consciouseating Good Food on a Tight Budget


Tips to Get Top Value from Each Dollar by Kathleen Barnes


F


or many, the recent economic downturn has affected the way we shop for food. Even families that cook dinner at home most nights are struggling to afford the ingredients to make healthy meals, says Laura Seman, a senior manager for Cooking Mat- ters, a national program that educates families in need about reaping the most from local food resources.


“Putting good food on the family


table on a five-or-six-dollar-a-day per person budget is tough, but it’s possi- ble,” advises Nutritionist Dawn Undur- raga, a registered dietitian and co- author of the Environmental Working Group’s online publication, Good Food on a Tight Budget. “Even eating for one is doable for under $200 a month.” Researchers examined 1,200 foods to help people get beyond the com- mon perception that eating healthy is expensive. “We looked at food prices, nutrients, pesticides, environmental pollutants and artificial ingredients,” says Undurraga. “Then we chose the top 100 or so, based on balancing all of those factors.”


Think Outside the Box Some of the EWG findings might sur- prise many of us:


4 Fresh, whole carrots and sweet pota- toes are among the best produce buys, but frozen corn and broccoli almost always cost less than their fresh equiva- lents and are just as nutritious.


4 A serving of oatmeal is half the cost of sugary processed cereals, plus it’s more filling and causes less fluctuation in blood sugar levels.


4 Canned salmon is almost always wild caught and is much cheaper than fresh, but be wary of BPA (bisphenol-A) migration from the can.


4 Queso blanco, a mild, soft, white cheese common in Latino cooking, is both less expensive and less processed than many other cheeses.


4 Raw cabbage is the top-ranked food because of its price and high nutritional value as a cruciferous vegetable. For less than 10 cents a serving, it poses far fewer calories than potatoes and is a worthy ad- dition to salads, soups and stir-fries.


4 The next highest marks for price and nutrition spotlight carrots, bananas, pears, watermelon and frozen broccoli, each at less than 30 cents a serving.


4 Bananas and pears usually cost less than apples, plus they customarily en- dure fewer pesticide applications.


4 The best animal protein award goes to roasted turkey; hot dogs ranked last.


4 The next-best animal protein identi- fied is a whole chicken, roasted at the beginning of the week and used in vari- ous ways for future meals.


Change Our Routine Tracie McMillan, of Ann Arbor, Michi- gan, author of the bestselling book, The American Way of Eating, learned how to eat on a tight budget as an under- cover journalist. “Time and energy are key ingredients when cooking from scratch,” notes McMillan. Without disposable funds for the fast-food route, cooking from scratch was mandatory. She learned how to soak beans overnight, cook a large pot of them and freeze helpings to reheat later. The cost was about 50 cents a meal, compared with $3 for two or three servings from a can. Eggs, brown rice and sweet potatoes became an important—and healthy—part of her weekly diet. McMillan also gained a lasting affec- tion for roasted vegetables, both as part of meals and as snacks. “I just cut up a couple of sweet potatoes, add some broccoli or beans or whatever is cheap at the supermarket or farmers’ market, toss in a tablespoon of olive oil and I’m set for two or three days,” she says. Also, “I learned to use meat more as a seasoning than as a main course.”


Find more tips and pages of recipes at ewg.org/goodfood.


22 Northern & Central New Mexico NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com


Kathleen Barnes has authored many books on natural health, including Rx from the Garden: 101 Food Cures You Can Easily Grow. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32