I've completed day one of the Food Stamp Challenge and so far, so good.

I did have a busy day, so I had to improvise a bit with my meals.

As I've learned, convenience is costly and definitely a luxury. I really enjoy cooking, but I only have time for it on the weekends. During the week my dinner usually consists of a Lean Cuisine and a yogurt.

Ok, so here's what I've eaten today.

Breakfast:

1 banana

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 cup milk

Lunch:

1 Tuna fish sandwich

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 tablespoon miracle whip

Half of the can of Tuna

Half of an apple

Dinner:

2 cups frozen broccoli stir fry

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Half of an apple

4 oz of vanilla yogurt

If I'm hungry when I get home I'll probably have a glass of milk or some yogurt. Usually I would have added a snack today, but I was worried about making the food stretch for the full seven days.

Also, I would have consumed more calories today if I had the time to actually add protein to my dinner. I have beans soaking at home and I plan on making a delicious sounding recipe for dinner tomorrow.

If you would like to try it out, I'm including it here. The cost per serving is $.77, which is very budget friendly. Plus it's great for your waist line. There are only 180 calories per serving size, which is 1 and 1/2 cups. One thing to note..I did not have enough money left over for the cheese, so I will not be adding that.

Beef and Rice Florentine

Ingredients:

¾ pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon onion, diced fine

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed

1 teaspoon oregano

1½ cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or ¼ cup

of grated cheddar cheese

1 medium tomato, diced

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Wash your hands and clean your cooking area.

2. Brown meat and onion together, drain fat.

3. Push meat mixture to the side of the pan and add

spinach, water, tomato, salt, pepper and

oregano.

4. Break up the spinach and bring the mixture to a

boil.

5. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. Let

stand 5 minutes.

6. Top with cheese and serve.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Cost per Serving: $0.77

Other nutrition information: total fat=five grams, saturated fat=2 grams, trans fat=0 grams, carbohydrates=14 grams, sodium=150 mg, protein=20 grams, dietary fiber=2 grams

This recipe was provided by the Better Living for Texans program with Texas AgriLife Extension Service. For more information about the program call 979-862-8935. It's a program that educates food stamp recipients on making healthy food choices consistent with the most recent dietary advice as reflected in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

I'll provide more heart healthy, budget friendly menu ideas tomorrow.