On one of my posts about the strict diet I adhere to because of my chronic illnesses, specifically the fact I deal with uncontrollable vomiting, one of you all asked me if this made our grocery bill very high.

The short answer is: yes, definitely.

I grocery shop for myself about every other week. When I start a new diet, like I am right now, it means totally starting from scratch. Even staples like oils, flours, and butters I have to buy from scratch if I have to have special ones. So I decided it might be useful to give a breakdown of what I spend when I’m starting a new diet (hopefully this diet works well so I won’t have to do it again anytime soon!).

Here is what I ordered from InstaCart.

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I benefited from a $25 gift card from a dear friend, which is why I tried Instacart in the first place. I probably could have gotten many of these items cheaper at Aldi, so I will probably go to Aldi in 2 weeks when I need to re-shop.

Below is a breakdown of how much I spent in each area: basics, meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and snacks.

Starter basics (that hopefully I’ll only have to buy every few months, if I stay on this diet):

  • Sunflower Oil: $5.19
  • Ghee: $10.99
  • White Rice Flour: $3.49
  • Minced Garlic: $1.99

Total for basics: $21.66

Meat:

  • 3 lbs. Ground Turkey: $7.99
  • Turkey Bacon: $3.99
  • Turkey Sausage: $2.50
  • Ready to Roast Chicken Breast: $15.69

Total for meat: $30.17

Snacks:

  • Coca Cola (which I will flatten and use for migraine/nausea days): $1.67
  • Sweet Potato Chips, 2 bags: $5.58
  • Kale Chips: $4.49

Total for Snacks: $11.74

Vegetables:

  • 10 lbs. Potatoes: $3.99
  • Frozen chopped kale, 2 packages: $3.38
  • Frozen cauliflower: $1.19
  • Frozen broccoli: $1.00
  • Frozen brussels sprouts, 2 packs: $5.98
  • Frozen sweet potatoes, 2 packs: $4.58

Total for vegetables: $20.12

Grains:

  • 5 packs of Uncle Ben’s Ready Basmati Rice: $9.95
  • 1 pack plain oatmeal: $2.79

Total for grains: $12.74

Fruit:

  • Red Pears: $2.99
  • Bosc Pears: $2.99

Total for fruit: $5.98

Fresh Herbs:

  • Poultry Blend: $1.99

Total for herbs: $1.99

The breakdown makes a lot of sense to me. I spent the most on meat, followed by basics. The meat may last me more than 2 weeks, I will freeze anything we can’t use, and the basics will last for a while. I’ll do another breakdown in 2 weeks to see if I’m able to buy less then (I’m sure I’ll be able to! It’s always priciest at the beginning of a new diet.) And while this is primarily food for me, much of it my family will eat as well (the pears, all of the different turkey, the potatoes).