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 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
food cost, food preparation, resources
bread, crock pot, easy, freeze, quality, sandwich, savings
Recently, I did an educational program on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. for employees at a local public health department. A dietitian in the group shared a way her family could save money on milk: “Get my family to drink more water and not always drink milk.” Some in the group seemed surprised that a dietitian would make that suggestion. What did she actually mean? Her point was that she wants her family members to drink the amount of milk they need nutritionally, but not necessarily more than that.
This brings out a good point when it comes to saving money on food…how much are we actually eating/drinking and is it more than we need? In the case of milk, MyPyramid recommends that children ages 2 – 8 need the equivalent of 2 cups (16 ounces) per day and everyone age 9 and over needs the equivalent of 3 cups (24 ounces) of milk per day. At my house, the glasses we usually use hold 12 ounces. If I have two of those each day, I have met the recommended amount. For more information, see dairy - milk, cheese and yogurt.
This concept makes an even bigger money-saving impact when you are talking about meats. The daily recommended meat equivalent is 4 to 5 ounces for children aged 2 to 13, and 5 to 6.5 ounces for teens and adults. When you plan meat for a meal, plan for 2 – 3 ounces per person. This will encourage healthy eating and save you money. For additional information on saving money on meat or other protein foods, see meat – poultry, beans and nuts.
-contributed by Renee Sweers
food cost, resources
dairy, meat, milk, needs, protein, savings, wants
My husband started a ‘community sandwich’ option at his worksite. He takes a week’s worth of ingredients for sandwiches (deli meats, sometimes cheese) on Mondays. It’s stored in the frig in the break room and anyone can use the ingredients to make a sandwich. They pay $1.00 per sandwich. Every week he buys a couple of different deli meats (pepper turkey is the most popular). Someone else brings the bread and other fixings. They take the money out of the sandwich ‘kitty’ to fund the ingredients each week. This started as a ‘trial’ run that has helped my husband save money and is so much easier then packing a lunch. Many of his co-workers are appreciating the cost savings and healthier eating as well.
-contributed by Renee
food cost, food preparation
deli meats, lunch, sandwich, savings
If you haven’t tried the skillet lasagna recipe from the Spend Smart. Eat Smart website, I highly recommend it. Here’s why I like it:
- It’s a nutritious tasty recipe that only costs $.75 per serving.
- You can make it on top of the stove or in an electric skillet. I don’t like to use the oven in the summer so this is a perfect ‘no oven’ hot dish.
- It’s easy. There are not very many ingredients and you don’t have to cook the noodles first…saves on dirty dishes and time.
- It tastes good, I recently made it when my 20 year old son and 3 of his friends were at the house. They all loved it.
- It’s a very versatile recipe. My youngest son loves meat and likes it with a bit more meat in it. The original recipe calls for 1/2 pound of ground beef. Since it makes 8 1-cup servings, that provides 1 ounce meat per serving. If you double the meat you really aren’t overdoing the protein, it will provide 2 ounces per 1 cup serving. This will increase the cost to about $.90 - $.95 per serving — still a really good buy. You can also make this recipe without any meat at all.
My personal cooking tips:
- My family has a favorite spaghetti sauce brand that comes in a jar, but for this recipe I use a store or generic brand canned sauce (28 ounce can). It costs less and still tastes great.
- I stir in 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to the cottage cheese before spooning it on.
- You want to make sure you thoroughly heat it after you put the cheese on top. The recipe says to cover and heat it for 5 - 10 minutes after putting the cheeses on. During that cooking time, I occasionally remove the lid and insert a spoon in a few places throughout the skillet. I’m not stirring it, just allowing some of the juices on the bottom to sort of rise up and mix with the cheeses a bit.
- comments from Renee Sweers
food cost, food preparation, recipes
budget, cooking, lasagna, recipe, savings
I must admit that I’m not too enthused about using coupons because I never seem to have them when I need them, and many of them are for products I don’t buy. However, since some people think they are a good way to save, it is worth investigating.
Amanda, the nutrition student who works with us, and I counted 155 coupons in the pull-out section of last Sunday’s newspaper. Amazing!
- 96 coupons were for non-food items:
- 11 for medicines/supplements/et cetera;
- 6 for pet food and supplies; and,
- 79 for cleaning products, toiletries, make-up, and air fresheners.
- 59 were food coupons. Here’s the breakdown from most to least:
- Breads and pastas - 11
- Desserts - 10
- Fruits and vegetables - 7
- Coffee - 4
- Potato chips - 4
- Restaurant coupons - 4
- Beverages - 3
- Cereals - 3
- Condiments - 3
- Dry mixes - 2
- Frozen meals - 2
- Side dishes - 2
- Cheese - 1
- Peanut butter - 1
- Pop Tarts - 1
- Slim Fast - 1
I am surprised there were so many fruit and vegetable coupons! Next time, I will investigate that further.
-pointers by Peggy
[Updated: May 14, 2009
See also: Do coupons save money on vegetables? ]
food cost, resources
food coupons, fruits and vegetables, non-food coupons, savings
I love to talk about family mealtime – it reminds me of happy memories of my childhood and all the conversations we shared around meals! I didn’t realize then how important our time together was, nor how much money we saved by eating at home. It’s true, though, families can save money by eating at home. Check out fast food for families which compares the cost of a restaurant meal with one you prepare at home. When you eat out or use processed foods, you buy labor as well as the food.
So, how do you save money by eating together at home? Spend Smart Eat Smart website has lots of great ideas for saving money as you prepare meals. Prepare double or triple batches of favorite recipes to have on hand when you are in a hurry. Save money when you buy ingredients in quantity to make several batches. Make a list of foods that cook quickly and save time, such as scrambled eggs, fruit and toast; stir fry meat and veggies.
Keep meals simple and easy – a family meal together doesn’t have to be elaborate or include expensive ingredients. A simple meal, eaten with others while sharing conversation, is worth more than the most elaborately prepared dish. What I remember is how good it felt to gather around the table and share. Don’t let this simple concept become lost in the busy-ness of everyday life.
We’d love to hear from you about ways you’ve found to carve out time for meals with your family and saved money at the same time!
-contributed by Patty Steiner
food cost, food preparation
conversation, eating at home, family meals, quantity cooking, savings
One way to save money is to not throw food in the garbage. Adjusted to our 2008 economy, an average family of four tosses out $1,039 annually, regardless of income, ethnicity, education, and other socio-economic factors.
On the other hand, we are all concerned about food safety. No one wants to get sick. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation has created a series of videos to help you determine when food has gone bad and is no longer safe to eat. The short videos (less than 5 minutes each) feature Christine Bruhn, PhD, Director of the Center for Food Safety Research at the University of California, Davis, CA.
How to tell if your food has gone bad
Food safety basics
How to tell if your bread has gone bad
How to tell if your lunch meats have gone bad
How to tell if your dairy products have gone bad
How to tell if your leftovers have gone bad
How to tell if your fruits and vegetables have gone bad
How to tell if your frozen foods have gone bad
How to tell if your pantry foods have gone bad
How to properly wash your produce
How to properly store your food in the fridge
-pointers by Peggy
food cost, resources
food safety, food spoilage, food storage, savings, videos
