La Crosse County Health Department Nutrition Division December 5th, 2008
Eating Healthy on a Budget
Many of us are on tight budgets these days with increased gas prices, increased food prices and increased spending with the holiday season . When you’re on a tight budget, the thought of preparing tasty, healthy meals on a regular basis may not seem possible. It can be easy to get influenced by grocery merchandising tricks and many of us also fall into mealtime ruts, eating the same foods over and over. Remember though, you are in control of your kitchen and what you prepare and eat. With a little planning you can enjoy the first-class meals you deserve! You can save money and still have quality! If you’ve been using cost as an excuse to eat junk, you can kiss that excuse goodbye! With a little organization and creativity, you can have the proverbial champagne when cooking on a beer budget. To start, here is a quick review of some basic tips of healthy eating: Limit you intake of junk food and alcohol • Drink plenty of water daily • Limit salty and sugary foods • Avoid eating many foods that are high in saturated fat and trans fats • Watch your portion sizes • Make “variety and balance” the keywords of your eating habits Set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, and shopping, tasks that are often shortchanged in food prep. Include healthy snack ideas, as well as main menu items. Try surfing the internet for recipes that use specific ingredients (plug the ingredient in as a keyword of your search), since you can often get good buys on breads, meats, and other items marked for quick sale before they go bad.
Here are some ideas for foods to stock your refrigerator and cupboards with, these are quick and easy and kind to your wallet: • Beans and lentils: whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups and casseroles, and also can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice. • Brown rice: is a great addition to leftover meat and veggies. Although brown rice is slightly more expensive than white, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. Another inexpensive, easy-tofix grain, millet, is best when bought fresh. Simply rinse and toast before using it in recipes. • Pasta: likewise, is quick and easy to prepare, and can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, and herbs.) Choose wholewheat pasta whenever available. • Soups: can’t be beat for nutrition and convenience, especially since you can use canned or packet soups as your base, then add your own veggies and leftover meat. Again, try to experiment, adding your own herbs and spices. • Fresh vegetables and fruit: should be bought at least once or twice each week, preferably in season, to ensure optimal taste and nutrition. You can also rely on canned/frozen varieties as handy additions to last-minute meals. Veggies make great stirfries and vegetable patties, while fruit is good for a quick nutritious snack. • Meat and fish: can be kept on hand also for last-minute meals— try the newer tuna and salmon pouches, and shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews and casseroles. • Condiments: add flavor and interest to your dishes. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, marinades, vinegars, tomato and soy sauces, along with stock cubes, in your cupboard. Experiment with the new, such as Japanese miso, an aged salty condiment made from soybeans and various other ingredients (found in the natural foods section, usually refrigerated). A few more hints that can help you save a little green: • When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or quick suppers. Double recipes, then freeze half. • Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock. Not only do you save money, but vegetable stock also
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makes a nutritious base for casseroles, soups, and Crockpot cooking. Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper; you can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, and even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It’s always a good idea to buy nonperishable items in bulk (canned foods, dried beans and grains, etc.). Use less expensive cuts of meat for casseroles that you slow cook; add extra vegetables and beans to make the meal go further. Capitalize on one-pot dishes, which generally save prep time, money, and dishwashing, and often make great leftovers. Look high and low (literally) to find the less expensive generic or store brands on grocery shelves, often very similar to higherpriced brand names though packaged under different labels. Stores deliberately place the highest-priced brand-name items at eye level, but if you compare the cost per unit, you’ll be able to figure out the most cost-effective purchase. You can even try your own taste tests— blind, of course— to see where you can save money without sacrificing flavor. Take advantage of specials on staples—broth, soups, pasta, rice, canned veggies, even bread and meat. Many of these items have a long shelf life or can be frozen for short periods of time. Limit your dining out, especially when it comes to fast food, since you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily on items that are high in fat, salt, and calories, which short-change you in the nutrition department.
There’s no magic formula to cooking on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. But if you think of the rewards—better health and more money—you’ll find it’s worth the effort. No doubt you’ll still have days when you fall back on that quick-fix packaged food or the local burger drive-thru. But if you look at cooking as an adventure, you’ll also have days when you find yourself pleased at what you’ve accomplished when you try some new or different cooking methods or recipes! Source: www.sparkpeople.com Questions regarding this Health Bits?? Contact Dawn McFadden, RD, CLC at: mcfadden.dawn@co.la-crosse.wi.us