I've been shopping for my family for 10 years now, and having gone through some significantly lean years, I know how to make a penny squeak. My meal budget--not counting snacks, health and beauty products, millk, etc--can be pretty impressively cheap on a lean week.
I recently heard that Mario Batali participated in the Food Stamp Challenge. He and his family tried to live for a few weeks on a budget equalling what a family living on food stamps would get. Here's an excerpt from an article from ABC News by Lindsey Antis:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/05/mario-batalis-food-stamp-challenge/
"Food stamps are issued once a month, meaning families have to plan to make them last. Even with a strict budget and planning, Batali said he would expect to run out of money by the end of the month. There’s not enough money to feed the family and “you can’t live on a can of beans for five days in a row.” This week he said he has had to sacrifice some of his standards for food quality and nutrition to ensure that he will have enough food for every meal.
The challenge, which Batali says he plans to do several times a year, is changing the way his family thinks about food. While his kids are still eating what seem like everyday meals, including eggs for breakfast and lentils and corn bread for dinner, it has started a greater philosophical conversation.
“It’s an interesting conversation to think about what food is, what hunger is, what nutrition is in a way that makes us think about it on a much more personal level,” Batali said."
What is interesting is--this is pretty close to our grocery budget, though we don't qualify for government assistance. But he's an experienced chef. I was curious what kind of recipes he came up with after being forced to limit his ingredients. Unfortunately I couldn't find much except for what was shown on his show The Chew. I did do a search for "food stamp challenge" and found some great recipes, which I shared on my previous post.
Secondarily, I've starting trying to follow www.pocketyourdollars.com. It's not as hard as I thought, and kind of exhilarating. I'm not and "extreme" couponer. My rule is: I don't buy anything just because it's a good deal if it's not something I would normally buy anyway. And my super smart friend Hoa--who teaches a couponing class--says she knows she's done well if after looking at her receipt she has spent about a dollar per item. You have to be smart and learn the rules, but it can be worth it.
The drawback I have found is that the things I can get good deals on are often highly processed, packaged, and not necessarily very nutritious. This adds another aspect.
I am a "scratch" cook. That means instead of buying pancake mix, I will make it from scratch. I will chop and slice my own veggies, season my own tomatoes. I'm not a fanatic, but all the research I've done, and my own experience, indicates that it's the cheapest and most nutritious way to go. Though it's more work, I find it therapeutic.
Anyway, that was the impetus for these blog posts. As a nurse I am concerned about my family's nutrition. Despite my penny pinching, I try to be conscious of keeping our meals balanced. However, on a limited budget, things can get kind of boring and repetitive. When I'm not feeling creative, I tend to fall back on meat and potatoes. (My husband doesn't mind this.) This is ok sometimes, but not the best nutritional choice unless you're going to go work it off by manually plowing a field all day. So, I want to take advantage of my best resource--my friends and fellow moms.
I want to know what all of you make as "old stand-by" meals. Then I want to compile it all so we have somewhere to go for ideas when we're bored with our own "old stand-bys."
Guidelines--
Don't worry about making them official-looking recipes, unless you already have it in that format. Saying you throw together a can of this and a box of that is fine.
Nutrition is not a pre-requisite. My eventual goal is to have a compilation of the cheapest and most nutrition-packed meals, but I want to start with easy and cheap, and we'll go from there.
In these hard economic times, this seems like an appropriate topic.
Lastly, I must add some perspective--
To me, "cheap" groceries mean really bottom of the barrel. An acquaintance of mine once told me that Trader Joe's had such amazing prices. So I went there, and I wasn't sure what she was talking about. If you normally shop at Byerly's, then yes, Trade Joe's has great deals. It's also full of pre-cooked, prepared meals. It's a really fun store but I don't go there for bargains--just treats. Several famous food celebrities also feature lists of inexpensive recipes on their websites. Well, they may me inexpensive for a celebrity, but not most of America. If shrimp and parmesan cheese are in the recipe, I don't consider it cheap (unless I get it on sale ;-)
Organic eating is a fabulous idea. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford it. Right now I can't and I don't think many other Americans can either. Organic won't be featured here unless it comes from my local farmer's market or my own garden (maybe next summer . . .)
I'll start:
Tuna hotdish is one of the cheapest meals I can make.
Cost breakdown (approximate Aldi prices):
Egg noodles--$1.50
Tuna--69 centss.
2 cups Frozen green beans--$1
1 can mushroom soup--89 cents
Total: $4.00
I would say my recipe, using a half bag of noodles, serves at least 8. That's 50 cents a serving. (WOW!)
Nutrition breakdown:
The tuna provides protein.
There is a vegetable serving.
The mushroom soup is processed and fatty.
Egg noodles--white flour=relatively empty carbs.
(You could use whole wheat noodles which would increase the nutrition by a LOT, but they're more spendy.)
Score:
Fairly balanced, but nominal nutrition. As my husband would say, belly filler. But some weeks, we've been happy to keep their little bellies full.
Here's the thing: I detest it. however, my family eats it up like ice cream. I would rather--and often do--have pb+j.
p.s. my mom made it with peas. My family doesn't like peas, so I use beans.
Interesting side note: my mom told me once that she hated soup because that's what we ate when I was a kid when we were really broke, and it made her feel--well, broke.
I love soup. Somehow, when I ate it as a kid, the negative connotation did not transfer to me, the recipient. To me it's delicious and comforting. However, I hate tuna hotdish--which is what I make when we're really broke!
Ironic.
Tuna hotdish
1/2 pkg egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 can tuna, drained
1 cup frozen green beans, or 1 can cut green beans
Boil noodles until tender (do not overcook or they will be mushy!). If using frozen beans, add during last 2 min of cooking time. Drain. While still hot stir in mushroom soup, milk, tuna, and beans (if canned). Stir together over low heat until warm throughout.
Here's the healthiest cheapest meal I can make:
Lentil soup
Cost breakdown (very approximate):
1 bag lentils--$1
1 carton broth--$1.75
1 large can tomatoes--$1.50
Carrots, onions, celery--$1 for the amounts used
Total: $5.25, not counting the small amounts of dried herbs etc. It makes a bajillion servings, so I can't even figure out a cost per serving.
Nutrition breakdown:
Lentils--
30% of their calories are from protein. Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[7] Healthmagazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[8] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish. (Wikipedia)
Chicken broth--can be high in salt. Processed food, unless you make your own (easy, but can be bland)
Tomatoes--high in folate and other essential vitamins
Lentil soup
1 pkg lentils
1 carton (approx 2 cups) chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 lg can diced tomatoes--DO NOT DRAIN
2 Tbsp finely minced garlic OR 1 tsp garlic powder
Herbs to taste--
Basil, Oregano, parsley, salt
In large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and saute until translucent. Rinse lentils and add to veggies. Add tomatoes and broth, and enough water to cover lentils by approx. 1 inch. Season. Stir and heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and carrots are tender. Check seasoning before serving.
My family loves this. I serve it with cornbread. Options include adding chopped fresh spinach, a diced turnip, or other veggies you like. It's a good meatless meal (if you use veg broth) as lentils are so high in protein. But you could add hamburger, ham, or chicken if you must have meat. It's very filling and satisfying.
Also, it makes such a large amount that you can easily freeze half. Be aware that when you defrost it, it will have a slightly mushier texture--but still taste good.
I'll be trying lots of recipes and reviewing them, including my opinion and my family's. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with--including your tips for cheap healthy shopping!
