My sisters are both fans of The Biggest Loser. It inspires them to keep their weight in check and keep up with the exercise. In fact, one of them walks on a treadmill for an hour during the program, competing with herself to get more miles each week.
There is a new book out by Cheryl Forberg, the registered dietitian from the show. The book includes tips, recipes and wisdom from the show’s trainers and contestants. It’s pretty good information about diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Fosberg tells what she has learned from the contestants in her eight years of working on the show. Among the findings:
- They didn’t know how many calories they needed.
- They often skipped meals.
- They didn’t eat enough fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.
- They didn’t plan their meals, often grabbing food on the go.
- They drank too many calories as sugary beverages, but didn’t get enough water or milk.
- They didn’t get enough exercise.
Nothing new here—but just like the show, there is nothing magical about losing weight. It’s a matter of working hard and hanging in there. How does all this relate to finances—less calories means less overall food and less higher-cost prepared food. If I feel good and my clothes fit, I am not as tempted to buy new ones.
-ponderings by Peggy
food cost
calories, Cheryl Forberg, exercise, planning meals, savings, The Biggest Loser, weight
Last week I was doing a presentation on the features of our Spend Smart web site. I discovered that we had gotten lots of hits from the more matters® web site which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further investigation showed the people were being referred to our Spend Smart site from a flyer and other postings called 30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Fruit and Vegetable Budget.
The number ONE recommendation was:
Calculate an appropriate Healthy Food Budget for your family, based on USDA’s Low-Cost Food Plan. This easy-to-use calculator, offered by Iowa State University Extension, helps to create a budget for what is a reasonable amount to spend to feed your family healthy meals.
If you don’t know what a healthy food budget is for your family, you might want to put each family member’s age, gender and number of meals eaten away from home into the calculator. Then, to compare your spending, you will need to collect receipts for all your grocery spending for a month. Don’t count non-food items such as pet food, paper, cleaning and personal care items that you buy at the store.
-pointers by Peggy
food cost, resources
budget, calculator, fruit, grocery, spending, vegetable
100-calorie snack packs are a temptation when I am trying to keep my calories under control…I’m tempted because they are convenient, but I always balk at the price. Plus, most of them are higher in sugar and fat than I usually eat. There’s a section on our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web site that discusses the 100-calorie snacks and the University of Arkansas gives ideas for healthy snacks you can portion yourself in 100-Calorie Snacks: 20 Choices.
-pointers by Peggy
food cost, food preparation, resources
100-calorie packs, convenience, cost, portion, snacks
Planning meals is important if you want to save money at the grocery store, but most people admit they don’t do it.
I know people who have 10-20 meals that they know their family likes and they just rotate them throughout the month, adding in seasonal foods and specials. Others just buy food when it is on sale and then plan meals based on what they have that needs to be used up or how much time they have. I am in that last bunch. I grocery shop about once a week rotating between two stores that I think have the best prices. When there is a good sale, I stock up. When planning meals, I include at least one food from each food group and sometimes more than one vegetable. Planning meals this way is called the Plate Method.
The Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web site has a whole section on planning meals. You can find a 4-day menu planner, flyer called 3 Steps to Quick Healthy Meals that includes recipes, and 6 weeks of menus that are very low cost, yet meet nutrition guidelines.
-pointers by Peggy
food cost, food preparation, recipes
grocery store, meal planning, menu, plate method, sale, specials
