18-Day Raw Food Challenge on a Budget - Week 1

This is Week 1 of my 18-Day Raw Food Challenge on a Budget which I did in July 2011. To read the conclusions of this diary, go to the 18-Day Raw Food Diet page.

The notes are not as extensive as in the later challenges, which you can link to from: My Raw Food Journey

Read also: Raw Food Diet Benefits

(1 tbsp dry weight is 14.3g)
(1 teasp dry weight is 4.8g)
(1 cup = 13.3 tbsp)

All the exchange rates are calculated at the time of writing. However, because the pound is quite strong compared to the dollar and euro at the moment and because food prices in the USA especially are considerably lower, it may make sense to just replace the pound symbol with a dollar or euro symbol, e.g. £2 = $2 = €2... This may be more likely to reflect local prices.

Initial costs not included in the calculations below:
Brita water filters
Blender
Coffee grinder for grinding seeds, nuts and spices

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Day 1 - Raw Food Diet on a Budget

11th July 2011, Monday

Weight: 55kg (8.7 stones or 121 pounds)

Breakfast (8.15am):
- Lemon juice with half a lemon (13p) and 1 tsp MSM powder (12p)
- Smoothie (500ml): 1 banana (26p), 1 teasp ground goji berries (7p), 1/2 tbsp maca (15p), 2 tbsp hemp protein powder (86p), 1 cup spinach leaves (9p, value pack from Tesco's), 1 celery stalk (11p), 1 dried fig (11p), Brita filtered tap water (free), 1 tsp coconut oil (17p).
COST: £2.07 ($3.27, €2.37)

Lunch (1pm):
Smoothie: 3 lettuce leaves (24p), 1 date (7p), 1 tbsp hemp seed (13p), 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (7p), 1 tsp coconut oil (17p), 1 tsp cocoa nibs (11p), 1 banana (26p), tap water (all dry ingredients ground up in a coffee grinder first).
COST: £1.05 ($1.66, €1.20)

Snacks:
1 flat peach (22p), 1 banana (26p), a handful of almonds (63p), a couple of cashew nuts and raisins (20p), 1 cup of green tea (free at work)
COST: £1.31 ($2.07, €1.50)

Dinner (8pm):
Salad: half an apple (20p), four lettuce leaves (32p), 'cheeze' sprinkle (5p*), squirt of lemon (4p), extra virgin olive oil (21p), black pepper (5p), 1/5 of a red bell pepper (12p), one avocado (60p), 1/3 cup spinach (3p), half a carrot grated (6p)
COST: £1.68 ($2.65, €1.92)

[*One cup of 'cheeze' (made from cashew nuts, nutritional yeast and pink Himalayan salt) costs 88p + 12p + 2p = £1.02]

TOTAL COST FOR THE DAY: £6.11 ($9.65, €6.99)

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Day 2, 18-Day Raw Food Diet

Breakfast (8.20am):
Smoothie: 1 banana (26p), 1/4 apple (10p), 1 cup spinach (9p, value pack from Tesco's), water, 2 tbsp hemp protein powder (86p), 1 tsp coconut oil (17p), 1 teasp ground goji berries (7p), 1 teasp cocoa nibs (11p).
COST £1.67 ($2.64, €1.91)

Lunch:
Smoothie: 1 banana (26p), 1 stalk celery (11p), 1 tbsp hemp seeds (13p), 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (7p), 1 cup spinach leaves (9p), 1 date (7p), 1 tsp coconut oil (17p), 1/4 apple (10p).
COST: £1.00 ($1.58, €1.14)

Snack:
An apple (40p), 1.5 cups of green tea (free at work), few pieces of dried mango (free from work mates), tap water.
COST: 40p (63¢, 46c)

Dinner:
Salad: 1/2 cup spinach (5p), 1 stalk celery (11p), 1/2 avocado (30p), 1/4 large courgette grated (8p), sprinkle of coconut flakes (5p), 1/2 teasp Bragg's liquid aminos (5p), cayenne pepper (2p), olive oil (21p), 1/2 apple (20p), 1/2 yellow bell pepper (30p), squirt of lemon (7p), grated ginger (2p).
COST: £1.46 ($2.25, €1.69)

Evening:
A glass of home-made water kefir* (20p).

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £4.73 ($7.30, €5.48) (* Kefir is a probiotic drink you can make at home. You can buy either water kefir grains or milk kefir grains, which are the culture that needs feeding (with sugar) and creates beneficial bacteria, fizz, and a fermented taste.)

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Day 3

Brekkie (8.20am):
- Juice of 1 pink grapefruit (80p)
- Smoothie: 1 banana (29p), 4 lettuce leaves (32p), 1 tbsp homegrown broccoli sprouts (4p), 1 teasp cocoa nibs (11p), 1 teasp goji berries (7p), 2 tbsp hemp protein (86p), 1 teasp coconut oil (17p), 1 small piece of ginger (2p), 1/2 apple (20p), tap water.
COST: £2.88 ($4.55, €3.29)

Lunch:
Smoothie: 4 lettuce leaves (32p), small piece of ginger (2p), half an apple (20p), 1 teasp of coconut oil (17p), 1 tbsp hemp seeds (13p), 1 tbsp linseeds (flax seeds) (12p), 1 banana (26p), water.
COST: £1.22 ($4.77, €3.45)

Snack:
1 apple (40p), a few almonds (10p), 2 cups of green tea (at work, free)
COST 50p (79¢, 57c)

Dinner:
Salad: 10 purple grapes (57p), 5 lettuce leaves (40p), half an avocado (30p), 6 cherry tomatoes (35p), home-grown basil leaves (2p), 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (7p), 1/3 courgette (zucchini) (10p), Bragg's amino acids (5p), cheeze (30p), grated ginger (2p), squeeze of lemon (7p), olive oil (21p).
COST: £2.46 ($3.80, €2.85)

Before bed (10.50pm):
Half a lemon juice in water (13p)

(*bag of broccoli sprout seeds costs about £10 on the internet (including postage). 500g bag is 35 tbsp on average (tbsp of dry weight = 14.3g) > 29p/ tbsp. You need 3 tbsp of seeds to make a jar of sprouts (86p) and a small jar has on estimate 20 tbsp > cost: 4p per tbsp)

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £7.19 ($11.09, €8.32)

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Day 4, Living Food Diet

Thursday

Brekkie:
Smoothie: 1/4 courgette (8p), 2 heaped tbsp homegrown broccoli sprouts (8p), 1 date (5p), 1/2 cup spinach (4p), 1 teasp coconut oil (17p), 2 tbsp hemp protein powder (86p), 1/2 apple (20p), water.
COST: £1.48 ($2.34, €1.69)

Lunch:
Smoothie: 1 banana (26p), water, 1 tbsp flax seeds (12p), 1 tbsp hemp seeds (13p), 1 tbsp goji berries (7p), 1 cup spinach (9p), 1/2 apple (20p).
COST: 87p ($1.37, €1)

Snack:
An apple (40p), 2 cups green tea (free at work), tap water.

Dinner (8pm):
A very nice salad: 5 cabbage leaves chopped fine (8p), 1/2 apple grated (20p), 1 tbsp raisins (7p), 1 tbsp broccoli sprouts (4p), 4 cherry tomatoes (23p), lots of home-grown, fresh basil (6p), soya sauce (10p), cheeze sprinkle (30p), dried oregano (5p), dried thyme (5p), lemon juice (7p), olive oil (21p), 1/2 avocado (30p), pink Himalayan salt (2p).
COST: £1.78p ($2.81, €2.04)

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £4.54 ($7.17, €5.19)

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Day 5

Friday

B:
Smoothie: Cup of spinach (9p), an apple (20p), a date (5p), banana (29p), water, 2 tbsp hemp protein (86p), 1 teasp coconut oil (17p).
COST: £1.66

L:
Smoothie: a banana (29p), an apple (40p), a date (5p), water, 1 tsp coconut oil (17p), 1/2 cup spinach (5p).
COST: 96p

S:
3 green teas (free at work), 2 tbsp almonds (30p)

D:
A raw food pizza, 9"*
COST: £4.52

Evening:
Half a lemon juice in water: 13p

(* 2 pizzas: 1 cup flax seeds (£1.60), 2 cups sunflower seeds (£1.90), olive oil (50p), lemon juice (26p), water, pink Himalayan salt (5p), cayenne pepper (2p), 2 cups of mushrooms (1.80p), Bragg's liquid aminos (5p), thyme (3p), rosemary (3p), oregano (2p), 2 cups cherry tomatoes (1.90), 3 dates (15p), 1/3 cup of pistachio nuts (40p), lots of homegrown basil (6p), 1/4 avocado (15p), 1 tbsp cheeze (12p). - COST: £9.04)

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £7.57 ($8.66, €5.19)

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Day 6 on Raw Living Foods

Saturday

B (12 noon):
- Raw pizza without the cheeze (£4.46)
- 1/4 lemon in a glass of water (7p)

Teas:
3x green tea (60p)

L:
Juice: 2 large carrots (16p), 4 lettuce leaves (32p), 2 apples (80p), ginger (10p), 2 stalks celery (21p)
COST: £1.59 ($2.51, €1.81)

D:
£23 meal at SAF raw food restaurant (raw tacos with pineapple salsa and guacamole filling, salad, raw berry cheese cake)

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £29.72 ($46.92, €34.00)

Day 7, Raw Food Diet on a Budget

Sunday

Bfast:
Smoothie: banana (29p), water, 2 tbsp hemp protein powder (86p), 1 tbsp goji berries (21p), 5 lettuce leaves (40p), 2 dates (10p), 1 teasp coconut oil (17p).
COST: £2.03 ($3.21, €2.32)

Green tea x 3 (60p)

Lunch:
home-made raw 9" pizza (£4.52)($7.14, €5.17)

Dinner:
Juice of 1 grapefruit (80p)

TOTAL FOR THE DAY: £7.95 ($12.55, €9.09)

Total for the week: £67.81 ($107.22, €77.68)
Average per day: £9.70 ($15.32, €11.10)

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