Consuming
Thoughts
by
Fay Strickier
Penn State Extension
Home Economist for
Berks Co.
Did you know that food costs
can take up a large part of the
family budget?
While food is a necessity, often
steps can be taken to decrease the
food budget without sacrificing
taste and nutrition.
To plan low-cost meals follow
these steps: Evaluate family food
choices. Do you rely on conven
ience foods, often eat meals away
from home, or frequently choose
gourmet or specialty foods? Each
of these habits can inflate the
money spent on food.
Foods prepared from scratch
are cheaper than their conven
ience counterparts.(Notable ex
ceptions are orange juice and
pancake and cake mixes.)
When you choose a conven
ience food, you are paying for the
food, the labor of the person pre
paring it, and packaging. How
many convenience foods could
you replace with made-from
scratch versions?
Similar to convenience foods,
the price of foods eaten away
from home contains hidden labor
and ‘atmosphere” costs. If family
members frequently choose meals
at restaurants, cafeterias, or fast
food places, you may want to re
consider these habits.
While gourmet and specialty
foods can add excitement and va
riety to your meals, they can also
add dollars to the check-out-tape.
Plain food may have to be the
backbone of your menus for a
while.
Watch the meat portions.
Meat, fish and poultry are often
the most expensive items on the
dinner plate. Many Americans
eat larger portions of these foods
than is recommended. A total of
5 to 7 ounces of meat, poultry
and fish per day provides all the
protein needed by an adult.
Growing teenagers need a little
more and children need less.
Your dinner plate should be
filled with more vegetables and
starch foods (rice, noodles, pasta)
than meat. Here are some portion
sizes to help you estimate your
protein intake. 1 egg = 1 ounce;
Va cup tuna = 1 ounce; 2 table
spoons peanut butter = 1 ounce;,
1 slice prepackaged luncheon
meat = 1 ounce; and a piece of
meat, poultry or fish the size of a
deck of cards = 3 ounces.
Plan your meals. By planning
meals you can take advantage of
grocery specials on meat, better
utilize the food in your cup
boards, and reduce the stress of
deciding what to prepare each
day. Also plan one meal to eat
leftovers. Aiiy food that is thrown
out because of spoilage wastes
money.
If your family despises leftover
vegetables, place a jar or plastic
container in the freezer to hold
the leftover bits. When the con
tainer is full you can make soup!
Buy in bulk and cut your own.
If you have a wholesale store
nearby, or if your supermarket
carries bulk foods, you can often
save by buying large quantities.
Another potential savings lies
in cutting your own meat and
poultry. A top or bottom beef
round can be purchased at many
supermarkets and you can cut
meat at home into roasts, steaks
and stew meat. A whole chicken
can be divided into legs, breasts,
etc.
Instructions for cutting meat
can be obtained from your local
Cooperative Extension Office.
Specific suggestions for lower
cost foods:
• Meat, poultry and fish: Along
with checking the price per
pound, consider the amount of
waste from bone and gristle. Also
remember that although products
such as hot dogs and cold cuts
seem inexpensive, they contain
large amounts of fat and sodium
which may not be wise nutrition
al choice.
• Grain products: Breakfast
cereals that are sugar coated,
have added raisins and nuts, or
have different shapes and colors
tend to be higher priced. Stick
with plain cereals and add your
own nuts and fruits.
“Hot” breakfast cereals are
generally cheaper than “cold”
varieties. Try oatmeal or other
cooked cereals once or twice a
week. Buy plain rice and noodles,
and add your own sauce (or use a
can of creamed soup, but be
aware of the extra fat and sodi
um soups can bring to your
meal).
Look for a day-old or thrift
bread store. With today’s food
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 29, 2003-813
processing techniques, bread has
little loss of quality during the
first few days.
• Dairy products: Powdered
milk can be used for baking and,
along with evaporated milk, can
be purchased with coupons or
when on special buy and store for
future use. Shop around of the
best fluid milk price. Surprising
ly, one-stop convenience stores
often have the best milk price.
• Fruits and vegetables: Buy
fresh produce when it is in sea
son. If you have a farm market
available, you may be able to save
even more by buying in quantity
and freezing or canning the ex
tras.
Your local Penn State Cooper
ative Extension Office has in
formation on seasonal produce
and directions for home food
preservation.
Well/Septic Tank
Workshop Planned
WESTMINSTER, Md. A
presentation on “How Well Is
Your Well and Septic” will be
conducted on April 9 from 6:30
p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Carroll
County Extension Office, 700 Ag
ricultural Center, Westminster.
Do you know if your septic
tank needs to be pumped out / Do
you know where it is?
Thomas H. Miller, Regional
Water Quality Specialist with the
University of Maryland, Cooper
ative Extension will be giving a
two-hour seminar/workshop for
answers to these and many more
pertinent issues for well and sep
tic owners.
You must pre-register by mail
or by calling (410) 386-2760.
There is a charge of $lO.