Paleo on a budget

I often hear complaints in the Paleo community of how difficult it is to eat Paleo while on a strict budget.  Although it can be challenging, it is definitely possible. I thought I would do a short series on eating Paleo, or any diet for that matter, on a budget.  For each post, I will give you a budget saving tip and a budget friendly recipe.

My first tip for any grocery budget is to make a list and only shop from that list.  If you plan your meals for the week, you should be able make a complete list that you can conquer in one trip.  After all, every time you go to the store, you are spending money so try to shop only once per week.

Today's recipe is a quick and friendly Spaghetti squash with ragu sauce.  I pair this with budget friendly broccoli and a salad.  This makes enough for 4 of us to have two meals, dinner and lunch the next day.  For $15.54, I bought the following with some leftovers for other meals. I'm going to assume you already have the basic spices.

Bionature strained tomatoes (Whole Foods) - $3.19
Ground turkey dark meat (Whole Foods) - $4.74
Spaghetti squash (from Kroger) - $2.72
Broccoli (Aldis) - $1.89
cucumber (Kroger) - .50
organic lettuce (Whole Foods) - $2.50

Brown the ground meat in a large pot.  Add the strained tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning, 1 tablespoon Oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 leaves of basil (I grow my own), 1 teaspoon pepper and a whole garlic clove minced. I actually add the spices to my meat first.  I also rinse my jar of tomatoes with about 1/8 of a cup of water and add that.  No sense wasting any of it!  Let this cook for at least an hour so that is seasons nicely.  Steam broccoli and prepare salad.  About 10 minutes before your ready to eat, cut your spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the insides, and place it upside down on a dish with 1/4 cup of water. Microwave 7-9 minutes until the inside easily pierces with a fork.  Scrape the insides into spaghetti noodle like strands.  Pour sauce over top and enjoy!