Have you noticed that the price of groceries has significantly increased? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices have increased by 10.8 percent in 2022, the largest 12-month increase since 1980. To help you save money, here are a few tips proven to make your food […]
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Have you noticed that the price of groceries has significantly increased?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices have increased by 10.8 percent in 2022, the largest 12-month increase since 1980.
To help you save money, here are a few tips proven to make your food dollars go farther.
Plan to eat at home
Eating at home is much less expensive than eating out. To save on food costs, try eating more meals at home.
Many times, people end up eating out because nothing was planned for dinner. Having written, planned menus for the week helps reduce the temptation to eat out or order in.
Plan weekly menus
Planning meals is the most important step for reducing food costs. Doing this has been shown to save hundreds of dollars each month.
Try planning meals one week at a time. I write down my menus on a calendar used solely for this purpose. Besides being invaluable for preparing a grocery list, it also serves as a source of ideas for planning future meals.
To plan your menus, first check the grocery ads that come in the mail or with your local newspaper to see what’s on sale. Also, check your freezer to see which meats/poultry/fish you have on hand.
For menu ideas, look through your recipe file, cookbooks, etc. Then, write down exactly what you are going to eat for every dinner (and if possible, lunch) in the coming week. Be sure to include the entrée, starch, vegetable, salad and any other sides.
Plan a meatless meal
To save on food costs, try planning at least one meatless meal each week. Protein-rich beans, lentils, tuna and eggs are much less expensive than meat. A meal can be as simple as tuna sandwiches, bean burritos or quick black beans and rice. (See recipe.)
Plan meals using in-season produce
Try planning your meals around seasonal vegetables, instead of around meats. Serving smaller portions of meat, the most expensive part of a meal, saves money. For example, instead of buying a steak for each person, plan on buying just one steak for making shish kebabs with small cubes of meat and an assortment of colorful summer veggies, such as zucchini, cherry tomatoes and peppers.
To find out which vegetables and fruits are in season and cheapest, just look at grocery store ads. Or for the freshest produce, buy seasonal vegetables and fruits at farmers markets and farm stands.
During the summer, there are plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits on sale at local farm stands and in grocery stores. Buying in-season produce not only ensures you get the freshest and best tasting fruits and vegetables, but also save money.
For example, bell peppers, corn on the cob and watermelon are seasonal produce typically on sale during this time of year. Use these in-season sale items to plan a dinner such as: stuffed green peppers, corn on the cob and watermelon for dessert.
Besides saving money, including plenty of in-season vegetables and fruit at meals provides enormous health benefits. Meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables are lower in calories (to help control our weight) and rich in health-giving antioxidants.
Keep a list
To prevent running out of foods and spices you typically keep on hand, keep a running grocery list of items you need to restock in your pantry. For example, when the bottle of ketchup is near empty or you use the last onion, add it to the grocery list.
Before going to the grocery store, remember to double-check the cupboards to be sure you have all the ingredients needed for the recipes for your planned menu items. Doing this prevents having to go back to the store for needed ingredients — saving you time and gas money.
Try writing the list in the order in which the foods are arranged in the store aisles. This reduces the time spent in the store. Studies have shown that the more time spent in the grocery store, the more we spend. And remember to stick to the grocery list!
Convenience costs
To cut food costs, reduce the number of prepared foods and boxed convenience foods purchased.
Convenience foods such as frozen dinners, refrigerated precooked meats, pre-made mashed potatoes, pre-cut vegetables and pre-cut fruits and bakery goodies are much more expensive than if you prepared them yourself.
For example, a 24-ounce refrigerated package of mashed potatoes costs four times as much as making them at home using fresh potatoes.
To make fast and easy mashed potatoes for just one or two persons, try my short-cut mashed potato recipe. (See recipe.) Besides being less expensive than store-bought pre-made mashed potatoes, they’re much healthier.
For more money-saving, try buying oats in the large containers instead of in the individual packets. Old-fashioned oats, in a large cardboard container, cost about 9 cents per serving — versus about 86 cents for a two-packet serving of instant oatmeal, depending on the brand purchased.
Cook once, eat twice
When planning your dinner meals, plan to serve the same foods twice during the week. You don’t have to eat the same food two days in a row. Since leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to three or four days, you can skip a day before eating the same meal again.
Or, try using leftovers in a different way. For example, use leftover grilled chicken in a casserole, chicken a la king or over a salad. Never throw leftovers away. Throwing food away is throwing money away.
If there are only one or two people in the house, there’s no need to give up making your favorite entrees. Prepare a large batch of a favorite recipe and freeze some in individual containers. This saves you time, energy — and money.
These “homemade TV dinners” are great to use on days when you get home late from running errands or a doctor’s appointment. Or, use them on days when you just don’t feel like cooking. They’re less expensive than eating out or frozen dinners from the store.
Be sure to label and date your entrees before freezing. To make it easier to remember what’s in your freezer, try keeping a list of the entrees you freeze (and the date frozen). This makes "shopping" in your freezer for supper quicker and easier.
So, this summer and fall, try planning your weekly menus. You'll be surprised at how much money you can save.
Phyllis J. Molnar is a registered and licensed dietitian who writes about food and health for The Chronicle-Telegram and The Gazette. Email her at pjmolnar56@gmail.com.
Ancho chicken with warm corn, zucchini and tomato salad
Seasoning mixture:
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (I use regular chili powder)
¼ teaspoon of each: ground cumin and garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
(May use chicken tenders, which are sometimes on sale.)
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ small sweet onion, diced
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced
1-pint grape tomatoes, each cut in half
1 ½ cups corn kernels (from 1 large of 2 small ears of fresh sweet corn)
1 clove garlic, minced
Topping:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons lime juice, optional
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, optional
In a small bowl, mix together the spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper). Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken on both sides, rubbing it into chicken with your fingers.
Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add chicken. Cook for about 6 minutes, turning them as needed, until lightly browned on both sides (and cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees). Transfer chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. Once oil is hot, add onion and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add diced zucchini, tomatoes, corn and garlic. Cook until all the vegetables are softened, but still retain their shape, about 3 minutes. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
To serve, divide the vegetable mixture onto 4 plates. Top each with a piece of chicken and then with a few slices of avocado. Drizzle lime juice over avocado and top with cilantro leaves.
Note: I like to serve this over instant brown rice. If desired, mix in a few black beans with rice. This adds a bit of fiber and antioxidants.
Makes: 4 servings
SOURCE: Ellie Krieger
Short-cut mashed potatoes for two
2 potatoes
Margarine or butter (or other toppings as desired)
Salt, pepper, to taste
Scrub potatoes well with a vegetable brush. Wrap in a damp paper towel.
Place in the microwave on the turntable. Cook until potatoes feel slightly soft when squeezed with a potholder.
Wrap each potato in foil to keep warm and to finish cooking. Place one baked potato on each dinner plate. Split open potato and mash with a fork. Add desired toppings and enjoy!
Note: Besides being less expensive than store-bought premade mashed potatoes, this method saves you from having to wash any kettles (and it’s more nutritious).
Note: Potatoes are naturally high in potassium (twice the amount as in a banana) and vitamin C. Boiling potatoes before mashing them causes them to lose about 50 percent of both nutrients in the cooking water (which is discarded). Baking potatoes in the microwave or oven preserves potatoes’ vitamin C and potassium.
Makes: 2 servings
SOURCE: Phyllis Molnar
Quick black beans and rice for two
3/4 cups minced sweet yellow onion (about 1/2 large onion)
1/4 green bell pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 15-ounce can black beans (or 1½ cups cooked black beans)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
Cooked rice, white (or brown) rice.
Start cooking the rice. While it is cooking, prepare the black beans.
Mince the bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Be sure to remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno pepper before mincing it.
Drain the canned black beans in a strainer over a glass measuring cup, reserving the canned liquid.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and just slightly browned. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and salt. Stir. Add ½ cup of the liquid from the beans. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with the cooked rice.
Serving suggestion: Serve with sliced avocado (or guacamole) and diced fresh vine-ripened tomatoes (and cilantro if desired). Fresh corn on the cob also goes well with this.
Variation: Make bean burritos using the prepared black beans — substituting tortillas for the rice. If desired, add a bit of shredded cheese, chopped tomato and cilantro to the burrito.
Makes: 2 servings
SOURCE: acouplecooks.com
