I think I speak for everyone when I say the Delta variant is not a welcome guest.
Although I have been tracking this COVID-19 variant for the past few months, I am still finding myself upset, dejected, and less than thrilled about the supposed “United” States of America and its lackluster response to free vaccines during a pandemic. The willingly unvaccinated are proving to be a scourge on our country and, because of them, we will have months of mask wearing, overflowing hospitals, and preventable deaths.
The thing is, last year’s lockdown was great for STOCKED. I was able to help hundreds of women who had been forced out of the workplace and into their homes regain composure by seeing the kitchen as a profit center. My take: if you were going to be working at the end of your kitchen table—fielding non-stop food requests from homebound children between Zoom sessions—let’s get you paid for it.
But first, you needed to know how to shop and what to eat to reach your financial goals. Now, Delta give us another “opportunity” to rethink how and how much we eat and the relationship between saving and investing.
Consider the now-defunct* Delta-shaped Food Pyramid™ above. After 1992, more and more research showed that the USDA pyramid was grossly flawed. By promoting the consumption of all complex carbohydrates and eschewing all fats and oils, the pyramid provided misleading guidance. In short, not all fats are bad for you, and by no means are all complex carbohydrates good for you. So away it went, in favor of the 2011 unveiled concept of “My Plate™,” an easy-to-follow food guide, to help parents to figure out how to feed their kids nutritious, balanced meals. The colorfully-divided plate includes sections for vegetables, fruits, grains, and foods high in protein and is color coded for ease in deployment.
Most people (not just kids) should eat the My Plate™ way, but few do. Why? Lack of meal prep and planning either by choice or because of a lack of time. But in a pandemic, we are no longer rushing around doing activities and can have food delivered and can meal plan, putting this time back on our side.
Let’s think through a typical day of eating at home to see how you can make this work for you, using basic ingredients (eggs, rice, cucumbers, chicken) and a few pantry staples, one plate at a time:
Breakfast: baked eggs on fried rice
Snack: grilled fruit kabobs with chili and lime
Lunch: braised ginger chicken, smashed cucumbers w/ chili crunch
Snack: rice pudding with fruit compote
Dinner: kitchen sink frittata
By my calculation, this day costs around $36 for a family of four:
4 cups rice: $2
One dozen eggs: $4
1-1/2 pounds of chicken: $8
Assorted fruit: $12
Misc. ingredients: $10 (cinnamon, frittata veggies, ginger knob, chili crunch makings)
I can guarantee you will reach your monthly savings goal if you are only spending $9 per family member on a days of eating. Now all you have to do is invest it.
*The only thing more defunct than the Food Pyramid™ is this Delta, Delta, Delta SNL sketch.