Download Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle
This book is a B&W copy of the government agency publication.WHY PLAN MEALS? To help you and your family be healthier. When you plan meals, you can make sure you include enough foods from each food group. Pay special attention to serving enough vegetables and fruits in family meals. To help you balance meals. When you are serving a food with a lot of fat or salt, you can plan lowfat or low-salt foods to go with it. For example, ham is high in salt. If you have ham for dinner, you also can serve a salad or a vegetable that doesn't need salt. To save money. If you plan before you go food shopping, you will know what you have on and what you need. Also, shopping from you avoid expensive “impulse” purchases. To save time and effort. When you plan meals, you have foods on hand and make grocery store. Planning also good use of leftovers. This can cut your cooking time and food costs. TIPS FOR PLANNING Build the main part of your meal around rice, noodles, or other grains. Use small amounts of meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. • For example, make a casserole by mixing rice, vegetables, and chicken. Or try Beef-Noodle Casserole (p. 22) or Stir-Fried Pork and V with Rice (p. 26). Add variety to family meals. In addition to cooking family favorites, try new, low-cost recipes or food combinations. • For example, if you usually serve mashed try Baked Crispy Potatoes (p. 49) (p. 58) for a change. Make meals easier to prepare by trying new ways to cook foods. • For example, try using a slow cooker or crock-pot to cook stews or soups. They cook foods without constant watching. Use planned leftovers to save both time and money. • For example, prepare a Beef Pot Roast (p. 21), serve half of it, and freeze the remaining half to use later. You also can freeze extra cooked meats and vegetables for soups or stews. Do “batch cooking” when your food budget and time allow. • For example, cook a large batch of Baked Meatballs (p. 20) or Turkey Chili (p. 39), divide it into family-size portions, and freeze some later in the month. Plan snacks that give your family the nutrients they need. • For example, buy fresh fruits in season like apples or peaches. Dried fruits like raisins or prunes, raw vegetables, crackers, and whole wheat bread are also good ideas for snacks. TIPS FOR SHOPPING Before you go shopping • Make a list of all the foods you need. Do this in your kitchen so you can check what you have on hand. • Look for specials in the newspaper ads for the stores where you shop. • Look for coupons for foods you plan to buy But remember, coupons save money only if you need the product. Also, check if other are on sale, too. They may cost even the one with a coupon. While you shop • When your food budget allows, buy extra low-cost, nutritious foods like potatoes and frozen orange juice concentrate. These foods keep well. • Compare the cost of convenience foods with the same foods made from scratch. “Convenience foods” are products like fancy baked goods, frozen meals, and vegetables with seasonings and sauces. Most of these cost more than similar foods prepared at home. Also, you can use less fat, sugar, and salt in food you make at home. • Try store brands. They usually cost less than name brands, but they taste as good and generally have the same nutritional value. • Take time to compare fresh, frozen, and canned foods to see which is cheapest. Buy what's on special and what's in season. • Prevent food waste. Buy only the family will eat before the food Using label and shelf information • Read the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods. Compare the amount of fat, sodium, calories, and other nutrients in similar products. This can help you choose foods that have less fat, sodium or calories, and more vitamins, minerals, and fiber • Use date information on packages—“sell by” and “best if used by” dates—to help you choose the freshest foods. • Look for the unit price to compare similar foods.