Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

School lunch is convenient and low cost. But if it is out for your child, what are your other options and how much do they cost? Amanda priced some meals in Ames, Iowa last week. See her comparison between a Lunchable® and similar options.

See last week’s blog for tips on planning a sack lunch that kids won’t trade away.

-pointers by Peggy

food cost, food preparation comparison, low cost, Lunchable, options, sack lunch, school

Here’s a great video to watch with your whole family! The Fast Food Experiment takes a look at the ever-increasing size of food portions offered by fast food restaurants—a trend that’s continued over the last two decades. Some of the worst cases of portion distortion are triple burgers, foot-long sandwiches, full-pound burgers, huge orders of fries, oversized burritos, and super-large soft drinks. 

This raises the question, “So, what is the proper serving size for me and my family?”  To determine the amount of food in a given serving, it is important to learn how to estimate the proper portion size.

Last, but not least…to cut down on large portions, try ordering from the kid’s menu, order an appetizer with a side salad, split a meal with a friend or family member, or take leftovers home.

- pointers by Peggy

resources fast food, portion, serving, video

Have you ever visited your kids’ school lunchroom. Imagine the New York Stock exchange–only with yogurt being exchanged for a sack of chips instead of stocks being bought and sold.

One of the most important tips for packing lunches that your child won’t trade away is to involve them in the planning, shopping and preparation of their meals. Children who help select items are likely to remain interested in their selections…and will probably look forward to trying them. This is also true for meals at home, but even more important for meals eaten away from you. For more tips on packing sack lunches kids will enjoy, check out Tips for packing lunches……for kids and others.

-pointers by Peggy

food preparation, resources kids, lunch, planning, preparation, school, shopping

School is starting soon. Where can you get a balanced kid’s meal for under $2? The answer is your local school…and if money is tight you might be eligible for free or reduced price lunches. According to Mary Kay Madsen, Nutrition Consultant for Iowa Department of Education, school lunches are lower in fat and sodium and higher in calcium than in the past. She said studies show that—overall—school lunches are more nutritious than what kids bring from home, especially when you consider that school lunch comes with milk.

2008-2009 School Lunch Prices in Iowa
Average and Range

For more on school lunches, check out the State of School Nutrition 2009 Survey. Contact your local school for free and reduced price lunch application forms.

-pointers by Peggy

food cost, resources kids, lunch, nutrition, school

Sandwiches can be healthy—or not—depending on how you put them together. We have a new Sandwich Building Activity that lets you choose topping options for a submarine sandwich, check your nutrition score, and get a nutrition facts label for the sandwich. If your sandwich is high in calories and low in nutrients, you can back up, choose alternatives, and see if you can make your sandwich healthier. 

I tried lots of options, but can’t get the score over 80 with a six-inch sub.  The bigger sub does provide more of the nutrients you need in a day, but is way too many calories for me.

-pointers from Peggy

food preparation, resources calories, nutrition, sandwich, sub, toppings

What is cheaper? The slaw mix or the entire head of cabbage and shredding it yourself?

This was a question I encountered recently when I was planning to make broiled fish tacos.  (If you have access to fresh fish, this is a way to prepare the fish without drowning it in grease by breading and deep fat frying!). I discovered I could pay $ .22 per cup for the prepackaged cabbage slaw, or just $ .11 per cup if I shredded it myself – half the price! That’s pretty impressive. But whether you use the slaw mix or the whole head, either is an inexpensive source of nutrient rich vegetable.

 -pointers by Peggy

food cost, food preparation, recipes cabbage, cost, fish, recipe, slaw mix, vegetables

Small seedless?…Larger with seeds?…Cantaloupe?

Last week I took the time to weigh the melons and figure the unit price by dividing the price by the pounds ($/#). It turns out all three pictured were around $.28/pound. I was surprised because I thought the seedless would cost more.

Seedless watermelon - 11 pounds for $2.99 = $.27/pound
Seeded watermelon - 18 pounds for $4.99 = $.28/pound
Cantaloupe - 7 pounds for $2.00 = $.29/pound

Of course, none of this information tells us anything about the flavor or ripeness. Last week I got a melon so ripe I called the store and complained. The manager told me next time I shop to bring the receipt and get a refund.

Three tips for selecting ripe melons include:

1. they should feel heavy for their size,
2. have a sweet smell, and
3. have a yellow underside where they touched the ground.

-pointers by Peggy

food cost cantaloupe, cost, ripeness, unit price, watermelon

Is your garden overflowing? I don’t have many tomatoes yet, but lots of everything else! I know some of my neighbors have been busy canning and freezing beans and other garden goodies. Canning and freezing may or may not save money (depending on how many supplies you have to purchase), but the end result definitely tastes good. Although home food preservation has been done for years, we learn more all the time about how to do it more safely and with better quality results. The ‘way Grandma did it’ may not follow current recommendations. For example,

Did you know you are supposed to add acid (lemon juice or citric acid) to every jar of canned tomatoes to keep them safe? 

Did you know you are supposed to follow a tested recipe (not just one you got from a from a friend’s friend) for things like salsa, relish, and—in fact—all home canned items?

Did you know that ‘steam canners’  are not safe, even though you still see them sold in stores?

Did you know there is a new recommendation to leave jars in a pressure canner for 10 minutes after processing and leave jars in a water bath for 5 minutes after processing?

For all the latest info on home food preservation, including delicious tested recipes, check out Food Preservation Resources.

-pointers by Renee

food cost, food preparation, recipes, resources canning, food preservation, freezing, garden produce, recipes

Jan Temple provided some great ideas for Cool Cookin’ in the Kitchen.  She provided a list of equipment that doesn’t heat up the house, some no heat ingredients, and two recipes for easy one-dish meals. Just what I am looking for on these hot summer days!

Jan’s article was written for the SHARE Iowa newsletter. SHARE Iowa offers food packages at half the retail cost in exchange for two hours of volunteer service in your community. Choosing where you volunteer is up to you - any good deed qualifies.

There’s more on where to find food assistance under Related Resources on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website.

-pointers by Peggy

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