The Robbed that Smiles Steals Something from the Thief

My latest challenge of money pinching is to figure out how to keep my monthly grocery bill under $100 and still be eating healthy. By healthy, I mean keeping fresh fruits and veggies in my diet. Thus far it's been....iffy. I've been managing to keep it under $100 (partly by eating dinner at my parents' a couple times a week, but those aren't really planned), but I am not planning combinations very well. Recently, I've been finding myself putting off eating because there's nothing I can consider a meal. For instance: One night my dinner consisted of cereal and a glass of blackberry merlot (merlot is usually drier and more bitter -- not good w/ cereal, but this kind was a cheap, sweet brand). Another instance: For lunch (I think it was lunch), I had two slices of rye/pumpernickel swirl bread with butter and pepper jack cheese, and a small bowl of vanilla yogurt with honey. I've also been eating a lot of spaghetti with sauce and Parmesan cheese and leftover meatballs from a spaghetti dinner I hosted here at my house.

The problem? Notice the lack of fruits, vegetables, and quality meat. The meatballs were frozen, so although they may add some protein, I wouldn't consider them "quality". I had oranges, and I think I might get a bag of those again, but I need a way to get myself to eat them before half of them go bad (which is possible, I just haven't always had/made time to cut them). I'm thinking I'll try slicing a few of them and putting them in baggies. Vegetables have been almost lacking completely! The hard thing about vegetables for me, is I prefer to eat vegetables mixed in with other things.

My current plan is to mix either chicken or ground beef in my pasta sauce, I might see how artichoke hearts taste in that (although those are canned, not fresh). Then, do a spoof off of the sausage and couscous recipe I have and put different vegetables in it (not both of these at the same time, that wouldn't help the saving money cause). Then lots of cereal and PB&J's. Yay for non-perishable food.

Wonder if it'll work?