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Cooking on a Dime
The document discusses strategies for reducing grocery bills while maintaining healthy meals, highlighting key principles such as meal planning, shopping smart, and reducing food waste. It emphasizes choosing economical ingredients, batch cooking, and making the most of leftovers. Resources and tools are also provided to assist in effectively managing food costs.
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Cooking on a Dime
- 1. Cooking on aDime Cristin Stokes, RDN, LN MUS Wellness
- 2. Cooking on aDime For the average American, food is one of the top 3 household expenses, behind only housing & transportation. In this workshop, we'll talk about effective ways to reduce your grocery bill while keeping meals tasty & healthy.
- 3. Cooking on aDime: Goal Convenient Healthy Goal: Get the most nutrition at the lowest financial cost, at a reasonable cost of time. Inexpensive
- 4. Cooking on aDime: Basic Principles Meal Plan Shop Smart Reduce Waste
- 5. Meal Planning Committo making a plan (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly) Base on refrigerator inventory Cook once, serve twice i.e. Roasted chicken Chicken Enchiladas Stir-fries, fried rice, pasta, soups Overlap ingredients Batch Cooking
- 6. Meal Planning Choose economicalingredients Meat: Chuck, round, flank, shank, plate cuts typically less expensive Connective tissue – tough, but flavorful Use moist cooking methods (braising, pressure cooker), slow cooker, marinade Slice against the grain Stretch meat with veggies, lentils, potatoes Use smaller amounts
- 7. Meal Planning Chooseeconomical ingredients Poultry Whole chicken, chicken thighs, ground turkey Fish Canned tuna, salmon Tilapia Other proteins Eggs! Beans, lentils, tofu/soy
- 8. Meal Planning Choose economicalingredients Fruits & vegetables: Longer lasting: Apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, winter squash, celery, oranges Buy in bulk (if adequate storage)
- 9. Meal Planning Choose economicalingredients Fruits & vegetables: Other less expensive options: Romaine, leaf lettuce, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, corn, bananas, melon, seasonal specials Frozen – without seasonings or sauces Canned – rinse & drain
- 10. Meal Planning Choose economicalingredients Fruits & vegetables: Organic vs Conventional Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozen Clean 15
- 11. Meal Plan Keep awell-stocked kitchen Stock up on non-perishables when the price is right (loss-leader items) See handout
- 12. Meal Plan Does yourmenu? Include leftovers Rely on economical foods Use pantry staples Use sale items Especially proteins Include a variety of foods
- 13. Shop Smart Make alist…and stick to it! Coupons Only for the things you would normally buy Bring a calculator & cash if you really need to stick to a budget
- 14. Shop Smart Don’t betoo loyal to a single store Bulk stores Sometimes the best choice, sometimes not Repackage into smaller bags or containers Discount stores for personal care & cleaning items Consider fuel/time costs
- 15. Shop Smart Time vsConvenience Pre-chopped, pre-cooked = $$$ Junk foods High price, low nutritional value
- 16. Shop Smart Comparison shop Unitpricing Recalculate for sale prices Don’t assume that bigger is always cheaper Consider waste Store brands No national advertising Bulk bins
- 17. Shop Smart Eat asnack beforehand or go after a meal Shop alone if possible (not with kids) Q: For every minute in a supermarket, you spend $ A: $2.17 (according to the Food Marketing Institute)
- 18. Shop Smart Stick tothe perimeter Whole foods cost less Look high & low for bargains – usually not placed at eye level Be wary of end of aisle & checkout counter displays
- 19. Reduce Food Waste Universityof Arizona study (2004): Four person household throws out an average of $590 of food each year (14% of food purchased) Study accounted for fruits, vegetables, meats, and grain products 15% never even opened
- 20. Reduce Food Waste Usethe freezer Keep list of freezer inventory Incorporate regularly into meal plan Suggestion: 1-2 times per year – eat down your freezer And pantry/refrigerator (exception of staples)
- 21. Reduce Food Waste FirstIn, First Out (FIFO) “Planned-over” Cook once, serve twice Make your own convenience mixes, sauces, salad dressings Cooking/baking substitutions
- 22. Good substitutionlist: http://dish.allrecipes.com/common-ingredient-substitutions/
- 23. Keys to Cookingon a Dime Meal Plan Make a plan using economical ingredients Shop Smart Comparison shop, be aware of marketing strategies Reduce Food Waste Stick to your meal plan, utilize leftovers Goal: Balance of cost, convenience, and good nutrition
- 24. MUS Wellness Resources www.muswell.limeade.com Incentive Program www.montanamovesandmeals.com Blog wellness@montana.edu Email @montanameals Twitter
- 25. Resources University ofMissouri Extension: http://extension.Missouri.edu/p/MP905 University of Maine Extension: http://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4330e/ Budget Bytes by Beth Moncel Good & Cheap by Leanne Brown Alabama Cooperative Extension System: www.aces.edu