As a newcomer to Seattle, former newspaper journalist, fledgling blogger, aspiring foodie (someone really should come up with a less pretentious sounding word than that) and budget gourmand, I feel like it’s time to start sharing some of my experiences.
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with — gasp! — high-blood pressure. At the time, I was just learning how to really cook, but was still very reliant on eating out for most of my meals. At first, this was just about the most depressing news I could imagine.
For as any of you who bother to check, just about everything is loaded with salt. Two slices of bread will cost you about a quarter of your daily recommended dose. A microwave dinner will probably set you back about twice that. And a can of soup? Sure, the label says about 50 percent, but that’s if you limit yourself to half the can.
I was essentially left with two choices (well three if you count ignoring my health): I could either resign myself to a bland diet for the foreseeable future or I could start getting more creative with my eating habits. As anyone who considers eating one of life’s true joys, I chose the latter.
Luckily for me, around the same time, my wife decided to start eating meat after spending more than a decade as a vegetarian. Long story short, we quickly found out how much you can still enjoy eating if you are willing to cook for yourself, especially if you do it from scratch.
Much to my surprise, we found plenty of tasty, yet low-sodium options. Most respectable super markets carry low-sodium or no-salt-added canned beans and vegetables. Mass-produced flour tortillas were easily replaced by lower-sodium versions or very-low sodium corn tortillas. And you can even find bread that won’t ruin your daily sodium allowance.
Now, my wife and I are facing a new dilemma: Eating on an extreme budget. While eating in is definitely not a new concept, we’ve always had the funds to heavily supplement our fledgling foodie lifestyle with heavy doses of expert prepared fare. With neither of us working fulltime, that is no longer an option.
What I’m hoping to do is use this site as a way of displaying ways to keep eating well without breaking the budget. Mostly, this will consist of relaying our shopping lists, the recipes we use and how much it costs. Occasionally, it will include reviews of restaurants and bars (we really enjoy the drink, too). Always, it will seek to entertain and inform. Your feedback is welcome.
bayarearefugee
