Since we seem to be headed headfirst into a depression...

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Frugal Fridays: Eating Cheaply (and healthily)

The simplest and easiest act of food independence is to join a coop or visit your nearest farmers market at least twice a week for fresh and locally grown produce: support your local farmer! (check the coop link for one near you)
First let's go through a list of foodstuffs you can buy in bulk and store in your larder. Always read the labels before purchasing.

Pulses and legumes: more than forty species and countless varieties of grain legumes are cultivated throughout the world: peas, soyabeans, chickpeas (garbanzo), pinto, black bean, red kidney bean, lentils (all kinds: Puy, red, yellow and green), adzuki bean, cowpea (also known as black-eyed pea), mung bean (also called Oregon pea), lima bean (broad, fava or butter bean), cannellini bean and many more. All make excellent stir-fries and can be easily stored (dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but as time passes, their nutritive value and flavor degrade and cooking times lengthen so make sure you rotate your dry goods on a regular basis if you keep a large supply).

Rice kinds: White rice can last but brown rice has a shelf life of just a few months, because it still has a bran layer. Rice is an excellent source of folate, and a good source of iron, niacin and thiamin. And the choices are amazing: black rice, red rice from Camargues, Louisiana rice, Jasmine rice, arborio (for that earthy risotto!), wehani, then you have short grain rice, enriched rice, instant rice, converted rice (riceroni), and of course wild rice, native of North America (it's really a grass but don't tell anyone!)

Grains: not everyone can eat wheat. Wheat has become dominant in the diet of the modern world not because of its nutritional value but because of its convenience commercially. The opposite is the case with spelt, amaranth (which can be used as a high-protein grain or as a leafy vegetable) and quinoa (whose green leaves can also be eaten though commercial availability of quinoa greens is severely limited). These grains have a much higher nutritional value than wheat but lack the commercial convenience of wheat and therefore have become less prevalent, which is a pity. Other grains of note: couscous, rye, polenta (cornmeal), barley (great grain, very useful in soups, stews and stir-fries), buckwheat, bulgur wheat (both great in tabouleh), and oats for breakfast and crusty breads. More food stuff and recipes after the break

Frugal Fridays: Grocery Shopping and Eating for Less.

Spend thirty minutes to an hour one evening creating menus for the entire following week. Plan the menus around what your family likes, what you have on hand and what is on sale. Pick the best store for the most bargains. (It is unnecessary -- and expensive -- to drive around from store-to-store.) (Exception: An incredible store. Once, during lean times, I read about a grocery store that was going out of business and had marked everything at least fifty percent off. We ate well off what I bought there for months.)

 

Your menus should include follow-up meals made from leftovers from previous meals. Your menus should include breakfasts, lunches, dinners and any snacks.
Make a detailed and thorough list. You will not be buying anything that is not on your list. (This is key; all of us "dollar dribble" -- picking up impulse items that have little lasting effect on our lives. To get a handle on this, try these tips.)
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Eliminate throw-away products from your life. You can use old towels (cut up into re-usable rag sizes) in place of paper towels; you can make your own cloth napkins. And avoid expensive "cleaning" products. There is virtually nothing in your house that cannot be cleaned with ammonia, white vinegar, baking soda and/or dish soap. Frugal cleaning.
Be creative with your menu planning. Consider an omelette filled with leftover vegetables and potatoes (and some cheese), a hearty soup, or a baked potato with cottage cheese or yogurt, and a green salad.
If you are really in a bind, consider the menus at this site. MORE

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