Diet Food

There's no question that the cost of food takes a larger bite out of your budget than just a couple of years ago. When the economy is stable, food prices don't fluctuate too much, from month to month. So we get used to living on the same food budget. These days, it's hard to know what to expect in food costs from week to week.

Now, you might run through your allocated monthly food budget within 3 weeks. It's clear that a new strategy and better organization is called for, if you hope to make the food money last. Here we've got several ideas for cheap, healthy recipes that are also tempting to your family.

Every cook has a repertoire of favorite recipes. During flusher times, you may not have been so concerned about the cost of serving a good rib-eye a couple of times a month. Just a few years ago, you could get a nice, good-sized juicy rib-eye for about $6-7.

A nice treat that didn't break the budget. On a recent shopping trip, I checked out the steaks and was absolutely shocked to see that a decent sized rib-eye steak will now set me back $13-16! This set me thinking about how I could serve tasty, cheap, healthy recipes more often than not, so I wouldn't run out of food money!

Broiling up a nice steak makes you feel that you're enjoying a well-deserved treat that everyone loves. However, it's harder to justify the price. One beef cut that is still relatively cheap is the good old chuck roast. Prepared correctly, that chuck roast is fork tender and actually has more flavor than the steak. You may think this is the glass-half-full mentality.

You're right! Why not? Chop up a couple of onions, a few carrots, some beef broth, season with thyme and toss this hefty wonder in the slow cooker. Bake some potato wedges in the oven, seasoned with fresh rosemary. Warm some bread and you've got a cheap, healthy recipe for half the price, with leftovers! Add some gravy made with the broth and everyone's in heaven.

The point here is to look over your current stock of recipes and look for ways you can substitute some less pricey ingredients for spendy ones, without sacrificing taste.

Another strategy for devising cheap, healthy recipes that please the taste buds is to stock your pantry with staples, such as rice and whole-grain pastas which can serve as a delicious base for an array of one-dish meals that offer variety, nutrition and good taste. Stock up on sale items and freeze, as your freezer space allows.

For example, it's far cheaper to buy one of those ten-pound bags of chicken hindquarters and freeze in dinner sized portions, than it is to buy the smaller packs of legs or thighs. The same goes for beef. Buy in quantity, when the item is on sale.

All cheap, healthy recipes have a few basic components in common: simple ingredients, combined with small amounts of a colorful variety of produce, bits of meat - or tofu - and the right seasonings. If you haven't got a handle on seasonings, go online, or to the library and get up to speed. You'll be amazed at the magic a good seasoning mix can confer on the most ordinary of ingredients.

Produce has become quite expensive too, but you can still serve produce, economically, in adequate quantities. Always watch the sales! Mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli and carrots all freeze well. Stock up when they're in season and spend a couple of hours slicing and dicing. Flash freeze the mushrooms on a baking sheet. For the rest, fill meal-sized freezer bags about one third full of water with a dash of lemon juice, then pile in the veggies.

Serving tasty, cheap, healthy recipes is easy, with the right shopping and storing methods. You'll soon have that food budget tamed!

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