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First, two definitions:

Food desert. The USDA defines a food desert as a “Low-income census tracts with a substantial number or share of residents with low levels of access to retail outlets selling healthy and affordable foods are defined as food deserts.”

Food swamp. A food swamp is an urban environment where there is a lot of food for sale that is not nutritious and can even be seen to be a threat to public health.

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Did you know that more than 90% Of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart? We believe that with a little help the food desert and food swap areas don’t have to mean that you must choose unhealthy food. We’d like to give you some ideas, hence, a week of meal ideas shopping only at a Walmart. Walmart’s choices and pricing are similar in all locations.

Pricing is lower for conventional ingredients, but when you can choose organic—better for you, your family, farmworkers, and the environment. Do your best.

The Environmental Working Group puts out a shoppers guide to pesticides in produce. The Dirty Dozen is the list of foods that if you can’t purchase organic, you should not purchase and find a substitute. This is the 2022 list.

The Clean Fifteen are foods that are safer to eat even if you don’t purchase organic. This is the 2022 list.

One item not on that list and we think always should be purchased organic is baby food. The above lists are for produce, and baby food is a product –unless you make your own, which is ideal, and from organic ingredients—but it’s worth saying, that if you buy it already prepared, choose organic.

Breakfast Smoothie

This is a delicious smoothie followed by some ideas to use the extra carrots and kale. Blueberries can be frozen to use later or to have the next day on top of a bowl of oatmeal.

• 3 cups kale Marketside Organic Kale
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Great Value Organic Blueberries or Great Value Frozen Blueberries
• 1 scoop protein powder Protein powder Garden of Life (They offer many protein powders. Do watch for added ingredients that you don’t need such as sucralose)
• 1 carrot from Fresh Carrots

Whirl together in a high-speed blender. Enjoy!

From the packages above, you have ingredients remaining. Here are some ideas for the rest of the day.

Lunch Sandwich

2 slices Dave’s Killer Bread or other bread with a minimum of 2 grams of dietary fiber per slice

Spread with hummus

Grate a carrot on the hummus

Lettuce

Leftover chicken breast, if desired

Dinner

Pasta Primavera and Broccoli Slaw

During the last 4 minutes of cooking time for the pasta, add 4 cups of raw, chopped kale, and 4 thinly sliced carrots.

Purchase the broccoli slaw in a package, if you like, purchase a chicken, and bake, to serve with the pasta or mix in after it’s been drained. Alternatively, you may add shrimp the last few minutes of cooking time.

The key to the above ideas is that when you purchase larger sizes of produce, it’s less expensive, but you need a plan to use it and not waste food, or money.

Here are some other meal ideas, all using products found at a Walmart.

Monday

Breakfast: Granola with Berries with milk or yogurt

Snack: Apple with Almond Butter

Lunch: Cherry Almond Gorgonzola Salad

Snack: Nuts and Seeds

Dinner: Pasta Primavera

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Veggie Scramble

Snack: Berries

Lunch: Sandwich: Dave’s Killer bread with avocado, hummus, grated carrot, red onions and if desired roast turkey slices

Snack: Nuts

Dinner: Baked chicken with lemon, quinoa, and steamed broccoli

Dessert: Baked Apples

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Nuts and Seeds

Snack: Orange

Lunch: Salad with shrimp (homemade salad or a kit; shrimp available fresh or frozen or canned) and crackers

Snack: Berries

Dinner: Chili with Cornbread and a Salad (chili in cans or beans, etc., to make yourself; simple cornbread mix, or ingredients to make yourself; salad kit or salad ingredients)

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Kale, Ginger, Blueberry smoothie with Protein Powder (all available fresh and kale and blueberries available organic. Blueberries also available frozen. Whey protein to organic vegan-pea protein)

Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter

Lunch: Sandwich: Southwest chicken wrap available pre-made and a bowl of berries.

Snack: Tangerine

Dinner: Beef stew in a crockpot (all fresh ingredients available)

 

Friday

Breakfast: Breakfast burrito (ready made in the freezer or homemade)

Snack: Pear

Lunch: Chicken Soup (canned soup) with extra veggies

Snack: Veggie sticks with Hummus

Dinner: Salmon patties made with canned salmon, asparagus, and brown rice (many types and grades of salmon available.)

 

Saturday

Breakfast: Buckwheat waffles or pancakes (Arrowhead Mills makes a nice mix) with a little maple syrup or fresh berries and organic butter.

Snack: Orange

Lunch: Salad with shrimp (homemade salad or a kit; shrimp available fresh or frozen or canned) and crackers

Snack: Nuts and Seeds

Dinner: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

 

Sunday

Breakfast or Brunch: Sunday omelets with turkey bacon and a fruit salad

Lunch: Bento Box lunch (can buy Bento boxes): cheese, olives, sliced turkey, crackers, with an apple

Dinner: Turkey Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and a salad

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Other Options and Tips:

Additions to Optimize Nutrition:

Add Bone Broth to soups

Veggies to soups (fresh or frozen)

Herbs (fresh or dried)

 

Specialties:

Gluten Free Options

International Foods

 

Beverages:

Tea (from English Breakfast to Lemon-Ginger)

Coconut Water (many brands to choose from)

Coffee (from Folgers to Starbucks)

 

Staples:

Olive Oil (good brands from Italy and California, some organic)

Salad Dressings (some not good options, but some like Newman’s are better, but even better, drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on your salad.

Various types of flour, herbs and spices, etc…

 

Sweeteners (every imaginable kind.)

Stevia

Coconut sugar: Organic and non-organic

Honey (from Raw to cheaper ‘heated’ types)

 

 SNAP Benefits

For those who use SNAP benefits, Walmart accepts EBT payments for online orders in 49 states. In Alaska, you may use your EBT card at pickup.

We hope this was helpful. Let us know how you do!