Food

[Honeylioness]

WIR: Frugal meals/foods that focus on health (without sacrificing flavor)

azure sky - 03/29/09 12:15 PM

OK, I know this has been done, but I recently made two great discoveries: canned salmon, and homemade breakfast cookies (delicious--I promise--even though they are made with whole grain flour and wheat germ). Both are cheap and super healthy, and what could be faster than cooking up some salmon cakes for dinner? I am making the transition to dried beans since they are also cheaper and healthier than canned beans. I have some black beans soaking right now...wish me luck!

Any others want to share their best healthy cooking tips that are easy on the budget?


Honeylioness - 03/30/09 11:48 AM

For me it is not about a particular food or stretcher, but in buying the best ingredients I can and then extending one meal into several without it being boring. So here would be an example (keep in mind I am cooking for just myself):

Shopping List: Two whole chickens, bag of potatoes, assorted veggies (beans, carrots, broccoli), cheese, sour cream.

Saturday: Cut up chickens into pieces. Skin and de-bone one whole breast. I then wrap the pieces and put them into a bin in my freezer. Save the carcass and bones, put into a plastic bag in freezer for stock. Prepare buttermilk and seasoning blend, add chicken to liquid to soak overnight.

Sunday: Make fried chicken, gravy, steamed beans and baked potatoes (about 6) for dinner.

Monday: Use two baked potatoes from Sunday to make twice baked potato mixing the flesh with sour cream, cheese and seasonings before heating in oven. Make just ONE re-stuffed potato and save the extra “Filling”. Serve with steamed carrots and cold fried chicken.

Tuesday: Pull meat off a few fried chicken pieces, heat in left over gravy. Use extra potato filling to make potato pancakes. Form the filling into small patties, dredge in flour than fry until crispy and golden brown.

Wednesday: One of my favorites – Breakfast for dinner. Either an omelet or French Toast.

Thursday: Have a meatless meal of rice and vegetables. Or perhaps soup and a sandwich

Friday: Out with friends.

Saturday: In the morning pull out the bag of chicken bones from last weekend (sometimes I wait a few weeks and make a really big batch), toss into a large pot of water along with other items I tend to “save” (i.e. limp carrots, celery, onion ends and skins) along with a quartered onion, a few peppercorns and the frozen de-boned chicken breasts. Let it all boil for about 20 minutes. Cool and pour through a colander to remove the spent veggie matter. Pick off the meat scraps from the bones, cut of the cooked chicken breasts and make either soup, or fricassee or chicken and dumplings.

I will also make a large roast on the weekend and then translate the left-over meat into stew, open faced sandwiches, cube it on top of a large salad or do a stir fry.

[Honeylioness]

5 ways to trim your grocery bills

It's the grocery cycle: You shop, you buy, you eat, then start over. But being prepared along with being vigilant on prices, coupons and brands can save big bucks.

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Image: Groceries © Tetra Images-Corbis

To help you get a grip on this tasty but often expensive cost of living, here are five ways to cut the fat from your grocery bill:
1. Make a grocery list and check it twice

Going through your kitchen before hitting the supermarket is free, and a little planning can fatten your wallet by preventing expensive impulse buys. You might even save on gas by being organized, because you won't need to make a second shopping trip to buy those forgotten items.

Use this free printable grocery shopping list to help you plan your next trip to the market.
2. Watch the price scanner

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View more MSN videosGo to Money Talks News

Mistakes on price scans are common at the grocery store and can cost you additional dollars. A recent Consumer Reports survey found that 6% of respondents were overcharged at the grocery checkout, and no particular chain stood out as more or less accurate than the others. Watching while your grocery prices scan and verifying their accuracy at checkout can save you money and may even score you free food -- many grocery chains will give you the item for free if it scans at the wrong price, but it's up to you to spot the error.
3. Buy generic items over big brand names

Save a huge 10% to 50% on every shopping trip by switching your brand-name buys for generic items. It costs big bucks to market brand-name products, and you're paying for that expense when you buy a food item with a recognizable label. Compare many generic items to the brand-name equivalent and you'll find that the brands are not necessarily better than their less-advertised alternatives.
4. Stop clipping the wrong coupons

Take a good look at the grocery coupons you're clipping before getting excited about the deal. Many coupons offer deals on highly packaged foods low in nutrition and high in unpronounceable ingredients. Skipping the coupons for bad buys and opting to pay a little bit more for whole foods may be a better deal for your health in the long run.
5. Skip the cans, buy dried beans in bulk

Why are you buying beans canned in captivity? Buying dried beans in bulk and soaking them overnight is a frugal way to add protein to your diet without paying for the high cost of meat. Besides, dried beans are extremely cheap and expand when soaked, so your family gets more meal for every dining dollar spent by forgoing the canned variety.

Search for more on buying organic on Bing

Does it pay to buy organic

Finding simple ways to cut your everyday food expenses takes a bit of practice, but the payoff can be huge. Keeping track of your budget using this free household budget spreadsheet can also help you save money on all your other living expenses.




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