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Peggy
Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away and for many of us that means lots of great food. But it doesn’t have to mean a lot of calories, extra weight, and an empty wallet. Last weekend we figured out a traditional menu that will serve 8 people a healthy meal for $30.
Why is it healthy? The turkey is roasted—not fried, the food is homemade so it isn’t loaded with sodium like many of the convenience foods, the vegetables and fruits are prepared letting the natural flavors shine rather than be smothered, and we have skipped the crust on the pie and gone right to the ‘good for you’ pumpkin filling.
My sister is trying to promote a “Turkey Trot” on Thanksgiving morning for us—just like they do in her husband’s hometown. The Turkey Trot is a 3K route and everyone walks or runs as far as they want and are able. This sounds like a great plan to me, and I think it would work with our family since we share the cooking. Walking and talking sure makes the exercise go more quickly.
Check out the recipes and see how we figured the costs.
-pointers from Peggy
One great change in the food that families receive from WIC is vouchers for fruits and vegetables. The amount of the voucher varies, but as I understand it, each child on WIC old enough to eat table food gets a $6 voucher each month. Amanda and I headed to the grocery store last Friday to see what $6 would buy. We were in luck because lots of fruits and vegetables were on sale.
The first two pictures show a variety of fruits and vegetables purchased for $6. We tried to get the most food we could, but also tried to get a variety of colors in both fresh and frozen foods. Some of the foods were priced by the item—celery, carrots, grapefruit, cucumbers, bell peppers, spinach and frozen vegetables. Other items—bananas, apples and onions—must to be weighed (there is always a scale in the produce department) and you have to take the weight times the price per pound to see how much the item costs. If you have your cell phone, use the calculator on it to do the math for you.
Picture #1
3# bananas .87
1 celery stalk .69
2 bell peppers/1 cucumber 3 for $1
2# yellow onions .58
1# bag baby carrots .79
3 grapefruits 3 for $1
16 oz bag frozen veggies .98
TOTAL $5.90
Picture #2
2# large braeburn apples 1.38
2 bell peppers/1 cucumber 3 for $1
2# bananas .58
1# bag baby carrots .79
16 oz bag frozen veggies .98
Dole Spinach .99
TOTAL $5.72
The last four pictures show how the price of fruits and vegetables goes up when you choose specialty products, or the grocery store does some of the food preparation work for you.
Picture #3
Each 12 ounce package of vegetables costs $2.50. So these two packages together cost $5. Since the Green Giant vegetables have a butter sauce, they can’t be bought with WIC coupons.
Picture #4
The Green Giant vegetables at the left cost $2.50. The Birds Eye Vegetables were on special for $1.00. Both are 12 ounces. Neither has a sauce.
The frozen vegetables in the first 2 pictures above are .98 for 16 ounces.
Picture #5
If you want someone else to chop up your vegetables, you pay dearly for that service.
Picture #6
Same goes for cantaloupe. You get 2 whole cantaloupes for $6. The cut up bowl would cost $8.22.
-pointers by Peggy
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
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
Krista from South Carolina asked if there was conflicting information about freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Jan Temple says, “I did my own experiment to test this. I made a total of 6 sandwiches, two of each type listed. All were made with store brand, 100% whole wheat bread. Jelly was also store brand. One sandwich I froze; the other I left at room temperature.”
Assembly methods tested:
Jan continues, “I then compared the frozen with the room temperature to test for sogginess. My taste panel could NOT detect any sogginess in ANY of the six samples. I conclude that freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches works as an effective way to save money on lunch away from home. If both time and money are your motivation, I would recommend method 1. If you have more time and can handle a few more calories, choose method 3. (It takes time to spread peanut butter really thin – especially if you have stored it in the refrigerator! You might try warming briefly in the microwave first to avoid getting two thick layers of peanut butter.) Method 2 works, but today, few of us need the extra fat calories from margarine or butter.”
-pointers by Peggy
The overall Consumer Price Index fell 1.5% for the year that ended in August. That’s good news! But the cost of some food categories rose. For example, the cost of food at home dropped 1.6%, but the cost of food away from home increased by 3%.
When we eat away from home, we are trading our money for someone else’s time to prepare the food we eat. In the process, sometimes we trade away nutrition, too. The Spend Smart. Eat Smart. site has an interesting game which compares the cost and convenience of sample breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner meals. It’s called Fast Food for Busy Families.
-pointers by Peggy
Last week after a program, I offered to leave some of the sandwich samples for the staff. One of them commented that they had a bunch of other snacks and that the sandwiches might not get eaten. I said, “Well, you can take these home and freeze them for another day.” The look I received was that of total shock. “You can freeze sandwiches?” was the reply. The individual was just sure the bread would be all soggy and the overall quality so bad that you would never want to consider it. But, the quality isn’t diminished. It’s time to use the freezer and save a few dollars…
Sandwiches you make ahead and freeze can save money and time. Just about any sandwich—other than those with a mayonnaise base (such as chopped meat or egg salad)—can be frozen. It’s best to apply condiments such as mayonnaise when ready to use. Some great filling choices include: peanut butter and jelly; deli meat; plain canned tuna; cheese; or cheese along with a meat. Or, you might consider buying a whole roast or chicken, cook it in the slow cooker or oven the day before, and use the meat from that for sandwiches. It will be cheaper than the deli meat and definitely lower in sodium. Dicing these larger meat cuts will make them stretch further. Make the sandwiches and wrap them in plastic wrap or a sandwich bag, put them in a larger freezer-weight plastic bag (being sure to mark the bag with the contents), then pop in the freezer. For more on freezing sandwiches, Nebraska Extension has a great tip sheet.
When you are ready to pack your lunch, just grab one of the sandwiches from the freezer and place in an insulated bag with an ice block. It should be thawed in time for lunch. You could add to this lunch a bag of vegetable sticks (prep several bags and have ready for grabbing from the fridge), fruit, string cheese, and cookie. Fast! Easy! And easily less than $2.00 for lunch.
-Jottings from Jan
My sisters, dad and I share a garden spot. We try to coordinate so that we all work in the garden at the same time because it is more fun that way, but with our schedules that doesn’t happen very often. This spring when we were planting, a couple of times someone planted over the top of something that was already in the ground (this is why we had peppers growing in the bean rows). I was determined to have some winter squash, so I planted a whole row of seeds about 3” apart and put milk cartons filled with water every foot to mark the row. To make a long story short, I didn’t thin the plants, so the squash took over a corner of the garden and now we have lots of acorn squash. If you have an abundance of winter squash or pumpkins, here are some helps.
Tips to freeze pumpkin and winter squash
Harvesting and Storing Vine Crops
All about squash with pictures of various varieties and directions for roasting the seeds
-pointers by Peggy
Here’s what Jessica, an Extension Educator from Barco, North Carolina, shared when I requested ideas for using chicken quarters. Jessica indicates she has to have quick/easy meals for her husband to prepare while she is away at work. She says the first two suggestions are his favorites and he makes them all the time without a set recipe. She can’t wait to get more recipes and other ideas for using chicken leg quarters.
Thanks, Jessica! I’m still working on a handout with pictures, prices and recipes. It will be coming soon. Thanks to those of you who sent ideas.
-pointers by Peggy
