Like everyone else these days, I’m trying to cut costs where I can. My latest obsession is my food bill: How can I spend less and still enjoy organic produce and free-range meats?
“The secret to eating well on a budget is not to give up the high-quality foods you love, but to buy only what you need, then make sure you use everything you buy,” says Mollie Katzen, author of The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without (Hyperion, 2007).
With that in mind, here are ten expert tips on eating well for less, plus six recipes that range from 17 cents to $2 a serving. As a bonus, each recipe does double duty: You get a complete main dish, plus a convenient—and delicious—leftover suggestion.
1. Know your budget
EXPERT TIP: “Before you can start spending less, you have to know what your budget is,” says Katzen. Save receipts—grocery, farmers’ market, restaurants, takeout—for a month and determine what you’re really spending.
$$$ SAVED: $200 to $300 a month— if you cut nonessentials like snacks, takeout, and coffee to go.
SPINACH & ONION FRITTATA IS AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO GET YOUR PROTEIN, IRON, AND ANTIOXIDANTS
COST: 50 CENTS PER SERVING
Leftover suggestion: FRIED RICE WITH CHOPPED-UP FRITATTA AND VEGGIES STRETCHES LAST NIGHT’S DINNER INTO TOMORROW’S LUNCH.
2. Plan a menu for the week
EXPERT TIP: “Plan the week’s meals, including lunches and leftovers,” says Natural Health recipe developer Linda Monastra. “I start with two or three dishes, then come up with other recipes that need some of the same ingredients, so nothing gets wasted.”
$$$ SAVED: About $40—the cost of the grocery bill for our seven budget recipes and leftovers (starting on page 90). That’s half of what the average American spends in one week for food.
3. Shop around
EXPERT TIP: Comparison shopping is critical, says Judi Zucker, coauthor, with her sister Shari, of The Double Energy Diet (Book Publishing Company, 2008). But it’s not just comparing one store’s prices to another: You can also trade convenience—like precooked, pre-assembled foods—for bargains.
$$$ SAVED: Up to $2 per item—if you buy loose greens instead of pre-washed, and whole veggies instead of pre-sliced ones.
CARROT GINGER SAUTÉ IS A GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMIN A AND SOOTHING GINGER
COST: 17 CENTS PER SERVING
4. Find coupons online
EXPERT TIP: “There are more organic companies offering coupons today than ever before,” says Zucker. “And you don’t have to clip them out of the newspaper: Just go online and get them with a click.”
$$$ SAVED: $1 or more per package on items like organic yogurts, juices, and crackers—plus fair-trade coffee beans and eco cleaners. Check out mambosprouts.com to download coupons.
5. Go for nutrient density
EXPERT TIP: “To really get your money’s worth, buy foods that are high in nutrients,” says Katzen. To make that easier, many supermarkets, such as Stop & Shop, now let you compare prices and nutritional information online.
$$$ SAVED: Broccoli and celery are priced the same: But every dollar you spend on broccoli buys you much more vitamin C, iron, and fiber.
FENNEL & APPLE SALAD IS LOADED WITH FIBER, VITAMIN C, AND VIBRANT FLAVORS OF LEMON, PECANS, AND FRESH PARSLEY—AND TAKES JUST A FEW MINUTES TO PREPARE
COST: 88 CENTS PER SERVING
6. Cut down on meat
EXPERT TIP: “Build meals around something other than meat,” says Zucker, “and the savings skyrocket.” Even the cheapest cuts of meat—fatty chicken thighs and ground chuck—can cost $2 or $3 per pound.
$$$ SAVED: $2.50—if you replace meat with protein-rich barley and pinto, kidney, and black beans in soups and stews (a pound of beef costs nearly $4; a pound of dried beans is about $1.50).
Make it at home and save even more
Certain packaged foods like nut butters and granola are much cheaper when you make them yourself.
Nut butters. With nuts, a little canola oil, and a blender, you can prepare your own walnut, peanut, and almond butter free of sugar and added salt.
Breadcrumbs. Buy day-old bread (at most bakeries and markets) and leave it out overnight on a baking sheet or cooling rack. Pop it in the food processor for salt- and preservative-free crumbs you can store in the freezer.
Cooking oil. There’s no magic involved in manufactured cooking sprays—they just cost a lot more than homemade. Pour your favorite cooking oil into a BPA-free plastic or glass spray bottle.
Soup. For literally pennies, you can fill a simmering pot with vegetables, beans, and pasta and get a heavenly tasting, nutrient-dense soup in a few hours.
Granola. Rolled oats, honey, ground cinnamon, and condensed milk yields a better-tasting, fresher granola than anything prepackaged (try Natural Health’s recipe).
7. Choose seasonal produce
EXPERT TIP: “Buying what’s in season is the single best economic—and nutritional— decision you can make,” says Jeff Cox, author of The Organic Cook’s Bible (Wiley, 2006). “Organic produce from a farmers’ market has the most flavor and nutrients.”
$$$ SAVED: $4.50—if you buy extra farmers’ market strawberries in spring and summer (for about $2.50 per quart), then freeze or can them for the winter, when the price of imported strawberries climbs to $7 per quart.
CUMIN-LIME SHRIMP CAN BE SERVED OVER NOODLES OR RICE FOR A LOW-FAT TREAT
COST: $1.50 PER SERVING
Leftover suggestion: SHRIMP FAJITAS ARE A QUICK WAY TO ENJOY CUMIN-LIME SHRIMP—
WITH CHEESE AND BELL PEPPERS (RICH IN VITAMIN C) ON A WHOLE-GRAIN TORTILLA
8. Buy in bulk
EXPERT TIP: “Buy dried beans, grains, and spices in bulk—you can measure out and buy exactly what you need,” says Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of the upcoming Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For (Da Capo, June 2009).
$$$ SAVED: You’ll pay the same for ground Indonesian cinnamon at a spice store as you would for a supermarket brand, but it’ll be freshly ground and more aromatic—and you won’t waste any.
9. Join a warehouse store
EXPERT TIP: “Costco and Sam’s Club now have organic food sections where you can find great bargains,” says Zucker. For a yearly fee, club members find deals by buying several weeks’ worth of groceries.
$$$ SAVED: $4 per pound—on the shrimp for our Cumin-Lime Shrimp recipe (page 91).
ROASTED VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS PILAF USES VEGGIES INSTEAD OF MEAT
COST: $2 PER SERVING
Leftover suggestions: CAPONATA CROSTINI TURNS VEGETABLE STEW INTO A DISTINCTIVE APPETIZER ON A TOASTED WHOLE-GRAIN BAGUETTE.
10. Grow your own food
EXPERT TIP: “You don’t need a big backyard— or any yard at all—to grow fresh basil, parsley, heirloom tomatoes, and zucchini at home,” says Katzen. “When the weather turns brisk, pick your herbs and dry them for the winter.”
$$$ SAVED: $1 apiece—if you can heirloom tomatoes and use them in winter instead of buying imported vine-ripened tomatoes.
BLUE CHEESE & RED CABBAGE EMPANADAS ARE PACKED WITH VITAMINS C AND A
COST: $1 PER SERVING
PACKAGED STEALS
The foods we list—available at supermarkets, convenience stores, and in some cases even vending machines—contain vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and whole grains.
► V8 Low Sodium vegetable juice ($4.50 for 64 oz.). High in vitamins A, C, and E, plus potassium, V8 is actually a better source of nutrients than a multivitamin.
► Uncle Sam cereal ($3 for 10 oz.). This classic is having a resurgence because of its high fiber and flaxseed content and its star ranking on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly carbohydrates are turned into blood sugar.
► Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Solid White Albacore tuna ($2 for 2.5 oz.). Precooked and ready to serve, these fillets are certified heart-healthy by the American Heart Association for their omega-3 content.
► Barilla Whole Grain pasta ($1 for 13 oz.). High in fiber and minerals, Barilla was ranked by America’s Test Kitchen as the best dried pasta available, beating out even Italian imports.
► Cracker Barrel Natural Reduced Fat 2% cheese ($4.50 for 10 oz.). This treat is high in calcium and digestive- aiding enzymes.
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