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Beat Rising Food
Prices
by Elizabeth Yarnell
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In 2004, a gallon of milk was
$1.63; now it is nearly $3, more if you buy organic. Food prices
have gone up a whopping 4%, the worst inflation we’ve seen
in almost 20 years. So if it has felt like you used to walk out
with more bags of groceries for less money, you are right.
It’s a conundrum: you want
to feed your family healthy foods, but it can appear that purchasing
less-healthful, prepared and packaged foods can save you money.
Don’t fall into this marketing trap! Keep the goal on price
per nutritional calorie rather than paying for empty calories
designed just to fill you up without any nutritional benefits.
Try these three strategies for
making your food dollar go farther while eating healthily with
whole foods:
- Go to the bulk bins. Packaged
and processed foods include the price of the wrapping, which
then adds to our landfills. Buy rice, quinoa, couscous, pastas,
and other grains in the bulk food bins and store in airtight
containers. While you’re in that section, consider adding
some of the just-add-water, great-for-a-healthy-meal-or-snack
options: a refried bean mix for burrito night (typically a low-sodium,
low-saturated fat, and vegetarian offering), dried hummus powder,
and even dehydrated split-pea soup.
- Use frozen versions of out-of
season vegetables. When green beans have to be shipped in from
South America and look a little jet-weary, think instead of the
bag of vegetables that were flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness
and won’t go bad before you get to use them. When cooked
properly, frozen vegetables can be as appealing as fresh and
don’t contain any extra additives or preservatives.
- Purchase meats in bulk and freeze
in individual portions. Look in the warehouse stores for bags
of frozen fish filets. Watch for sales on chicken, then clean
and separate pieces for freezing in zip-top baggies. Take advantage
of one-pot meals, like the one below, to toss in individual servings
of frozen protein portions without thawing.
- Recipe:
- Quick Burgers
- Serves 4
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