Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

If your schedule is so hectic that a trip to drive-up seems like the only option, consider stocking your shelves with “Go-To” Meals. These are meals that satisfy hunger, take minimal effort and time, but maximize taste. Nutritional value is fulfilled when you plan for at least one food from each group in MyPyramid. Only a few ingredients are required, so preparation and clean-up is a snap. Plus, they save money on your food bill!

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking…   

• Peanut butter and jelly is an old favorite that’s even better when served on toasted whole wheat bread. Add baby carrots, apple slices and milk.
• Pita pocket sandwiches are stuffed with veggies and healthy lunch meat. Its shape is perfect for eating on-the-go. For some variety, try a whole grain bagel sandwich.
• Scrambled eggs or omelets with added onions, peppers, leftover vegetables and cheese need only fruit and toast to make a meal.
• Beans and brown rice cover two of your main energy sources. The protein in the beans fuels your muscles, while the complex carbs in the rice provide lasting energy. To save time, try a quick-cook variety of brown rice.
• Soup and crackers will fill you up fast. Three Can Chili needs only milk, crackers and fruit to make a meal. 
• Oatmeal pancakes taste great, no matter what time it is. With a powdered mix, you can be flipping some hotcakes in a flash. Add some fruits to the pancakes—or on the side—and milk to drink. To save more time, make some ahead..
• Chicken burritos are easier to make than you might think. Heat chicken, beans and vegetables, and wrap them in a tortilla. Sprinkle on low-fat cheese, and you’ve nearly hit all of the major food groups with one bite.

-pointers from Peggy

food cost, food preparation, recipes beans and rice, burritos, eggs, meals, MyPyramid, pancakes, peanut butter, quick, sandwiches, soup

Remember last week, Amanda wrote that in Central Iowa laundry detergent prices don’t always follow traditional advice. The unit price of one name brand laundry detergent was less than the store brand, and laundry detergent at the grocery stores wasn’t higher than the big box stores.

When we looked at other non-food products, we found:

• Some name brands are the same unit price wherever you buy them (Bounty), while for others (Kleenex, Dawn, Colgate), the name brands vary between stores.
• Store brands are less expensive on facial tissue and liquid dish soap.
• Some toothpastes are four or more times more expensive than others.

What did I learn from this? Low cost for laundry soap is around $0.07 per load, facial tissues can be purchased for about half a penny each, liquid dish soap runs around $0.05 per ounce, and toothpaste about $0.16 per ounce.

I will try the low price items and see if they perform up to my expectations. Also, now that I know the unit price for these items, I can compare sale prices to see if they are really bargains.

 -pointers from Peggy

resources detergent, dish soap, facial tissues, paper towels, toothpaste, unit price

We are constantly reminded that non-food items are more expensive at grocery stores than big box stores. Is this true? Not at the stores I checked in central Iowa! The laundry detergent, Xtra, was cheaper than the store brands at 3 of the 4 stores, and only one cent more at Fareway. Also, the store brands were almost always more than the Xtra brand.

This just goes to show that sometimes you have to get out your calculator and do the math to figure out the best price. Unit price = cost/unit (loads, ounces, number of items). However,  unit price doesn’t compare quality or consider your family’s preferences.

So where should we go to get the most economically-priced laundry detergent? If you are grocery shopping and need laundry detergent, I would recommend purchasing it there. It will save you the time and fuel used in making the trip to a big box store. 

With laundry detergent, another way to save is to carefully measure out the recommended amount instead of just pouring directly into the washer.

 -advice from Amanda

resources cost, detergent, grocery store, laundry, non-food items, unit price

I used to avoid making cream soups…some recipes were too high in fat or salt, and a couple of times I had trouble with the milk scorching. The Cheesy Broccoli Soup featured this month on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web site tastes great, is healthy, uses only one pot, and is very fast. It takes about 10 minutes to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. 

My sister tested this recipe for me. She loved it and has been using it as a base for different soups. Another friend put in less milk and then served it over baked potatoes.

Broccoli is a good choice because it is one of the most nutritious foods out there–high in Vitamins A and C. Total cost of the recipe in central Iowa is $1.60 or .40 per serving.

-pointers by Peggy

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I am still in my organizing/cleaning frame of mind. I don’t mind when I have multiples of things I use all the time—like canned tomatoes, black beans, yogurt, margarine, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc., but when the pantry is full of partially used items or things I can’t remember how long I have had or why I bought them, it’s time to make a list and clean them out.

First, I make a list of everything I have too many of, partial packages, or specialty items that I have to make an effort to use. Then I make up menus using those items, crossing them off as I go. Sometimes I have to buy a few items to round out a meal or complete a recipe, so I also start a grocery list.

Last week it was my turn to host dinner club.  (Once a month, eight friends and I eat together. When it is your turn, you plan, prepare, and clean up after the meal. Then for 8 months you have great meals for free!)  I decided on a Tex-Mex theme to take advantage of what was in my cupboard. I was able to present a great meal while only buying 1 pound ground beef, 3 avocados, and a bag of carrots.

My use-up list with menus is posted on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web site if you would like to see it. For the future, I am trying to write the month and year on items when I add them to my pantry. I remember my mom using a magic marker to write dates on the tops of cans and boxes. It was easy to see how long items had been on the shelf.

-pointers by Peggy

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Every January I spend some time reviewing my finances and getting things organized. I figure my net worth and see how much I have spent for food, clothes, recreation, etc. and develop a budget. One of the items I watch is how much I am spending on food both at home and eating out.

Are you setting up a spending plan for your family or wondering if what you spend on food is reasonable for a family your size? If so, you can find out what the USDA’s Low-cost Food Plan would estimate for your family on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web page. Our online calculator will do the math for you. You will need the age, gender, and number of meals eaten away from home for each person. When you get your results, remember that this is just the cost of food. It doesn’t include pet food, personal care, paper goods, etc. that you buy at the grocery store.

If you would like to lower what you spend on food, there are hundreds of tips on how to provide nutritious meals for your family and spend less on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. site. If you have specific questions, just leave a comment and we will get back to you.

-pointers by Peggy

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I don’t have a large kitchen which means I don’t have room to store ingredients I won’t use (or keep until they are so old I have to throw them out). In a fit of organization, I went through my cupboards and pulled out 9 items I needed to to use or get rid of. One internet site I like to use to search for recipes with specific ingredients is Allrecipes.com. You can put in the ingredients you want, those you don’t, and you have the choice to search all the recipes or by category. The only thing that is annoying is the pop-ups that ask if you want to become a member or a supporting member. Here are the 9 items and what I decided:

1. Salsa Picante Hot Sauce—Try to use instead of Tabasco in the marinade I make frequently.
2. Raspberry Jalapeno Ambrosia Sauce—Pour over lite cream cheese for an appetizer I need to take for New Years Eve Party.
3. Canned Savory Beef Gravy—See if my daughter wants.
4. Fish Sauce—Give away.
5. Maraschino Cherries—I think I bought these to decorate yeast rolls. Give away.
6. Guacamole Mix— Just add avocado and serve the night we have #8. Maybe next time I have dinner club I can do a Mexican theme.
7. Hoisin Sauce—The Allrecipe search came up with 67 recipes. To narrow my choices, first I sorted by rating, then I looked at the number of reviews. There is one that I think would be good: Super-Simple, Super-Spicy Mongolian Beef. Since super spicy doesn’t appeal, I will omit or reduce the red pepper flakes in the recipe.
8. Roasted Tomato Taco Sauce—The Allrecipe site came up with 31 recipes that included taco sauce. Chicken Enchiladas I has 1,139 reviews and 4+ stars. Beef and Bean Chimichangas has 479 reviews and 4+ stars. I will look at these recipes and choose one to make.
9. Fajita Marinade—The bottle says to marinate chicken or beef in half a bottle for 15 minutes, then cook.

I feel better knowing I don’t have to look at those items in the cupboard. Do you have any organizing tips you would like to share?

-pointers by Peggy

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If you still have people to buy for the week of Christmas, maybe it is time to consider a gift that involves a resource we all have (although in limited amounts)—our time.  Here are some ideas. 

• Get together with a friend or relative you’ve been meaning to see this year, or someone you used to see often, but have lost touch with. Invite them out for coffee or a meal—or to your home. Don’t just say, let’s get together…get your calendar out and set a date. 
• Offer to take an older relative to see friends or loved ones they can’t easily visit.
• Take someone who may be troubled or depressed out to coffee. Then really listen if they want to talk about a problem they are facing. 
• Offer to take nieces/nephews to Laser Tag (or other local entertainment) with one of their friends. This might also give their parents a few free hours.

The list is endless. All it takes is some thought on your part and a commitment to follow through.

If you want something to present, how about a gift coupon. I made these coupons in Microsft Word by choosing a clip art image that matched what the coupon will say, and then typing the phrase next to the picture. If you like, put the coupons into an envelope and decorate the envelope with hearts, mistletoe, et cetera.

Happy Holidays!

-pointers by Peggy

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Have you noticed that oranges are frequently on sale at this time of the year? That’s because oranges are “in season,” meaning this is the harvest time for citrus fruits. Right now they taste the best, and cost the least, compared to other times of the year. Other fruits that are “in season” now are grapefruits, apples, bananas, and grapes. Knowing this schedule and planning ahead a bit can be a big boon to your food budget.

But when you get to the store, you still have lots of choices. You need to use unit pricing to figure cost. To do this, you divide the cost by the unit. The unit for the oranges is either pounds, or the number or count. Here are some prices I found.

Clementines are mandarin oranges. The exterior is a deep orange color with a smooth, glossy appearance. They separate easily into seven to fourteen segments and are very easy to peel, like a tangerine, but are almost always seedless. Clementines are also known as seedless tangerines. Cuties are a trademark of California mandarin oranges.  

Unit pricing only reflects the cost, not the quality or taste. You might like the flavor of Clementines better than oranges, or your kids might be willing to peel and eat them for a snack. In my book, this would make them a good buy.

A publication from Texas A and M has details on Safe Handling of Fresh Oranges.

-pointers by Peggy

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Last week I wrote about making food gifts for the holidays. One of my friends asked me why I didn’t mention that our 2010 Healthy and Homemade Nutrition and Fitness Calendar is on sale for only $2 plus shipping and handling from the ISU Extension online store. Good idea—so here are some details about the calendar.

The calendar features a monthly recipe and color photo complete with ingredient list, preparation directions, nutrition facts, and menu ideas. Also, as an extra bonus, the preparation of each recipe can be viewed from the recipes & snacks page of the Spend Smart. Eat Smart web site. These videos walk even the most inexperienced cook through the recipe with ease, answering preparation and ingredient substitution questions.

In addition to facts promoting healthy homemade eating, the calendar encourages exercise, movement, and physical activity. A chart at the bottom of the calendar makes it easy to set activity goals; small boxes on each day are designed to track activity numbers. For people who have a hard time getting motivated, there are suggestions each month for building and sustaining physical activity habits. The last two pages of the calendar contain physical activity information—the amount of activity needed each day, how to fit it into your schedule, and ideas for increasing activity.

-pointers from Peggy

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