How a 30-Year-Old Resident Physician Eats on $65K in Philadelphia

Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.

In today’s Receipt, a 30-year-old resident physician earns $65,000 a year while making hospital rounds and snacks in Philadelphia. Keep reading for her receipts.

Jump ahead:

• The finances
• The diet
• The expenses
• The diary

What are your pronouns? She/her

What is your occupation? Resident physician. Residency is what doctors do after we graduate medical school, and it lasts between three to seven years, depending on what specialty we go into. I’m in the second year of my five-year program. Before med school, I was a professional swimmer for U.S. Paralympic Swimming.

How old are you? 30

What city and state do you live in? Philadelphia

What is your annual salary, if you have one? $65,159

How much is one paycheck, after taxes? $1,653, after taxes, health insurance, and 403(b) contributions

How often are you paid? (e.g., weekly) Biweekly

How much money do you have in savings? About negative $190,000. Med school debt is fun!

What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.e., rent, subscriptions, bills)

• Rent: $1,720
• Utilities: $100
• Composting pickup service: $12
• Public transportation: $40
• Peloton app subscription: $10 (with health care worker discount)
• Dog walkers: $300
• Spotify family plan: $0, covered by my parents
• Phone bill: $0, covered by my parents
• Total: $2,182

Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? I try to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible, and call myself a “Special Occasion Meat Eater.” If I’m eating at a great restaurant and a dish with some meat catches my eye, I’ll go for it. I don’t really purchase meat or fish to cook at home, other than the occasional can of tuna.

What are the grocery staples you always buy, if any?

• Fruit, such as bananas, apples, and mandarin oranges for snacking, and berries, grapes, or kiwis to put in my yogurt
• Old-fashioned oats and salted, natural-style peanut butter, for my stash of homemade protein bars
• Plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Eggs
• Spring mixes or other greens
• Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Salad Dressing. I could drink this.
• Protein bars. Lately I’m into Power Crunch and Barebells plant-based protein bars. Also, peanut butter pretzel nuggets and salted almonds, all from Trader Joe’s, all as snacks for work.
• Frozen spinach and cauliflower, to make my favorite smoothie bowl. Keep reading to see!

How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? Most weeks I dine out for one or two dinners, and go out for one or two drinks/ice cream/snacks situations with my boyfriend or friends. My general rule of thumb: Don’t eat out or order takeout unless I’m with someone else. I eat most lunches at the hospital cafeteria.

How often in a week did you dine out while growing up? Once or twice a week. Each school marking period, my mom and dad would take my two younger sisters and me out for a special meal to celebrate good grades. Usually we picked Red Lobster or hibachi. On busy weeknights, we’d sometimes get takeout from Boston Market. Weekend mornings we might get doughnuts or Burger King drive-through breakfast on the way to the Shore, and we frequented Dairy Queen and Rita’s Italian Ice in the summers.

How often in a week did your parents or guardians cook at home? My mom cooked most nights. We ate a fabulously ’90s diet—things like Hamburger Helper and GLOP (a corn/pasta/tomato situation that my mom loved but the rest of us didn’t). After sleepovers, my mom would make pancakes or waffles that my friends and I would cover in chocolate chips and whipped cream. By high school, she was cooking Parmesan-roasted cauliflower and cedar plank salmon for my sisters and me after swim practice.

Week’s total: $97.06 (or $252.45 including meals covered by hospital meal card and others)

Restaurants and cafés total: $17.25 (or $172.64 including meals covered by hospital meal card and others)

Groceries total: $79.81

Most-expensive meal or purchase: $15 for drinks at Bok Bar (or $41.17 for dinner at Bosphorous, if including meals paid by others)

Least-expensive meal or purchase: 65-cent banana at hospital cafeteria

Number of restaurant, bar, and café trips: 6 (or 12 including hospital cafeteria trips)

Number of grocery trips: 4 (plus a visit to a friend’s garden)

9:58 a.m. Aah, sleeping in. I start my day with an iced coffee, just for the sheer luxury of sipping a coffee on a leisurely morning. My boyfriend and I are in Orlando for the long weekend visiting his family. Yesterday, I had poured the remnants of the coffee pot into a mason jar and stuck it in the fridge, and now I am topping it with some dairy-free vanilla creamer that I fluffed up with a milk frother. The coffee is sweet and slightly thick from the creamer. I put together a small bowl of vanilla Greek yogurt, raspberries, blueberries, and pieces of a ripe Florida mango that my boyfriend’s mom just cut up. This, along with a bite of a homemade peanut butter protein bar, makes for an ideal pre-swim breakfast. (All were previously purchased)

12:50 p.m. After swimming for almost an hour and a half in a local outdoor pool, I’m starving. I heat up a plate of leftover quinoa black bean enchiladas and egg bake. I find some coleslaw in the fridge, too, and top everything with a huge handful of ripped cilantro—I am solidly on Team Cilantro. I’m craving something sweet, so I mix together some peanut butter, granola, and dried cranberries. This mixture, or some version of it, is one of my favorite “lunch desserts.” I grab a lime Bubly sparkling water, top off my Yeti with ice water and head back to the pool—this time, to relax.

5:06 p.m. My boyfriend, his mom, his stepdad, and I head to a local cocktail bar, Chroma, before we go out to dinner. I love the bright color of butterfly pea flower, so I choose the French butterfly, which has gin, violet, and a thick layer of butterfly pea flower sweet foam ($14). We also order crab dip, which comes out steaming hot with heavily toasted bread ($17). The strong drink and creamy, savory dip hit the spot as we laugh and recap our long weekend. ($23.32 including tax and tip for my drink and portion of the dip, paid by my boyfriend’s stepdad)

5:51 p.m. We head next door for dinner at one of their favorite Turkish places, Bosphorous. We start off with lavas, a Turkish bread that comes out of the oven puffed up like a flying saucer ($5.45). We tear off pieces and dip them in hummus and a cucumber yogurt dip ($10.95). I pour a small glass of Sauvignon blanc from the bottle they order ($50)—it’s the last night of vacation, and vacations are few and far between for resident physicians. My boyfriend’s mom and I are not big meat eaters, so the two of us split the vegetable medley ($21.95) and falafel ($9.95). I love falafel, especially when it has a shatteringly crisp exterior like these do. I smother them in tahini and eat them alongside bites of tender vegetables in tomato sauce and buttery rice. The meal is perfectly filling but I ALWAYS have room for dessert. The chocolate hazelnut baklava ($7.45) isn’t quite as soft as we hoped, but its nutty aroma reminds me of Nutella. ($41.17 for my portion, covered by my boyfriend’s family)

8:39 p.m. Waiting for our flight in the airport, my boyfriend and I snack out of boredom. We dig into some unsweetened dried mango slices I bought last week at Trader Joe’s. Once I board, I pop a few chocolate-covered açai berries for my final chocolate fix of the day (also previously purchased at Trader Joe’s).

12:16 a.m. Finally back to my apartment. I don’t want a growling stomach to compromise my already shortened sleep, so I resort to my all-time favorite snack—dates and peanut butter. I ate so much of this when I was competing that the Team USA dietitian literally had to tell me to slow down. I pry the pit out of two Medjool dates, slather on some chunky natural peanut butter (both previously purchased from Trader Joe’s), then get to bed.

Tuesday

6:29 a.m. Back to reality. After I walk the dog, I chug a chocolate Core Power protein shake (purchased last week from Target). It’s quick to drink and tastes like thick, creamy chocolate milk. Most important, it has 26 grams of protein that will keep me from getting hangry during morning rounds, when the medical team sees all our patients at the hospital. On my five-minute subway ride to the hospital, I sip on some Trader Joe’s instant cold-brew coffee I made for the first time last night. Honestly, I was excited about this product, but I’m disappointed with the weak coffee flavor artificial aftertaste. Even a glug of coconut and almond creamer doesn’t help much. But I need the caffeine.

9:09 a.m. After rounds, my supervising doctor does some teaching in the cafeteria. I use a meal card (provided by our residency) to get a coffee ($1.60), some precut watermelon ($3), and a banana (65 cents) that I’ll save for later. I munch on the watermelon as we learn about stroke pathology. It’s one of my favorite fruits, and the cubes in the cafeteria here are exceptionally good for precut fruit. ($5.25 total, covered by my meal card)

10:07 a.m. Finally time for the breakfast I made last night! Yes, you could consider this breakfast number three. As I write my daily progress notes on my patients, I open up my plastic container of frozen mangoes (mostly defrosted in the fridge overnight) topped with plain nonfat Greek yogurt, dried cranberries, chia seeds, and my homemade granola. This is my go-to breakfast that I eat some variation of every morning. This bag of mangoes that my mom had previously gotten for me from Costco is an especially good one—they’re sweet and tart and not mushy.

12:28 p.m. We take a break from writing notes for lunch. At the cafeteria, I get a Greek salad ($5.50) and a side of sautéed portobello mushrooms ($1.65), one of the rotating hot dishes. I recently helped increase the resident meal card limit from $6 to $10, since cafeteria prices have been increasing over the past few years. My lunch comes out to $7.15 total, and I’m happy that this is fully covered by my card! I take it back to my computer and am delighted at how flavorful the mushrooms are. I pick off the soggy croutons and spear bites of feta and grape tomatoes as I finish my notes at my computer. I also bite into the Ginger Gold apple I got last week from the farmers market—these have forever ruined grocery store apples for me. For my sweet treat, I grab a handful of the dark chocolate–covered espresso beans I brought to our workroom last week.

2:53 p.m. As I go between hospital floors, I take bites from a peanut butter Clif bar (previously purchased) that I shoved into the pocket of my scrubs. My team is very busy today, and I can feel my brain power burning calories. I pass by a tray of homemade cookies one of our patients brought in for the hospital staff, so, of course, I have to grab one. I choose the one that looks like a snowball cookie and now have powdered sugar smeared on my blue scrubs, but it’s worth it for the bite of nostalgia.

6:58 p.m. After my hour-long kettlebell workout class at the gym, I stop into Target, which is on my walk home. Since I was away this weekend, I’m running low on fresh groceries so I grab an assortment of well-priced produce items. Target is not my favorite place to shop for fruits and veggies, but today it’s what’s convenient. I get a bag of coleslaw mix ($1.79), a bag of mixed greens ($2.99), a pineapple ($2.69), some red grapes ($2.89), and a bag of clementines ($4.39). ($14.75 total)

7:31 p.m. I crack open a ginger seltzer from Wegmans (previously purchased). One of my favorite food bloggers touted this brand of ginger seltzer as the all-time greatest seltzer flavor, and I can’t disagree—it tastes like ginger ale but with no sugar. I get to work doing a little meal prep. First I boil a pot of water for the Banza chickpea rice I’m going to cook. I also pick my grapes off the stems, toss the stems into my compost bucket, rinse the grapes off (tasting many as I go), and put them into plastic containers that will become breakfast yogurt bowls later this week.

As my chickpea rice is cooking, I chop up some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers I had left over in my fridge. Once the rice is done, I drizzle it with olive oil and seasoned salt and mix it all up in a big bowl with the coleslaw mix, some crumbled feta, a big spoonful of olive tapenade, and a glug of Trader Joe’s Green Goddess dressing.

I’m satisfied with the umami from the olives and cheese and ratio of rice to other mix-ins, and portion out a bowl for tonight and a container for tomorrow. After I finish eating my bowl, I pull the container out of the fridge and eat some more, straight from it. This whole prep takes less than 30 minutes and I only have to wash all the dishes once. I round off my evening meal with a Trader Joe’s oat milk fudge ice pop, which is exactly as unsatisfying as it sounds. Cereal it is—let’s hope a bowl of store brand Honey Bunches of Oats with vanilla unsweetened almond milk keeps me full until tomorrow.

9:49 p.m. Nope, the cereal didn’t cut it. I chronically don’t make my dinners filling enough, which means I require endless snacks after dinner. I mix some Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter and swirl in some raspberry jam. Another one of my staple snacks, I know this has enough protein to keep me satiated overnight.

Wednesday

8:26 a.m. Wednesday mornings are for our academic sessions, so I have the luxury of eating breakfast at home while I watch an online lecture. I make my favorite at-home breakfast, a smoothie bowl. My go-to smoothie recipe is five ice cubes, half a frozen banana, some frozen spinach and cauliflower, a scoop of vegan protein powder, and almond milk. My beloved Vitamix turns this into what looks and tastes like silky-smooth green soft serve. I top the bowl with cacao nibs, chia seeds, and homemade granola.

10:26 a.m. My coresidents and I stop at Wawa, a Philly staple, for some coffee in between classes. I fill up my self-serve cup with 90% decaf and a touch of pumpkin spice–flavored coffee topped with some French vanilla creamer. ($2.25) I try to minimize caffeine on days when I don’t really need it. I sip on this during our next lecture and snack on peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets (previously purchased from Trader Joe’s). I’m obsessed with these.

12:09 p.m. I sit on a bench in the campus courtyard to eat my packed lunch, rice salad, and three clementines.

2:25 p.m. The supervising doctor I’m working with this afternoon frequently brings goodies with him. Today he has a container of mini chocolate rugelach and some raspberry-filled shortbread cookies from Di Bruno Bros., a local specialty foods shop. The rugelach is rich and bittersweet and gets chocolate all over my hands. I balance out all the sugar with some protein-filled bites from a peanut butter Clif bar.

4:53 p.m. I’m back home and grab a handful of grapes before I do a Peloton ride on my bike. I think about eating a Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup instead, but I’ll regret that if I start tasting it during my workout.

5:45 p.m. Forty-five minutes of Intervals and Arms later, I’m still thinking about that peanut butter cup, so I go for it and savor its slow melt in my mouth as I walk my corgi, Ollie.

6:43 p.m. My parents come into the city from the suburbs for dinner. They’ve loved exploring Philadelphia’s amazing restaurant scene with me, but I have some criteria for “dinner out with the parents”—the restaurant can’t be too dark or loud or overly expensive, and it must have something on the menu I know will please them both. I select Chayatee Thai, a Thai place around the corner that we’ve all really enjoyed on a past visit. As we catch up, my dad orders some root vegetable autumn rolls as an appetizer ($7). The order comes with three rolls, which is perfect. My mom and I both sop up the extra sweet and sour sauce. It’s rainy tonight, so curry feels like a good choice. My Massaman curry has tender chunks of pumpkin that melt in my mouth, and I soak up every last bit of the rich sauce with bites of rice ($22). 

My family can never pass on dessert—I wonder where I got it from. I love mango and sticky rice, so that’s what I order ($9). The bright orange mango half is topped with some sesame seeds, which add a unique flavor and crunch. When my mom’s coconut sorbet comes out in an actual coconut shell, though, I think she may have won the dessert roulette ($10). It’s incredibly silky, almost like yogurt ($39 for my portion, covered by my parents). The sticky-sweet condensed milk on my rice cured almost all of my dessert craving, but I still have a hankering for chocolate when I get home, so I have two more mini peanut butter cups as I pack up my breakfast.

Thursday

6:37 a.m. Before I head out the door, I smear some salty almond butter on the banana I bought at the cafeteria on Tuesday. This amount of fat and protein should tide me over until I can eat breakfast after rounds.

8:42 a.m. With my cafeteria meal card, I buy a vanilla Core Power protein shake ($4.40), a banana to save for later ($0.65), and a decaf coffee ($1.60). To make the coffee palatable, I add some of the Italian Sweet Crème creamer in our call room, a room for residents to stay in during overnight shifts. ($6.65 total, covered by my meal card)

8:58 a.m. As I write my post-round notes, I munch on my fruit, yogurt, and granola breakfast. Today’s has grapes and defrosted mangoes. My favorite bites are the ones with dried cranberries.

10:13 a.m. I break into my packed snacks early. Those peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets are so satisfying to crunch into, and easy to eat while I work on the computer.

12:12 p.m. My coresident and I played “guess what the cafeteria will have for lunch” earlier, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see the caf is offering a taco salad as the special, which I get with rice and beans instead of meat, and no cheese or sour cream ($5). I realize this is almost embarrassing, but I really am not a big cheese person. They also have spicy fried cauliflower bites, so I add a small container of those ($1.50). I know I’ll have a few dollars left on my meal card so I pick up a container of watermelon ($3) too ($9.50 total, covered by my meal card). The cauliflower nuggets are pretty good, especially when mixed with bites of taco salad. It could have used some more dressing, but all in all, not a bad cafeteria lunch. I also eat three clementines I brought from home.

2:10 p.m. I find the other half of the Clif bar I had a few bites of yesterday, and promptly eat it.

4:08 p.m. My second afternoon snack consists of a small apple, some lightly salted almonds that I keep at work, and a mini pack of Swedish Fish that one of my coresidents hands to me. This snack ensures I’m not starving when I go to my workout class after work. Before I leave, I snatch a few more of the dark chocolate–covered espresso beans I have left.

7:39 p.m. My boyfriend and I are meeting friends at Bok Bar, a cool rooftop bar that’s on top of an old-school in South Philadelphia. I’m running late so I don’t have time to eat dinner before we go. Since I’m getting the Ubers to and from, he covers my drink, a Bravazzi hard Italian soda ($7.50). It tastes like a sophisticated orange soda. We almost order a sandwich to split, but remember that we both have meal-prepped food at home we should probably eat instead. I steal a few sips of his second drink, a hazy IPA.

9:59 p.m. I’m honestly shocked with myself that I haven’t gotten hangry yet. I take out my container of rice salad and add some extra Green Goddess dressing. I also pack up a container of salad for my 24-hour shift at the hospital tomorrow. I’m definitely still hungry after eating, so I defrost some oatmeal banana cookies I find in my freezer. I make these all the time. It’s just two ripe, mashed bananas mixed with one cup of oats and whatever mix-ins you like (this batch has some chocolate chips and chia seeds), baked for about 12 minutes. I slather some natural peanut butter on the cookies, which I’ve warmed up in the microwave. A handful of mini dark chocolate covered pretzels rounds out this late night meal.

Friday

6:39 a.m. I chug half a vanilla Core Power shake between walking the dog and catching my train. Since my dinner was so late last night, I’m not as hungry as I usually am in the mornings, but I know I still need a little something to get me through rounds.

8:42 a.m. I have time for a real cafeteria breakfast! Breakfast is definitely the best meal they have here. I get a side of cubed potatoes ($1) and a portion of a veggie and cheese omelet ($1.50). I’m not crazy about all the melted cheese in the omelet, but they’re premade so gotta take it or leave it. I also pick up a container of watermelon ($3) and pour an 80% decaf coffee ($1.60). I douse the eggs and potatoes with ketchup, mix them together, and scarf them down. ($7.10 total, covered by my meal card) I packed my usual yogurt this morning, but I’ll save that for later—I’m on a 24-hour call today, so I have a high need for ready-to-go snacks!

10:13 a.m. My pager is going off nonstop today so I stress-eat some peanut butter pretzel nuggets.

12:46 p.m. I eat the container of watermelon I got this morning, then head down to the cafeteria to get a real lunch. None of the hot options are appealing to me, so I get a Greek salad ($5.50) and a piece of cornbread ($1). I also impulsively grab a warm chocolate chip cookie ($2) by the register ($8.50 total, covered by my meal card). Once I get back to my computer, I take crumbly bites of the warm cornbread. It’s buttery and tender and reminds me of Thanksgiving. The Greek salad does not inspire any nostalgia with its browning romaine lettuce, but it fills a veggie quota. I intend to save the chocolate chip cookie for later, but convince myself I should probably eat it while it’s still warm. These cookies are dangerously good—as big as my palm, crisp around the edges, and tender in the middle.

4:46 p.m. Before the Friday night rush of new patient admissions, I eat that yogurt and granola that I had packed for breakfast. The protein will hold me through until I can sit down later and eat a real dinner.

7:06 p.m. I open up my packed container of rice salad. Honestly, this is not exactly what I’m craving right now, but the cafeteria’s closed and I don’t want to spend the money or effort on ordering takeout. The rice gets the job done, and the three clementines I eat afterward are much more delicious, though they do leave that sticky orange film all over my hands. I remember the three Dove dark chocolate pieces I brought and promptly grab them from my backpack and devour them.

9:29 p.m. I’m still working on paperwork for new patients who were admitted to the hospital tonight and want something that will keep me full through the night, so I make a dark chocolate protein muffin cup I had previously bought at Trader Joe’s. I haven’t tried this before so I’m not sure what to expect. I mix water in the cardboard cup and microwave it for 60 seconds. I’m pleasantly surprised by how tasty it is. It’s got the vague smell of protein powder, but I can’t taste it. It’s gooey and chocolaty and warm and just what I needed.

Saturday

7:14 a.m. Finally headed home. Thankfully I didn’t get too many calls during the night, so I got some sleep. As I wait for the subway, I drink a strawberry banana Core Power I bought last week at the cafeteria and found in the fridge at work. I’m not that hungry, but I want to be able to take a great nap when I get home without my stomach rumbling.

11:23 a.m. I lazily wake up from my nap and meander around the kitchen. I eat a couple of fistfuls of Kashi Go peanut butter crunch cereal right out of the box. This stuff tastes like light, crunchy granola coated in a layer of rich peanut butter. I decide I should probably have something that resembles a real breakfast, so I pour a bowl of store brand Honey Bunches of Oats, and top it with half a sliced banana and some skim milk that my boyfriend had and wasn’t going to finish. Eating cereal on Saturday mornings always reminds me of childhood and I internally smile at the nostalgia. I finish the banana between bites of strawberries, right from the carton, also gifted by my boyfriend. When I open the fridge, I see the last of those mini peanut butter cups and can’t stop myself from having a couple.

12:45 p.m. My favorite Saturday morning activity—going to the Rittenhouse Saturday Farmers’ Market! Winter or summer, rain or shine, I try to walk my dog here every Saturday. I love the energy of the square when it’s full of people, all excitedly commenting on fresh tomatoes and cooing over cute dogs. I walk by all of the stands, but I usually only buy fruit from Hands on the Earth Orchard. Today they have glorious yellow peaches, and I place five big ones into my bag. I also stock up on Honeycrisp and Ginger Gold apples, since they last so long in the fridge ($2.50/pound for each fruit, which comes out to $15 total). At home, I slice a peach into thick slices and savor the juicy ripeness.

2:09 p.m. Before I head to the gym, I smear a date with peanut butter to get me through the workout.

3:56 p.m. On my way home I stop into CVS to buy a pack of gum. I like to always have a pack in my backpack ($1.49).

4:12 p.m. What meal is this? Early dinner or very late lunch? Eating on post-call days is always bizarre. I top some fig and olive crackers with the last bit of a goat cheese log, and eat the rest of the rice salad mixed with extra dressing and lettuce. I’m bored of eating this salad by now, but I hate wasting food. Then I cut up a pineapple I bought on Tuesday. I was worried this pineapple might be too ripe, but I’m pleased to find that it’s perfectly so.

5:47 p.m. I’ve been thinking about this snack all week: peanut butter cup rice cakes. I first saw these on Instagram, but I think they’re a TikTok thing (I’m not cool enough to be on TikTok). You take a plain rice cake, spread it with peanut butter, top with melted dark chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky salt, and then freeze for about 20 minutes. I make seven and promptly eat two and a half as soon as they’re set. I love how the peanut butter oozes out under the crunchy chocolate, and how the rice cake gives it a stable base. We’ll see how long the other ones last.

7:45 p.m. I’m going back to Bok Bar tonight! One of my friends is visiting, and Bok Bar is at the top of her list. I get my go-to Bravazzi Italian soda ($7.50) and munch on some fries that someone else in the group ordered as we watch the sun set over the Philly skyline. For my second drink I want something a little less sweet, so I go for a Dogfish Head SeaQuench sour ($7.50). It’s a salty lime beer that usually hits the spot on a hot day, but after the sweet hard soda, the saltiness is a little jarring ($15 for two drinks).

9:46 p.m. I’m craving a late night snack so I microwave a plate of nachos. This is one of my boyfriend’s favorite after-dinner snacks and it’s apparently rubbed off on me. I top the chips and melted cheese with spicy salsa. My mouth is still tingling after I finish the plate and I know a frozen treat is in order—two itty-bitty mini vegan chocolate ice cream cones from Trader Joe’s.

Sunday

9:18 a.m. Another luxurious day of sleeping in. I was supposed to be on a 28-hour call shift today, but my schedule changed so I’m doing it in a few weeks. I relish the opportunity to have a relaxed breakfast. I cut up a fresh peach from the farmers market and top it with my usual Greek yogurt, chia seeds, dried cranberries, and granola. As I take bites of this Peach Melba-esque meal, my dog delights in licking the empty yogurt container. I refill my bowl with some of the pineapple I cut up yesterday.

9:54 a.m. Before I head to the gym, I open up the package of cocoa-coated almonds my mom brought me from her recent trip to Portugal. She stayed in one of the top almond growing spots in the world. I’m surprised to see these almonds are almost twice as big as the ones I normally eat. They’re not quite as crunchy as I would expect, but I enjoy their toothy bite and chocolate coating.

11:40 a.m. A break in today’s rain means I can stop in Trader Joe’s after the gym. I want to take advantage of my day off today and make a batch of chili to freeze for later. I already have some soy chorizo at home, so I get onions, peppers, canned tomatoes, beans, and chilis. I also stock up on my usuals: peanut butter, granola bars, peanut butter pretzel nuggets, and almond milk, among other staples. My impulse purchases include a Honeycrisp apple candle I sniff while in the checkout line ($48.57 total for food items). Carrying two full bags almost a mile home is nearly as tough as the kettlebell workout I just did. When I get home, I eat another peanut butter cup rice cake and a ginger seltzer as I do some chores around my apartment.

1:31 p.m. My favorite at-home lunch is eggs on avocado toast, but with the crazy price of avocados lately, I’ve had to find creative substitutions. I scramble two eggs, not fully incorporating the yolks so they’re just the tiniest bit runny, and add seasoned salt and nutritional yeast. I toast two ends of a loaf of multigrain bread from my freezer and spread them with olive tapenade, add the eggs, and top with a little feta and sriracha. Not a bad lunch! I miss my avocados but appreciate the saltiness and umami from the olives.

3:17 p.m. I throw my chili ingredients into the Crockpot and cut up another peach to snack on. They’re so perfectly ripe, I want to eat them while they’re at their peak. I see a friend’s post on Facebook that she’s looking to give away leftover veggies from her garden. I can’t pass up homegrown veggies or free food, and my chili could always use more additions, so I pick up a butternut squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers and add them to the pot. It’s actually so full now that I have to divide it between two Crockpots (I borrow my boyfriend’s). I’ll be stocked on easy dinners for a long time.

4:26 p.m. Every month or so, I have a big “refill my frozen stashes” day, and today is that day. I start with a batch of homemade granola. My recipe only has 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil and ¼ cup sweetener (I use maple syrup) for the whole batch. And it’s super customizable depending on what you have on hand. Today I toss in some sesame seeds that were at the bottom of a bag of sesame almonds I had finished and saved last week. 

My trick for getting crunchy granola without a lot of oil is folding whipped egg whites or aquafaba into the mixture before baking. Since I put a can of chickpeas in my chili, I already have aquafaba ready to go. While the granola bakes, I make a batch of peanut butter protein bars with oats, peanut butter, honey, protein powder, and chocolate chips. I’m on a roll, so I round things off by making a loaf of whole wheat pumpkin bread. I find a recipe online that uses a whole can of pumpkin, which I always appreciate. I’ll bring this into work tomorrow to bring some extra cheer to my coresidents on a rainy Monday.

6:15 p.m. I ladle out a bowl of chili and top it with a spoonful of Greek yogurt. The soy chorizo adds so much flavor, and the chunks of squash are a surprisingly nice addition. I also slice up the warm pumpkin bread and eat a thick slice, the melted chocolate chips getting all over my fingers in the most delightful way. Finally, I have a little bowl of pineapple and grapes.

9:00 p.m. One more peanut butter cup rice cake and I’m calling it a night. Time to repeat this all tomorrow!