Eat Better for Less
Like everyone else these days, I’m trying to cut costs where I can. My latest obsession is my food bill: How can I spend less and still enjoy organic produce and free-range meats? “The secret to eating well on a budget is not to give up the high-quality foods you love, but to buy only what you need, then make sure you use everything you buy,” says Mollie Katzen, author of The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without (Hyperion, 2007). With that in mind, here are ten expert tips on eating well for less, plus six recipes that range from 17 cents to $2 a serving. As a bonus, each recipe does double duty: You get a complete main dish, plus a convenient – and delicious – leftover suggestion. 1. Know your budget EXPERT TIP: “Before you can start spending less, you have to know what your budget is,” says Katzen. Save receipts – grocery, farmers’ market, restaurants, takeout – for a month and determine what you’re really spending. $$$ SAVED: $200 to $300 a month – if you cut nonessentials like snacks, takeout, and coffee to go. SPINACH
& ONION FRITTATA IS AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO GET YOUR PROTEIN,
IRON, AND ANTIOXIDANTS Leftover suggestion: FRIED RICE WITH CHOPPED-UP FRITATTA AND VEGGIES STRETCHES LAST NIGHT’S DINNER INTO TOMORROW’S LUNCH. 2. Plan a menu for the week EXPERT TIP: “Plan the week’s meals, including lunches and leftovers,” says Natural Health recipe developer Linda Monastra. “I start with two or three dishes, then come up with other recipes that need some of the same ingredients, so nothing gets wasted.” $$$ SAVED: About $40 – the cost of the grocery bill for our seven budget recipes and leftovers (starting on page 90). That’s half of what the average American spends in one week for food. 3. Shop around EXPERT TIP: Comparison shopping is critical, says Judi Zucker, coauthor, with her sister Shari, of The Double Energy Diet (Book Publishing Company, 2008). But it’s not just comparing one store’s prices to another: You can also trade convenience – like precooked, pre-assembled foods – for bargains. $$$ SAVED: Up to $2 per item – if you buy loose greens instead of pre-washed, and whole veggies instead of pre-sliced ones. CARROT
GINGER SAUTÉ IS A GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMIN A AND SOOTHING
GINGER 4. Find coupons online EXPERT TIP: “There are more organic companies offering coupons today than ever before,” says Zucker. “And you don’t have to clip them out of the newspaper: Just go online and get them with a click.” $$$ SAVED: $1 or more per package on items like organic yogurts, juices, and crackers – plus fair-trade coffee beans and eco cleaners. Check out mambosprouts.com to download coupons. 5. Go for nutrient density EXPERT TIP: “To really get your money’s worth,
buy foods that are high in nutrients,” says Katzen. To make
that easier, many supermarkets, such as Stop & Shop, now let
you compare prices and nutritional information online. FENNEL
& APPLE SALAD IS LOADED WITH FIBER, VITAMIN C, AND VIBRANT
FLAVORS OF LEMON, PECANS, AND FRESH PARSLEY – AND TAKES JUST
A FEW MINUTES TO PREPARE 6. Cut down on meat EXPERT TIP: “Build meals around something other than meat,” says Zucker, “and the savings skyrocket.” Even the cheapest cuts of meat – fatty chicken thighs and ground chuck – can cost $2 or $3 per pound. $$$ SAVED: $2.50 – if you replace meat with protein-rich barley and pinto, kidney, and black beans in soups and stews (a pound of beef costs nearly $4; a pound of dried beans is about $1.50). September 29, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Natural Health Magazine
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