In the Kitchen
Cheap (but healthy) eats
You can stretch your grocery dollar with this advice from the University of Michigan Health System.
"Hard economic times don't mean that you have to eat less well," says Holly Scherer, RD, a health educator with MFit.
"By planning ahead, shopping the sales, and trying out those generic or store brands, you really can save a significant amount of money while also providing healthy, well-balanced food for your family."
- Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. If the produce you want isn't in season, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can cost less. They are just as nutritious as fresh because they are packaged at their peak of freshness.
- You can still find tasty meat for low prices. Season and marinate at home. Buying chicken with the bone and skin can cost less and are easy to remove.
- Consider replacing meat with a protein substitute such as beans, eggs or peanut butter a couple times a week.
- Buy less-processed grains. Stick with the plain brown rice instead of boxed rice mixes. Buy big containers of quick-cooking oats instead of individual packets of instant oatmeal. Buy bread, English muffins or whole wheat tortillas when they're on sale and freeze any extras that you're not going to use before the expiration date.
- Buy a filter for your tap water instead of buying bottled water. Also, buying the frozen juice concentrate instead of a large bottle or can of juice can save some money.
- Look for the generic or store brand items. Buy bigger boxes. Compare unit pricing. Stock up on nonperishables when they go on sale.
Used with permission from www.health-eheadlines.com, © 2008 Write On, Inc.
