Penelope Ponthieu

NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
Table 1- Daily Food Servings
Food Group Servings/day

Bread or Bread 6 servings: 1/2 cup pasta or rice; 1 oz slice

Alternate of bread or equivalent combinations
Vegetable 4 servings: cup or equivalent measure
Fruit 3 servings: cup or equivalent measure

Milk or Milk 2 servings: Milk, yogurt, and cheese

Alternate
Meat or Meat 6 total oz: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans,
Alternate Eggs, and Nuts Group (Meat and Beans
Group)preferably lean or low fat

Table 2- Daily Recommended Nutrient Intake

Nutrient Recommendatio Weekly
ns Averages
Calories 2200 2110

Fat 65g 65g

CHO 300g 320g

Protein 50g 68g

Dietary Fiber 28g 39g

Vitamin A 5000IU 12756IU

Vitamin C 60mg 248mg

Calcium 1000mg 1148mg

Iron 18mg 18mg

Sodium 2300mg 1700mg

Cholesterol 300mg 68mg

Saturated Fat 20mg 18mg

Trans Fat No daily value 0.08mg

 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Image 1- Aldis Receipt

 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Table 3- Day 1 Menu

Monday1 Breakfast 2 oz peanut Calories 2206
butter
1 whole grain Fat 65
bagel
Coffee with 2T CHO 341
sugar free
creamer Protein 78
8oz orange
juice
Lunch V8 0.75C Dietary Fiber 48
2C spinach,
cooked down Vitamin A 38841
1C Pasta Salad
1 banana Vitamin C 312
1T olive oil
Snack 1Rice Cake Calcium 1592
1oz Colby
cheese Iron 19
C carrots
8oz orange Sodium 1166
juice
Dinner 1C black bean Cholesterol 35
1T olive oil
1CGreen beans Saturated Fat 16
1/2C rice
1 mandarin Trans Fat 0.01
orange fruit
cup
1C skim milk
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

I wasnt able to buy my groceries until yesterday, but was pleasantly surprised at
how much Aldi has improved over the last several years. I recently read that Aldi
banned six pesticides that are toxic to bees, as well have shifted focus to lesser
known organic products. They keep their prices low because they dont advertise,
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
offer plastic bags, or put much effort into dressing up their stores. As I browsed the
isles, I was happy to see a multitude of products that are $1.49 or less. Today was
my first day of eating on this menu and I honestly think that I could have done
better. The whole grain bagels are very dry and choosing to use peanut butter
rather than cream cheese is presenting a challenge. In a good light, it does drive me
to drink more water! I like the rice cakes as well because theyre almost like a
dessert. I have high hopes for the next 6 days. My snack is a bit random. For lunch I
used oil and spinach to make a kind of pasta salad. Dinner was kind of rough. I
didnt enjoy eating so many black beans! I had trouble eating all the food I had
planned to eat and feel at times as though I may be overeating.

Table 4- Day 2 Menu

Tuesday1 Breakfast 1C cereal Calories 1941
1/2C skim
milk Fat 59
1 Orange fruit
cup CHO 295
V8 0.75C
Coffee with 2T Protein 62
sugar free
creamer
Lunch 1/2C rice Dietary Fiber 32
1/2C black
beans Vitamin A 11860
1/2T olive oil
1/2C salsa Vitamin C 181
2oz Colby
cheese
shredded

Snack Banana Calcium 1288

1C FF yogurt
1 rice cake Iron 18
1C
unsweetened Sodium 2102
applesauce
Dinner 3 ozChicken Cholesterol 68
2C spinach
1.5T Oilve oil Saturated Fat 20
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
1/2Cyellow Trans Fat 0
squash
Applesauce
cup
2 slices whole
wheat bread
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

I planned better for today than I did yesterday. Breakfast was so much liquid! Lunch was pretty
good once I mixed it all together. I really enjoyed dinner and my snack as well. I once again had
trouble eating everything necessary, but we had a pt test today, so luckily my appetite was high
from the calories I burned this morning. Im not used to eating so much bread, especially without
butter. I think in the future I will consider adding heavy whipping cream to the list. With it I
could make buttermilk and a fair amount of natural butter. I could use that as my dairy and fat
source, or cut the buttermilk with skim milk. I also had double applesauce today. Its not my
favorite, but it does motivate me to know Im eating better than I usually do.
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
Table 5- Day 3 Menu
Wednesday1 Breakfast 1 whole grain Calories 2116
bagel
2T peanut Fat 69
butter
Mandarin CHO 313
orange fruit
Cup Protein 59
Coffee with 2T
sugar free
creamer
Lunch (leftovers) Dietary Fiber 48
1.25C spinach
1.5T olive oil Vitamin A 11584
1/2Cyellow
squash Vitamin C 153
Applesauce
cup
1/2C brown
rice
Snack V8 0.75C Calcium 1025
Banana
1Rice cake Iron 18
8oz skim milk
Sodium 2266

Dinner (left overs) Cholesterol 35

1/2C black
beans Saturated Fat 17
0.5T olive oil
1/2C salsa Trans Fat 0.01
1oz Colby
cheese
shredded
2slices flat
wheat bread
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NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Into my third day. I was actually having trouble being full today. The snacks actually helped
more than I thought with that. This project has made me wish I had remembered to borrow a
cheese grater, as for dinner I ended up cutting the cheese block into small chunks to mix in with
the black beans and salsa. It made a sandwich that really wasnt bad. I have to admit, Im ready
to get away from black beans and spinach. Its made me wonder if I should start giving farmers
markets a try to search for dark leafy greens. Aldi did not have a great selection.
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Table 6- Day 4 Menu

Thursday1 Breakfast 1 whole grain Calories 2249
bagel
2T peanut Fat 70
butter
Coffee with 2T CHO 325
sugar free
creamer Protein 73

Lunch Applesauce Dietary Fiber 41

cup
1/2C green Vitamin A 11749
beans
banana Vitamin C 159
1C FF yogurt
1/2C brown
rice
1/2C spinach
1/2T olive oil
Snack 2 Rice cakes Calcium 1256

Iron 16

Sodium 1154

Dinner 1/2C Brussel Cholesterol 77

sprouts
2 slices whole Saturated Fat 16
grain wheat
bread Trans Fat 0
1/2C broccoli
Mandarin Fruit
cup
1/2C black
beans
1.5T olive oil
3oz ground
beef
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
I made a last minute change when I was meal prepping for today. I wanted extra Brussel sprouts!
I took them out of the package and they looked so delicious I decided to get extra in place of
broccoli! It was a treat today to have two rice cakes. I also decided to cut up some of my banana
and put it on my bagel to help with the dryness. It helped a lot. Its also not bad trying to mix the
mandarin oranges with the yogurt. I didnt stick strictly to the meal plans, but I did eat all the
food planned for the day.

Table 7- Day 5 Menu

Friday1 Breakfast 1C multigrain Calories 2033
cheerios
V8 0.75C Fat 65
8oz skim milk
Coffee with CHO 313
2oz low sugar
creamer Protein 64

Lunch 0.75C V8 Dietary Fiber 30

Fruit Cup
1C FF yogurt Vitamin A 5797
1 Rice cake
1/2C squash Vitamin C 243
0.5T olive oil
Snack 1C brown rice Calcium 747
Applesauce
cup Iron 18
1T butter
unsalted Sodium 2093

Dinner 3 oz Beef Cholesterol 110

1.5T olive oil
1/2C Spaghetti Saturated Fat 20
sauce
1/2C bell Trans Fat 0.49
pepper
1C noodle
2oz cheese
2 slices whole
grain bread
Applesauce
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Low SES Meal Planning
cup
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

No black beans or spinace today! I also decided to get fancy with the applesauce for dinner.
Outside of repeating applesauce for my fruit, today was great eating. I ended up cutting up the
bell peppers and putting them into the sauce, as well as finely chopping the cheese and sprinkling
it over the top of my spaghetti. I used some of the spaghetti to make a half sandwish, and ate
whatever was left over regularly. All in all, this was my favorite day of eating so far.
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Table 8- Day 6 Menu

Saturday1 Breakfast 1C cereal Calories 2141
C skim milk
banana Fat 69
Coffee with
2oz low sugar CHO 327
creamer
Protein 71

Lunch (leftovers) Dietary Fiber 35

3 oz Beef
1/2C Spaghetti Vitamin A 6431
sauce
1.5T olive oil Vitamin C 367
1/2C bell
pepper
1C noodle
2 slices whole
grain bread
Applesauce
cup
Snack 1 Fruit cup Calcium 1139
1C FF yogurt
8oz orange Iron 19
juice
Butterfinger Sodium 1685

Dinner 1C Yellow Cholesterol 80

squash
0.5T olive oil Saturated Fat 20
0.75C v8
1/2C Brussel Trans Fat 0.05
sprouts
1Rice Cake
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Today I made a decision to switch my lunch and dinner, but again did not change the food I had
planned to eat for the day. The Brussel sprouts and squash were not very filling, so I added part
of my snack in and had mandarin oranges with yogurt, which helped a lot. I also added to
breakfast by butting up the banana into the Cheerios. I had one of the Butterfinger cups in the
morning, then the other at night. That was a nice treat!
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Table 9- Day 7 Menu

Sunday1 Breakfast 1 C cereal Calories 2084
banana
1/2C skim Fat 63
milk
Coffee with 2T CHO 327
no sugar
creamer Protein 73
1C orange
juice
Lunch 1/2C Brussel Dietary Fiber 40
sprouts
2 slices whole Vitamin A 3034
grain wheat
bread Vitamin C 324
1/2C broccoli
1/2C black
beans

Snack 1 rice cake Calcium 990

1 fruit cup
1C FF yogurt Iron 20

Sodium 1440

Dinner (leftovers) Cholesterol 77

3oz Beef
1/2C Spaghetti Saturated Fat 17
sauce
1/2C bell Trans Fat 0.04
pepper
1C noodle
Applesauce
cup
 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning

Today was my last day. I have to admit; I was not thrilled about lunch. I quickly ate the beans
and Brussel sprouts, however trying to get down the broccoli and bread was more effort than I
thought they would be. That being said, my snack and dinner were delicious. I thought I was
going to grow tired of mandarin oranges, but I actually didnt!
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NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
Reflection

At the start of this project, I was living on my own. Due to unique family obligations, I

had a family member move in with me during the course of this project. At the point I had

already developed a meal plan and a budget, so I chose to stick to my original parameters for a

single member household. My income was not affected by my personal situation, so staying in

budget was not an issue.

Between work and ROTC my weekly income averages $425 a week, but I am lucky to

have very few bills in my current living arrangements. In 2015, the federal poverty line for a

single membered family was $11,770, or $226.34 a week2. This means an impoverished single

member family should spend around $45 each week on food, plus 130%, equating $58. I chose

to go to Aldi to buy my groceries. I forgot to buy a Butterfinger, so during the week I had to stop

and get the candy bar. I was not given a receipt, but the candy cost was $0.89. Even with this

addition, I managed to keep my total cost to $52.58. I did not realize until it was too late that it

was possible to use household staples already on hand as long as the student counted for the cost.

I believe that had I known this, I wouldnt have bought oil, coffee, or coffee creamer. This could

have improved my meals as well as my variety.

In the state of Tennessee, residents may qualify for food stamps if: he/she is a resident of

Tennessee and a US citizen, is employed (may average 20 hours a week if in college), and earns

under $1276 monthly, or $319 weekly3. The fine print listed in the food stamp guidelines

suggests that my monthly stipend from ROTC is not considered in determining food stamp

eligibility. This brings my income down to $300 per week, thus qualifying me for food stamps.

My integrity prevents me from taking advantage of this, however I must admit I am tempted to
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Low SES Meal Planning
apply. I honestly dont normally eat this much food, but it was nice being able to plan my meals

ahead of time and have most of my food already prepared without having to go out to eat and

spend extra money.

I believe I spend much less than $58 per week on food, but this comes at the cost of

consuming a nutrient deficient diet. According to the USDA, 7.1-10% of households in Shelby

County experienced low income and low access to grocery stores in 2010. Additionally, 2.6-5%

of households have no car and low access to grocery stores4. According to the Food Research

Action Center (FRAC), Memphis had the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation in 20105. I

live in Bartlett near four grocery stores that are all less than two miles from my home. This

makes me realize I have the means to do better, but I make a personal decision not to. I have no

excuse to not be eating a healthy diet. This project has shown me that with some improvements

to the quality of my meal planning, I could develop a menu that is more palatable, yet equally

nutrient rich.

Overall, this was a great project that required budding dietitians to live out a menu they

could plan in the future. It shows that its easy to plan a meal, but entirely different to actually

budget and stick to the instructions.

 Penelope Ponthieu
NUTR 4102
Low SES Meal Planning
References

1.) The Food Processor. Nutrition and Fitness Software. Esha RESEARCH. 2016.

https://citrix.memphis.edu/Citrix/UOMWeb/
2.) Department of Health and Human Services. Federal Poverty Guidelines for

2015. Springer Reference. 2015; https://tn.gov/assets/entities/behavioral-

health/mh/attachments/2015_POVERTY_GUIDELINES.pdf. Accessed 4 Sept. 2016.

3.) Eligibility Information. TN.Gov. Department of Human Services;

https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/article/supplemental-nutition-assistance-program-

snap-eligibility-information. Accessed 04 Sept. 2016.

4.) Ploeg Vince Breneman, Michele Ver. USDA ERS - Food Environment Atlas. 21 Sept.

2015; http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-environment-atlas.aspx. Accessed 04

Sept. 2016.
5.) Tackling Memphis' Ranking as the Most Food-Insecure City in America for Children.

Urban Child Institute. 27 Jan. 2011;

http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/updates/tackling-memphis-ranking-as-the-

most-food-insecure-city-in-america-for-children. Accessed 04 Sept. 2016.