Shopping, Cooking and Eating on a Budget
by Rosa J. Donohue, MS, RD, CDN
There are two main good reasons for being on a food
budget. Money available for food may be limited,
or saving money for something else is the intention. Whatever the reason,
the most important thing to
keep in mind is that it is good to cut back on costs but NOT to cut back
on nutrients. Food intake needs to
include all the necessary nutrients our bodies require to be healthy:
vitamins, minerals, protein,
carbohydrates, fiber, good fats, and water – not too little of each,
and not too much either. Eating nutritious
foods does not have to be expensive and eating on a budget does not mean
you have to stop eating or you
have to eat less nutritious foods. By being careful and creative when
food shopping, cooking, and eating,
meals can be balanced, tasty, satisfying and fun to make too. Here are
some suggestions to help you stay
on a food budget.
Food Shopping
Plan ahead and make a list. Do you have some noodles or rice that have
been in your
kitchen cabinets for long? How about some canned foods? Anything you’ve
been getting
in the pantry food bags and have not used yet? Look in the refrigerator
and freezer
compartments, is there anything you can use to make a casserole or soup?
Make a list of
what you would like to eat for the next several days or week, using some
or all of what
you already have, and list those ingredients you need to buy. Check to
see what space you
have available for storage. Food that is not eaten spoils if not properly
stored and that is a
waste. Save some money by avoiding any wasted food.
**Buy only what
is on your list and in the amounts you will eat, avoid impulse buying.
Be flexible enough so that if you see something you normally eat is on
sale, you can
change your list on the spot. For example, your list calls for buying
broccoli to go with
your pasta but they have zucchini or string beans on sale that day, switch
the vegetables
and get what is on sale instead.
**Know your prices
so you can compare products of similar contents and quality. Read the
labels on the
shelf and compare the prices per unit (lb, oz, etc.) You can only compare
products priced in the same
units. For instance, don’t compare a product that has a unit price
of “$.80/oz” against one that has a unit
price of “$10.00/lb” unless you know how to make the conversion.
Keep it simple, compare pounds with
pounds and ounces with ounces.
**Buy fresh fruits
and vegetables that are in season and on specials. Compare prices
with frozen fruits and vegetables. Fresh is best but frozen and canned
are also nutritious
too.
**Buy bulk when
appropriate. A chunk of cheese will cost less than a bag of the same
cheese shredded. A small bag of apples or oranges usually cost less than
buying them
individually. A whole chicken costs less than pieces already cut up. You
can cut it
yourself and have several meals from it. Many dry goods are cheaper if
purchased by
weight and/or in larger quantities, like rice, oatmeal, beans, flours,
etc.
**Buy store brand
products, generic brands. They usually are less expensive and are
the same in contents as other well-known brands. The difference is in
the price.
**Check food
ads in the papers, magazines and at the food stores. Save coupons and
use
them only for products you consume. Compare them to other brands for lower
prices.
Many coupons are for more expensive brands so you end up spending more
even when
on sale. Shop on days when “double coupons” are offered, double
the value of the
coupons are discounted from the marked prices. Use food coupons/vouchers
where
accepted.
Cooking and Eating
**Convenience, pre-packaged or pre-cooked, processed foods tend to be
more expensive.
Prepare your own meals and you will not only have better tasting food
and save some
dollars but will also get less sodium, fat, sugars and artificial colors,
flavorings and
preservatives (read the ingredients list in processed foods), and will
be fresher and more
nutritious.
**Cook larger quantities and save as another meal for the next day or
to freeze for
another time. You will save time, fuel, and some ingredients when preparing
food in
double or triple batches. Bake a whole chicken or large piece of meat
and make several
meals to last you the whole week.
**Eat more vegetable proteins (beans, lentils, peas, tofu, peanut butter)
- they are nutritious, cost less, and
are cholesterol-free.
**Less expensive cuts of meats are made tender and tasty by cooking them
slowly, at low
heat, for longer. You can also use a slow cooker, or a heavy pot with
a lid and cook the
meat on top of the stove or in the oven.
**Leaner cuts of meats are more expensive but you can buy just a very
small amount and prepare dishes
that call for little meat like stir fries with vegetables and stews with
potatoes and vegetables.
**Add a bag of frozen vegetables to rice, noodles, any casserole or stew,
or any meal.
**Luncheon meats, cold cuts, are expensive and high in sodium, fat and
preservatives.
Make your own sandwich spreads with canned tuna, salmon, chicken, or cook
some eggs
and make a salad, or make a spread with canned chickpeas or other beans.
Chopped
celery, cucumbers or apples add a crunchy texture and nice flavor to the
sandwich
spreads.
**Save leftovers and make them into another meal. Eat leftovers within
two to three
days, or freeze and eat within a month or two. Make sure to label them
with contents and
date.
**Pita breads are good for leftovers. Toast it lightly, cut in half and
make two sandwich
pockets to stuff with any leftover food.
**Use pita bread to make mini pizzas. Spread leftover tomato sauce and
whatever
topping you have, then heat in the oven for a couple of minutes. You can
also use English
Muffins or tortillas to make individual pizzas.
**Cook extra pasta and save for next day. Make a pasta salad with leftover
vegetables,
chicken meat, chopped tomatoes and vinegar & oil or your favorite
dressing.
**Leftover stew, casserole or any dish can be made into a hearty soup
the next day. Add
broth, any cooking herbs, some chopped fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables,
noodles or
canned beans and some water if more liquid is needed.
**Use leftover meats, chicken, vegetables, to make a stir-fry and serve
over rice or
noodles. Or use them to make a salad and stuff tomatoes, or peppers.
**Make an omelet
with leftovers. Make rice pudding with leftover rice, or freeze
it for later. Use extra fruit to add to salads, or cut up and sprinkle
over cereal or yogurt.
**Experiment with new seasonings. You may not like certain foods from
one experience only.
Try cooking them in a different way, with different seasonings and combining
them with other foods.
They may taste completely different, from flavor to texture to looks so
don’t give up. One example is tofu,
a protein-rich food, cholesterol free, inexpensive and rich in phytonutrients.
It is tasteless when eaten plain
but it can be seasoned with different herbs and spices and can be sautéed,
fried, BBQ, baked, mashed, and
can turn into delicious ethnic dishes, even into desserts like cheesecake!
The different seasonings can
make it taste like oriental food, or like Spanish, Mexican, Italian, Middle
Eastern or any other international
dish. The trick is in the way it is prepared.
**Eat more oatmeal. Get the plain oatmeal, quick or old fashioned. You
can buy it by the pound at
some healthfood stores, and it costs less than the packaged ones. But
even the supermarket’s own brand
of oatmeal is a good buy. Oatmeal is very nutritious and energizing, a
great way to start the day. Mix it
with any of these ingredients: cut up fruits, raisins, milk, ricemilk
or soymilk, yogurt, cinnamon, nuts, or a
little brown sugar or honey.
**Avoid overeating or eating while watching TV. Doing this only increases
your food
budget and can lead to obesity.
**Remember that if you eat out often, you must factor that into your budget.
Spending
just $3 a day on eating something out each day will add up to over $1,000
a year. If you
spend $5 a day, the total per year would be over $1,800. Eat at home before
going out so
you won’t be hungry until you return, or think about taking some
snacks with you from
home.
**Remember that
balancing your meals is very important. Filling your plate with
foods of different colors is one way to balance your meals easily: -red/orange/yellow
(carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, orange, tomato) -dark greens
(kale, collards,
broccoli, spinach) -blue/purple/black (berries, eggplant, dark olives,
black beans, dark
grapes) -whites (milk, white beans, cauliflower, cheese, egg white -browns
(teas and
whole grains and legumes). These are just some examples. Make sure also
to include the
nutrients needed: carbohydrates (starchy foods like grains and dry beans),
proteins
(meats, fish, dairy products, soy, nuts, dry beans, poultry), good fats
(found in fish, olive
oil, nuts, avocado, canola oil, flax seeds) fiber (fruits, vegetables,
whole grains & dry
beans), vitamins & minerals (fruits and vegetables) and water.
The above are just some examples but there are many more foods to choose
from to make your
meals and snacks delicious and nutritious. Relax, try to always eat sitting
at the table, and enjoy your
food!
