabetic, AVM survivor, Autoimmune Protocol dieter, DIY-er, Mom, Wife, and Lover of Jesus. So glad you are here today, and I hope you leave encouraged! Learn more about me →

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