April 2010 Archives

In case you missed the first 5 tips, here are the 10 Tips for Healthy Eating On a Budget: Part 1!

Yes, eating healthy can fit into your budget! For example - I bought into a local farm, where I get a variety of vegetables for around $30 a week. This past week we got kale, mustard greens, arugula, 2 heads of lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, 2 tomatoes, shelling peas, spinach and something else I'm forgetting!

You have to use these veggies within a week, because another box will be coming! We make a lot of soups that you can freeze as well as baked dishes like lasagna, and casseroles that we can freeze.

On to our last 5 tips!

Here are the other 5 tips for healthy eating on a budget.

6.  Use coupons ONLY if they make items you usually buy cost even less. Always check newspaper ads or store fliers for weekly specials. Finally, review your shopping list and budget. If it doesn't fit, try again.

7.  Choose generic whenever possible. Check higher or lower shelves for cheaper items because more expensive items are kept at eye-level!

8. Inexpensive ways to buy produce:

• Buy apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes, onions, etc., by the bag, not by the piece--it's cheaper and will fill more lunch bags and cover more meals.
• Always shop for produce that's in season, for the best flavor and prices. Usually the ones that are on sale in the flyer are the ones in season.
• When buying canned foods, choose those that are packed in juice and low sodium.
• Check out farmer's markets, or look for your own farm to buy into. It's called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and here's a place you can look for one in your area.
  

9.  Best ways to buy grains to keep within your budget

• Choose plain brown rice and whole wheat English muffins and tortillas.
• Oatmeal is nutritious, economical and can be dressed up with brown sugar, bananas, etc.
• Check out the day old breads (a great value and still fresh). Or buy the bread on sale, you can freeze any extra loafs.
• Buy cereals and other grains without fancy packaging (in bulk) to store in airtight containers.

10.  Cooking and meal planning tips

• Cook extra portions of chili and spaghetti with marinara sauce for the freezer. They make great baked potato and pizza toppings.
• Keep a bag of frozen vegetables to add to rice or any meals.
• Boil extra pasta or rice for a main meal; it will make a cold lunch with chopped tomato, veggies, and/or a grilled chicken breast.
• Keep pita bread in the freezer. Pop in the toaster and it makes a great sandwich pocket or pizza base (spread with tomato sauce and other toppings).
• Worcestershire, brown, chili and soy sauces can add zing to an otherwise forgettable dish, as well as mixed herbs, chili pepper, black pepper, curry powder, and Chinese spices.

Next time, I'll share with you some of the recipes that I use to cook in bulk and freeze. That's the best way to use some of that fresh produce that is on sale!

- Julie

It drives me crazy when people say "Eating healthy is expensive!" Ok, let's be honest. Eating healthy CAN BE expensive. However, eating healthy can also fit into almost any budget! In fact, oftentimes, eating healthy is cheaper than eating not so healthy food!

How Can I Save Money Eating Healthy?

With careful meal planning, shopping, and cooking, you can trim both your waistline and your food budget. Spending $5 a day on a "value meal" for lunch adds up to more than $1,200 per year!

Even if you spend a little more on convenience items to make your lunches, you will probably save more in the long run. If you did a little research, I think you would find that while you might spend the same amount on your food, you actually get more meals out of that money.

More food with the same amount of money = cheaper!

Get the Most of Your Food Budget.

1. Buy protein wisely: Most Americans need approximately 50-65 grams of protein per day. But most of us consume much more than that. Cut back on your protein costs with the following tips:
   
   
   • Practice portion control when buying meat: Be conscious of the amount of meat you're purchasing. A three-ounce serving of lean meat has 165 calories and 21 grams of protein. Keeping your portions small will yield a few extra servings per package.
   • Consider canned meat to control your protein intake: Tuna packed in water and canned chicken breast are great accompaniments to salads and entrees.
   • Go meat free - meat-free proteins can be inexpensive: Eating less meat has a number of health benefits. And meat-free protein foods tend to cheap. Stock up on dried and canned beans and lentils, low-fat peanut butter and lots of egg whites.
     
2. Practice smart shopping strategies
   
   Buy milk in bulk: Many grocery stores now offer 'Buy 1 get 1 free' specials on gallons of milk. You can freeze milk for future use!
   
   
3. Become a member of a shopping club: Warehouse or club stores like Costco and Sam's offer healthful bargains to be had. Seasonal produce is often cheaper at these stores. And buying foods such as boneless, skinless chicken breast and reduced fat cheese in bulk here is often much cheaper than in grocery stores.
   
   
4. Stock up on non-tempting foods for a healthy convenient diet: Stock up on high-fiber, low-fat canned, dried and frozen goods and seasonal fruits and vegetables, you'll set yourself up for a healthful, cheap meal plan.
   
   
5. Explore alternative sources for purchasing your produce

• Scope out new markets. While conventional grocery stores and Whole Foods may offer good deals on healthy, pre-packaged foods, their produce selection is not always the cheapest. If you live in a city, explore ethnic markets and corner stores.

• Check the freezer aisle. Fresh and frozen vegetables are preferable to canned ones. Look for vegetables in the frozen foods section to add to stir-fries and soup. Food Lion has GREAT deals on frozen veggies!

• Grow your own! Gardening is a great form of physical activity, not to mention a rewarding hobby.

I'll have the last 5 tips for you next week! Have a great weekend!
- Julie

 

I got many amusing comments after my April Fool's Day Post! Of course, the four food groups was a joke. However, YES, popcorn is definitely a whole grain and can be a healthy snack!

Today, we're back to the normal, practical, evidence-based information!

Easter Eggs: What To Do With All Of Them!

Ok, so maybe you decorated eggs this past weekend for an Easter Egg hunt. Now you're thinking, what can I do with all these eggs? Are they safe to eat with dye on them? And how many eggs can I eat without causing my cholesterol to go through the roof?

Here are the quick and easy answers to those questions!

Are Dyed Easter Eggs Safe to Eat?

There are two issues when it comes to Easter eggs. First, were they out of the fridge for more than 2 hours? If so, then you probably should not eat them as they were at a temperature that could foster bacteria.

The second issue is what type of dye you used for the eggs. If it is simply a vegetable based dye (check the ingredient list on your dye package), then you're fine. I believe that most egg dyes are vegetable based. Even if some of the dye seeped into the egg, you are still ok to eat it.

How Many Eggs Can I Eat Without Cholesterol Problems?

Eggs definitely get a bad name when it comes to cholesterol. Generally, eggs are relatively low in fat, good sources of protein and can be easy snacks. However, they do have about 213 mg of cholesterol in each one.

The recommendation for the average person is not to exceed 300 mg per day, on average. For people with high cholesterol or heart disease, we prefer that you don't have more than 200 mg/day, on average.

What I usually recommend for egg consumption, is between 3 and 4 eggs per week. If you like to have eggs more often than that, you can remove the yolk, and then it doesn't count towards your total!

Also, remember that this is an average. If you eat more eggs in one week, and less in another, that's ok. As long as you're not eating a dozen eggs more than once every 3 weeks!

What Can I do with All These Hard Boiled Eggs?

There are a lot of things that you can do with hard boiled eggs! Some of them are healthier than others, of course! You can make deviled eggs, eat them plain as a snack, or make an egg salad sandwich.

In order to keep things healthy and not overwhelm you, here's a recipe for egg salad that adds some extra spices and flavorings that will add phytochemicals to the traditional recipe. Serve it with tomato and whole grain bread and you've got a great cancer fighting meal!

Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 8 slices whole wheat bread
• Cracked black pepper
  
  

Instructions:

1. Chop the eggs. Stir in the onion, celery, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise and salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Toss together the shredded lettuce and dill.

3. Divide the egg salad among 4 slices of the bread, spreading it to the corners. Grind black pepper over the egg salad, then place equal amounts of the lettuce-dill mixture on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.

Enjoy! And be sure not to eat any of those plastic eggs. They're really not good for you!

- Julie

 

Hot off the press today is that the 4 basic food groups are back! Only we have new titles for them. Basically, to make things easy on people, the recommendation was to have all the food groups start with F.

The NEW food groups are as follows:

Fruit (should be obvious to you)
Fiber (includes all your grains)
Fat (the ones that everyone loves anyway)
Fart (obviously, this includes all the veggies and beans!).

What I like best about this is that you don't have to remember all the different groups! Of course, you might notice that protein is missing, but since Americans tend to eat twice as much protein as they really need anyway, we don't need to "Recommend" that they eat any and they will get just enough.

HA! April Fool's to you! In honor of these four food groups is your healthy recipe for this week!

Fat and Fiber Recipe:

In order to help you incorporate two of these new food groups into your diet, here is a simple recipe to combine the fat and fiber groups!

Ingredients:

• popcorn
• canola oil
• salt

Instructions for Air Popper:

• Pour 1/4 cup of popcorn into an air popper
• Place 1 T of canola oil in the butter warmer
• Turn the air popper on
• When popcorn is finished, add heated oil, some salt and stir.

Instructions for Stove Top Popping:

• Pour 1/4 cup popcorn and 1T canola oil into a pan
• Turn the burner on high
• when the popcorn starts popping, shake the pan over the burner
• Continue to shake until all popcorn is popped
• Add salt to taste!
  

Enjoy! Remember that popcorn is a whole grain; It's what you put on it that makes it healthy or not.

- Julie