Monday, November 3, 2008

10 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Food

1. DRIED BEANS


DRIED BEANS-(under $1.) help to reduce cholesterol while
providing excellent nutrition.

Dry Beans and Peas: Natural Weight-Loss Food

Cooking with Dried Beans, Dried Bean Guide, Soaking Dried Beans

Basic Dried Beans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. OATMEAL


Oatmeal - affordable, healthy and filling
Less processed oatmeal is more healthy and cheaper.

click here for oatmeal coupons

Making Your Own Homemade Oatmeal Packets

Oatmeal Recipes:
Banana Bread Oatmeal
Berry Almond Crumble Oatmeal
Banana Bread Oatmeal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. RICE



Rice-around $1. per lb

Recipes: (click the name to go to the recipe)

Capsicum Masala Rice

Mexican Vegetable Rice

Spicy Rice with Black-Eyed Peas


Saucy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice


Arroz con pollo means "Rice with Chicken
-----------------------------------------------------------
4. Canned salmon | $3.29/12-ounce can
Try canned fish. It’s cheaper than fresh and can offer more calcium.
*prevention of heart problems and may help with controlling arthritis.

How to clean a salmon

Recipes:
Smoked Salmon Quesadillas
Simple Baked Salmon
Baked stuffed salmon

Recipe Collections ---------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Fat-free milk | $1.69/quart
Cut back on the fat. Whole milk is often more expensive than its lighter-calorie cousins.
Use in place of whole milk in any recipe.

AHA Recommendation

  • Choose 2–3 servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy products for adults. Children should have two or more servings, teenagers and older adults should have four.
  • For dessert or snacks, choose ice milk, frozen or fruited low-fat or nonfat yogurt, sherbet, sorbet or low-fat puddings.
  • ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Chicken thighs | $1.29/pound
Poultry breasts are only one option. Other parts of the bird are cheaper. A whole bird? Even better.

Boneless Thighs

Bone-in chicken thighs are cheaper than boneless ones, and boning is a quick and easy process. Learn how in our Photo Tutorial.


Chicken Cooking Basics

Chicken is a dinnertime favorite: it's highly versatile, family-friendly, and good for you. Learn more in our Advice article.


Leftovers

Don't throw away the bones! Let our Photo Tutorial show you how to use leftovers from your whole chicken to make rich homemade stock.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Cabbage | $.79/pound
Use substitutions. Coleslaw, for example, made with cabbage,
can be less expensive than greens.

Cabbage Cooking Tips

Recipes:

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
1 lb. hamburger
1 lb. pork sausage
1/3 c. uncooked instant rice
1 med. onion, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
12 cabbage leaves

Cover cabbage rolls with boiling water. Cover and let stand until leaves are limp, about 10 minutes. Remove leaves; drain. Mix hamburger, pork sausage, rice, onion, salt, pepper, garlic salt and 1/2 of tomato sauce. Place hamburger mixture in each cabbage leaf, roll up, tucking all sides under. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in ungreased baking dish. Mix remaining tomato sauce, sugar and lemon juice. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Mix cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan. Stir in liquid from cabbage rolls. Heat to boiling, boil 1 minute. Serve sauce over cabbage rolls.

Fried Cabbage Recipe
1/2 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1 sm. head cabbage, shredded
1 pkg. Lipton creamy garlic pasta,
cooked by pkg. directions

Fry cabbage to desired doneness. Add pasta and bacon. Serve hot.

Marinated Cole Slaw Recipe
1 med. head cabbage, shredded
1 med. onion, sliced thin

Cover this with 1/2 cup sugar.
Bring to boil:
1 c. mild vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. salad oil

Pour over cabbage mixture while hot. Seal and refrigerate overnight. Very good.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Frozen vegetables | $1.79/pound
If a vegetable isn’t in season, opt for frozen. (canned is even cheaper)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Ramen Noodles (10/$1.)

1. It's delicious!
Well, ramen taste great, that's a fact!


2. Low cost
One of the most important reason why ramen are so popular: instant noodles are really cheap, really. Even if we all agree that ramen taste great, let's be honest, 85.7 billion ramen meals would not be consumed every year if the product was 4 or 5 times more expensive. But good news, you can get them for as low as 0.10$ a pack in North America (cheapest ones we found right now are at costco) and for a pretty low cost too anywhere around the globe. If you don’t want to buy a 36 packs box, you can go to your local supermarket and get 4-8 for a dollar. To buy authentic ramen noodles, if you do not live in Asia, it should not be a problem in any large city.

3. Ready in five minutes
Like you can see in our “How to cook” section, instant noodles are ready in 5 minutes, on the oven, in the microwave or even with the coffee maker!

4. Healthy meal
As we all know, fruits and vegetables taste great! But, we’ll eat some tommorow, just not today. Well with ramen, as with any kind of pasta, you can add some healthy food with a great sauce to have a good and tasty meal!

5. Easy to cook
Basicly, if you know how to heat up water, you know how to cook instant noodles. As long as you don’t overcook, it should always be a great meal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


10. Eat leftovers (pre cooked food)

Beat the High Cost of Food
: Eat the Leftovers!

Want Another Way to Save on High Grocery Prices?
Approach Leftover Food Creatively and
You'll Save Money and Keep the Pickiest Eaters Happy, Too.


The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Fresh Ideas for Leftover Turkey
Turn Thanksgiving turkey into a second (or even third) supper with delicious meals ranging from hearty casseroles to savory soups.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How I am currently dealing with the high cost of food:

Find the "Dollar Stores" near you and shop for food there.

Family Dollar Stores
Operates a chain of discount stores across the US. Includes store locations

Dollar Tree Find a Dollar Tree Store Near You

Dollar General | Save Time. Save Money. Every day!

There are times when dining out can be cheaper than eating at home.
Keep your eyes peeled for lunch and early bird specials.

Use 'Buy One Dinner, Get One Free' coupons.

Don't be afraid to take your leftovers home with you!
For many people, dinner portions are more like two meals.
Why not eat them both, separately?

Fast food can be a real deal, but don't make it the mainstay of your diet.

Your health is your wealth.

Use coupons, but use them wisely. Ask yourself these questions:

  • If the product is more expensive than your usual brand, will the coupon still save you money?
  • If you have to buy several of an item to use the coupon, will you be able to use it all before it goes bad?
  • Will you have to drive out of your way to take advantage of the offer?
  • If so, will you save more than you spend on gas?
  • Do any of the supermarkets near you have a day when coupons are worth even more?

Online coupon sites make finding coupons easier. Some require registration. Read their privacy policies carefully before entering your personal information:

Coupons.com

Cool Savings

Coupon Mom

Smart Source

Your comments are welcome here! Please add any tips you have in comments!