Food Challenge #1: How Long Could You Last With Just the Food You Have Now?

I've done this before, but I didn't post about it. I've been watching YouTube videos about eating on $3 to $5 a day. I usually have a budget of $50 a week for food, and I try to eat as many fresh veggies and fruits as I can, because I like them, but I'm not a healthy eater. I eat a lot of carbs, too much fat and not enough protein. I've really gotten turned off to cooking since I've been in this apartment, because the kitchen is so small with very little counter space. I like to spread out when I cook, so my cooking has been very minimal lately.

I don't want to try to eat on $3 a day, but I was watching prepping videos and I thought about people who don't prep, and how long they could make it on what they have in their house if the world went sideways. I decided to play that out and see how long I can make it on just what is in my house right now.

First, I had to take an inventory, and I was surprised to find that I had more than I thought I did. Since I'm turned off to cooking, I've been looking in the kitchen and thinking I had nothing to eat. But if I was in the situation where I had to eat only what I had, and make it last, I'd surely cook if I was able to, and I'd find a way to be able to, even if I had to cook over a campfire.

So here's my inventory. I'm listing it more for me than you, but so you can see how much I have, and make your own best guess as to how long I can make it last. Looking at the list, I can already see a lot of possibilities and ways to stretch what I have. I'll post daily menus to show what I've done with it.

One disclaimer: I've recently been put on a medication which kills my appetite for 9 hours a day, so I have to force myself to eat breakfast and lunch, and I don't snack at all during the day like I used to.  

Cabinet 1

1 box whole wheat macaroni

1/2 box plain macaroni

1 Jiffy cornbread mix

Buttermilk pancake mix (mixes with just water)

Syrup

3 cans whole kernel corn

4 cans boiled peanuts

2 cans sardines

Small can mushrooms

Large can pumpkin

1 can crushed pineapple

6 boxes Jello

2 boxes instant pudding

1 box Red Lobster biscuit mix

Cabinet 2

Various herbs, seasonings

1/2 box angel hair pasta

Cabinet 3

Coconut Oil

Abt. 1 cup canola oil

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Mustard

4 oz. cashew butter

A little peanut butter

9 pack microwave popcorn

2 oz. honey

Small container of barley

Small container of flax seeds

Cabinet 4

1/2 box of shredded wheat

1/3 box frosted flakes

6 Pop tarts

Brownie mix

2/3 box chicken flavored crackers

2/3 large tub of raisins

1/4 bag walnuts

3 Cheerios cereal bars

Some Bisquick (?)

Cabinet 5

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

Plain all purpose flour

1/2 large bag of blackeyed peas

1/2 lb. white rice

Fresh Vegetables

1 large acorn squash

3 medium onions

1 yellow squash

5 mandarin oranges

1 green apple

1 large rutabaga

2 lbs. carrots

A few small sweet potatoes from the garden

4 baking potatoes

Meat

12 oz. frozen shrimp

22 frozen fish sticks

1 rack St. Louis ribs (cut into 3 pieces)

12 oz. pack of bacon

1 frozen Tilapia filet

Freezer

2 servings breaded okra

1 bag cut okra

1 bag chopped spinach

1 bag mango cubes

4 oz. raspberries

Some frozen bread that may be freezer burned

1 lb.brown rice

Refrigerator

Small bottle ranch dressing

Small jar chopped garlic

A little ketchup

Abt 1 cup Parmesan-Romano grated cheese

5 Chobani yogurts

What's left of 3 bottles of kefir

Full jar orange marmalade

1 lb. butter

1 cup cottage cheese

Abt 3 ozs. of cream cheese

7 eggs

2 boiled eggs

Yellow miso

Pickle juice

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 gallon milk

Pantry

2 lbs white rice

2 boxes Natrel 2% milk

1/3 container shortening

Black tea bags

Green tea bags

Herbal tea bags

1 box plain elbow macaroni

1 box shredded wheat cereal

2 boxes corn starch

1 tin of baking powder