In the fridge of Sophie, 35 years old, 2,450 euros a month: “I eat 5 meals a day”

Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are. For our brand new format soberly titled “In the fridge of…”, readers of all ages and with different incomes open the door to their kitchen and fridge.

• Pseudo : Sophie*

• Age :35

• Place of residence : Laval (Mayenne, 53)

• People living under the same roof and their age : 33 year old bride, a rabbit

• Family income : 1850 euros net for me, my partner is unemployed and receives around 600 euros

• Monthly grocery budget : 250/300 euros, I have restaurant vouchers worth 10 euros (of which I pay 4 euros included in the shopping to spread the expenses). In general we use between 10 and 15 per month.

• Food specifications : I modified my diet thanks to a sports coach to improve my performance, I maintained the main points of the program for my definitive diet. My partner doesn’t follow a special diet. The rabbit eats 5 different vegetables a day.

Sophie’s regular food purchases

We eat in a very simple and rather repetitive way. It’s mostly a meat/starch/vegetable combo. We buy the same things every week. Vegetables are the only foods we adapt to the season.

I weigh my dishes to pay attention to the quantities and respect the macronutrients suitable for me. I am very interested in nutrition, I learn by listening to interviews with experts and for me it is essential to eat correctly and adapted to your needs. This involves a big learning phase, weighing yourself, and a radical change of bad habits, eating more simply.

The brands frequented by Sophie

We shop in 3 main stores: a butcher’s shop for meat (chicken or turkey) with a budget of around 30 euros per week (paid partly with restaurant vouchers).

A fresh vegetable shop (Grand Frais): rabbit vegetables, our own greens, eggs and other food products (rice, quinoa, lentils, almonds) for a budget of around 40 euros per week (paid partly with restaurant vouchers).

A supermarket (Leclerc): for some specific products such as white cheeses/petits suisses/turkey slices/chocolate/etc. Budget around 25 euros per week.

We are lucky enough to have my partner’s grandparents who occasionally give us vegetables from their garden. Sometimes I order groceries from a website for fairly specific foods that I can buy in bulk (soy, chia seeds, etc.).

Choose your products based on macronutrients and composition

The products are chosen based on macronutrients and composition. Regardless of the price range, what we buy is as raw as possible.

We don’t necessarily buy local or organic products. I’m more focused on composition and seasonal products.

5 meals a day

I eat 5 meals a day, in each meal proteins are essential to reach the quota set for me. At lunch and dinner the meals consist of white meats. Both snacks are quite sweet with cottage cheese and breakfast is eggs, ham and cheese.

For fish this happens from time to time following promotions, or for canned tuna for variety. It’s hard for me to reach my goal with vegetarian products, I only eat soy once or twice a week.

My partner eats 2 meals a day (it’s a personal choice, he doesn’t eat lunch or snacks), his two meals consist of white meat.

Each couple cooks according to their own tastes

We both cook. I weigh my meals and have to take them away for lunch the next day, plus we don’t like the same vegetables. Everyone will then cook part of the meal and then we will prepare our dishes with what we have available.

Restaurants and home deliveries

We go to the restaurant with a budget of 50-100 euros per person depending on the month. We do not deliver meals.

Food crackers

Our last treat is a Mont d’Or bought from the cheesemaker, with cured meats from the butcher, potatoes from our grandparents’ garden and a good champagne.

Even if it means having fun, without weighing the food, you might as well look for quality.

My favorite food would be peanut butter! Luckily, once the quantity has been defined, it is possible to eat it every day…

Our real concerns are more about the wine, during the fair period the budget is much bigger than the food!

Inflation and eating habits

We have not changed our purchasing habits with inflation, except for meat, where before we purchased in a more diversified way and which today is almost exclusively white meat. I haven’t seen an increase with inflation, I don’t think I buy the products that have been affected the most.

Importance of ecological impact

The ecological impact is important, I try to choose French vegetables as much as possible. Since the rabbit does not have much choice, depending on the season I am forced to get it from another country.

Buying raw and simple products also helps limit the environmental impact of producers.

*Name changed