Menu Plan 1 of 2 (Girls Age 6)

MEALS

Sunday
Recommended
Calories: 1400
Actual Intake: 1406

Breakfast

Egg, 1 poached
$.16
Orange Juice,
calcium added, 1
cup $.25
Strawberries, 1oz.
$.12
Whole wheat
bread, slice
$.07

Cost per
total
servings

$0.60

Monday
Recommended
Calories: 1400
Actual Intake: 1376

Whole grain
oats, cup
$.12
Banana, 1/2
medium
$.09
Strawberry
yogurt, 6oz.
$.47

Cost per
total
servings

$.68

Tuesday
Recommended
Calories: 1400
Actual Intake: 1356

Lunch

Dinner

Spaghetti whole
wheat pasta, 3oz.
$.10
Meat marinara
sauce, cup $.15
Cheddar Cheese,
1oz. $.24
Vegetable
medley, canned
cup $.19
Peach yogurt, 6oz.
$.47

$1.15

Pork tenderloin, 3

$1.30

Whole
wheat bread,
2 slices $.14
Cheddar
cheese, 2oz.
$.48
Frozen okra,
grilled, 3oz.
$.22
Tropical
Trail Mix, 2
TBSP $.11

$0.95

1 Red

$0.64

Cost per
total
servings

One whole
wheat bagel
$.45
Orange, 1
medium size
$.42
1% Milk
cup $.19
Strawberry
Jelly 2 TBSP
$.09
Apple sauce,
unsweetened
cup $.27

$1.42

Whole wheat
bread, 2 slices
$.14
Smoked
Turkey breast
lunch meat, 2
slices $.46
Cheddar
Cheese 1oz.
$.24
Coleslaw
cup $.16
Green Beans
cup $.19
Rotisserie

$1.19

$1.16

oz. $.91
Brown rice, cup
$.14
Peas, canned,
cup $.19
1% Milk 1 cup
$.31

potato,
medium
$.18
Rotisserie
Chicken
3oz. $.36
Lentils, dry
cup $.10

N/A

Snacks
(optional)

$3.30

Total
Cost per
day

1% Milk,
cup $.13
1 Apple,
medium
$.39

$0.52

$2.79

Chicken 2oz.
$.24
Whole wheat
tortilla, 6 inch
$.28
Cheddar
Cheese 1 oz.
$.36
Black Beans,
dry cup $.12
Sour Cream, 2
TBSP $.09
Brown rice
cup $.07
N/A

$3.77

Menu Plan 2 of 2 (Boys Age 6)

MEALS
Breakfast

Sunday
Recommended
Calories: 1600
Actual Intake: 1602

1 Egg, poached
$.16
Orange Juice,
calcium added 1
cup $.31
Strawberries,
oz. $.06

Cost per
total
servings
$0.67

Monday
Recommended
Calories: 1600
Actual Intake: 1582

Whole grain
oats, cup
$.12
Banana, 1/2
medium
$.09
Strawberry

Cost per
total
servings
$0.68

Tuesday
Recommended
Calories: 1600
Actual Intake: 1549

1 Whole wheat
bagel $.45
Orange, 1
medium size
$.42
1% Milk 3/4
cup $.19

Cost per
total
servings
$1.51

Lunch

Dinner

yogurt, 6 oz.
$.47

Whole wheat
bread, slice
$.07
Strawberry Jelly,
1 TBSP $.07

Spaghetti whole
wheat pasta, 3oz.
$.10
Meat marinara
sauce, cup $.15
Cheddar Cheese,
1oz. $.24
Vegetable
medley, canned
cup $.29
Peach yogurt, 6oz.
$.47

$1.25

Pork tenderloin,
4oz. $1.21
Brown rice, cup
$.14
Peas, canned,
cup $.29
1% Milk 1 cup
$.31

$1.95

Whole
wheat bread,
2 slices $.14
Cheddar
cheese, 2oz.
$.48
Frozen okra,
grilled, 3oz.
$.22
Tropical
Trail Mix, 2
TBSP $.11

$0.95

1 Red
potato,
medium
$.18
Rotisserie
Chicken
4oz. $.48
Lentils, dry
cup $.30

$0.96

Snacks
(optional)

N/A

1% Milk,
cup $.13

$0.52

Strawberry
Jelly 4 TBSP
$.18
Apple sauce,
unsweetened
$.27
Whole wheat
bread, 2 slices
$.14
Smoked
Turkey breast
lunch meat, 2
slices $.46
Cheddar
Cheese 1oz.
$.24
Coleslaw
cup $.16
Green Beans
cup $.19

Rotisserie
Chicken 3oz.
$.36
Whole wheat
tortilla, 6
inches $.28
Cheddar
Cheese 1 oz.
$.36
Black Beans,
dry cup $.12
Sour Cream, 2
TBSP $.09
Brown rice
cup $.07
N/A

$1.19

$1.28

Total
Cost per
day

$3.87

1 Apple,
medium
$.39
$3.11

$3.98

Food Groups: For the chart below, enter the recommended (R) amount of food group servings for the members of the family and then the actual
(A) intake per day.
Food Groups

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

R
5 ounces

A
5 ounces

R
5 ounces

A
5 ounces

R
5 ounces

A
5 ounces

Children (Boys)

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

Vegetables
Children (Girls)

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

Children (Boys)

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

Fruits
Children (Girls)

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

Children (Boys)

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

1 cups

Protein
Children (Girls)

4 ounces

4 ounces

4 ounces

4 ounces

4 ounces

4 ounces

Children (Boys)

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

5 ounces

Dairy

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

Grains
Children (Girls)

Children (Girls)
Children (Boys)

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

2 cups

Oils
Children (Girls)

Limit 4 tsp.

0 tsp. eaten

Limit 4 tsp.

2 tsp. eaten

Limit 4 tsp.

1 tsp. eaten

Children (Boys)

Limit 5 tsp.

0 tsp. eaten

Limit 5 tsp.

3 tsp. eaten

Limit 5 tsp.

2 tsp. eaten

Shopping List
Organizational Method Used: Meals
Category
Breakfast

Item
Sunny Meadow Eggs
Great Value orange juice,
calcium added
Great Value milk, 1%
Great Value 100% whole wheat
bread
Great Value 100% whole grain
oats
Natures Own 100% whole
wheat bagel
strawberries
medium banana
medium navel orange
TBSP Great Value jelly,
strawberry
Great Value applesauce,

Total Amount Needed

5
5 cups

Price
$.80
$1.44

3 cups
2 slices

$.95
$.35

3 cups

$.60

$2.25

3 oz
2
5
20 TBSP

$.42
$.63
$2.10
$.93

3 cups

$1.35

Lunch

unsweetened
Great Value low-fat yogurt,
strawberry
Great Value 100% whole wheat
spaghetti
Great Value 100% whole wheat
bread
Great Value meat sauce

30 oz

$2.35

15 oz

$.50

20 slices

$1.40

1 cups
3 cups

$.90
$1.24

2 cups

$.95

10 slices

$2.30

10 TBSP
3 cups
15 oz
30 oz

$.55
$.80
$1.10
$2.35

20 oz
18 oz
31 oz
6 cups
7 oz
10 TBSP

$4.80
$5.46
$3.69
$1.55
$1.80
$.45

Great Value lentils, dry

2 cups

$1.10

Great Value black beans, dry

1 cups

$.60

Great Value vegetable medley,

canned
Great Value green beans,
canned
Great Value fat free smoked
turkey breast, deli meat
Great Value tropical trail mix
Marketside tri-color coleslaw
Great Value cut okra, frozen
Great Value low-fat yogurt,
peach
Great Value cheese, cheddar

Dinner

pork tenderloin
rotisserie chicken
Great Value milk, 1%
Great Value cheese, cheddar
Great Value sour cream

Great Value peas, canned

3 cups

$1.24

Great Value brown rice

1 cups
5
5, 6 inch

$.35
$.90
$1.40

2 cups
5

$.65
$1.95

red potato, medium

Snacks

Great Value whole wheat

tortilla
Great Value milk, 1%
Medium apple

Total Cost of Groceries: $54.00 5 children 3 days

Weekly Amount to Budget for: $156 total per week, $31.20 per child per week, $4.46 per
child per day, $13.37 per child 3 days, $66.85 5 children 3 days
Savings/Loss on Groceries: $12.85 savings

Thrifty Food Plan Reflection Questions

1. Describe the family scenario your group drew, including the number of people in the family and ages.

Our group chose scenario 7. We are the lead dietitians for a 1st grade class of three boys and two girls, all 6 years of age.

2. What was your total allotted amount of money per week according to the Thrifty Food Plan? Were you able to stay within the

budget?
The total allotted amount of money per week based on our thrifty food plan was $31.20 total or $4.46 a day or $1.49 per
meal, per student. We managed to stay within this budget by shopping at Wal-Mart and only choosing Great Value brand
products and products we found to be in season or on sale.
3. If you were within your budget, what foods helped you save money? If not, what foods caused you to overspend?

The foods that helped us save money are the breakfast foods; such as eggs, whole wheat oats, and whole wheat bread. We
were able to reuse the bread and cheese in a couple different meals and that helped to stretch the dollar. We were able to
plan two separate meals with the rotisserie chicken; chicken and potatoes, and a chicken quesadilla. By planning out meals
ahead we were able to think about reusing different items and proper portion sizes.
4. What specific items were not included on the grocery list but are often necessary on a weekly basis? How can money be saved on
these items?
The items not included on our grocery list that is vital to the diet would be water. This is not only important in the daily
diet to the child but also as a fruit juice or soda replacement option for those struggling with their weight. Other things left
out in our grocery list were condiments such as salt, pepper, olive oil, mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup. These things add
a little extra zest to a meal but can also be quite pricey. In order to save money on these items, we recommend buying
cheaper brands, using coupons, looking for two for ones, going to food pantries and buying in bulk. If the family is really
struggling that month these items can also all be found for free at fast food restaurants.
5. What were the MyPlate servings for each food group for all family members?
Grains:
Girls, 5oz
Boys, 5oz
Vegetables
Girls, 1 cups
Boys, 2 cups
Fruits
Girls, 1 cups
Boys, 1 cups
Dairy
Girls, 2 cups
Boys, 2 cups
Protein Foods
Girls, 4oz
Boys, 5oz
Oils
Girls, 4 tsp.
Boys, 5 tsp.
6. What were some of the difficulties you had with:
a) Menu planning/MyPlate Guidelines

Menu planning problems we encountered were keeping all of the recommended serving sizes correct. We would plan out
an entire days worth of meals and then realize we were way over in grains or under in fruits. We began the project with
the idea that each group member would plan a whole days worth of meals then we would use each members meals as one
day. This proved ineffective as we all had the same ideas for breakfasts and lunches and the children in our scenario would
have been eating extremely similar meals every day.
b) Purchasing
Purchasing the foods and finding out how much things actually cost was a significant problem when it came to meal
planning. We had a couple meals we had to scrap because it was just too expensive. One of our dinners we originally
planned was tilapia or just fish in general, but this proved to be too expensive in both the fresh and frozen options. Other
shopping difficulties we could see happening is the seasonality of certain fresh foods and their price changes throughout
the year. If your child happens to only eat strawberries which are currently in season and cheap, but what will the parent or
teacher do when strawberries are out of season and the prices begin to rise.
c) Preparation
We decided to go with low cook time foods so preparation should not be an issue for the cook. We chose a rotisserie
chicken and all of our vegetables are either frozen or from a can. The only foods that will take a while to prepare are the
whole wheat pasta and the pork loins. When buying foods on a very tight budget like this one, it is harder to buy the fresh
options since that cost more. We had to rely on the prepackaged option, which tends to be higher in preservatives and
calories.
d) Convenience
This was in no way convenient to do. Living on such a tight budget would be a very hard and stressful thing to do, but it
would become easier with practice. Knowing that some families have to preplan every meal like this is hard to imagine and
it makes you really appreciate whoever is in charge of the budget for that family. This project was also eye opening to the
fact that while some families have to preplan everything like this there are many families who can just purchase all the
food they want and even in some cases end up throwing food out because they didnt eat the food in time.
e) Storage and disposal
The vegetables and grains we chose all have a long shelf life so storage in a dry room is best. The meats should be used as
quickly as possible and whatever is left over should be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator or freezer, depending
on when these foods will be served again. Eggs, milk, orange juice, and cheese all need to be stored in the refrigerator until
use as well.
7. List any other difficulties you ran into with planning the Thrifty Food Plan budget.
Our group wanted to originally do the whole project together, but with separate schedules we had to delegate out some
individual work to meet comply with conflicting schedules. Some of our group members follow strict diets due to exercise
or health, so eating a normal meal proved difficult.

8. Describe what it was like to eat a day from your meal plan. What challenges did you face? Did the quantity of food satisfy you?

Did you have to eat foods that were different or similar to how you normally eat?
Some challenges faced while eating a day from the meal plan were eating a variety of foods that are not on a typical day
diet of our members. One of our members follows Paleo, so whole wheat products, dairy, and prepared meals are all
against her normal eating patterns. After the meal she felt tired and sick. The quantity of food was more than enough and
overly filling. Breaking up the amount of food per meal may have been better for younger children.
9. How did you feel about following the Thrifty Food Plan budget for a day? What do you think it would be like to permanently live
under this kind of budget?
It would be extremely difficult to follow the budget for more than one day, let alone forever. Most of our members buy
fresh foods that are mostly organic, which this budget does not typically allow. It makes eating as a whole much more
challenging.
10. What did you learn about the MyPlate guidelines, Thrifty Food Plan, and eating healthy? How would you use this experience in
counseling persons with limited incomes?
It is difficult to follow MyPlate guidelines, Thrifty Food Plan, and maintaining a healthy food plan simultaneously. Within
our scenario, a group of five 6 year olds, we realized that they do not really have a choice in their food intake other than
likes/dislikes. So as adults, parents, teachers, dietitians, it is more than important that we are providing healthy and
nutritious meals for children. The best way to counsel families with limited incomes would be to provide useful shopping
techniques like buying seasonal foods, using coupons, and planning meals with similar ingredients so items can be reused
and not wasted.

Lunch, day 1
Whole wheat spaghetti, meat sauce, cheddar cheese, vegetable medley, and peach yogurt. (Portion sizes were equal to the girls menu
plan)