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People on here say rice and pasta is not healthy. Everything is unhealthy nowadays. They used to say that pasta and rice was a part of a healthy diet?
It's still part of a healthy diet -- A SMALL PART.
The problem with rice and pasta is that people will eat more of it because it's filling and full of carbs (energy); but it isn't full of nutrients.
The trick is to eat mostly vegetables and fruit, and mix in a little starch and protein.
Tip #1
Ethnic Markets
I don't know if this has been mentioned in the 11 pages of replies, but the first place to turn if you want to lower your grocery bill is ethnic supermarkets. I don't know what the food scene in Georgia is like today (it was all Piggly Wiggly and Winn Dixie last time I was there). But if you have Latino and Asian supermarkets -- THAT is where you shop for produce.
In my area of Las Vegas, the Latino markets sell 10 pound bags of potatoes for less than $1. The main-stream supermarkets cost at least five times more for produce. And it's the exact same bag of potatoes. The difference is that the ethnic markets sell considerably more produce and are willing to cut their margins. (And margins are already razor-thin in the grocery world.)
Rice at the Asian markets cost one-twentieth what a box of Uncle Ben's costs. I cannot believe how much some people will pay for a pound of rice. It's ridiculous. I can get a 20-pound sack for the same price as one of their "par cooked, boil in bag, I don't know how to cook rice" products.
Tip #2
Buy in season.
You should know just from living in your state that you don't buy peaches in February. You can get them -- but they've been flown in from someplace else. That's a ridiculous waste of money and resources just so shoppers can make a cobbler in the middle of winter.
But it's the same with almost EVERY OTHER FOOD. Buy local, and buy seasonal. And that way you aren't paying to transport the food halfway around the country (or halfway around the world). Fresh, season food has the added benefit of tasting better.
Tip #3
Sometimes farm stands and farmers markets are a great deal. Sometimes they aren't. Once you know what food is supposed to cost, you'll know if you're getting a good price dealing directly with the growers and eliminating the middleman. Sometimes it works out in your favor. Sometimes it doesn't.
But their food is usually better quality than main-stream market food.
Tip #4
When shelf-stable foods are discounted, stock up! Dried beans, pasta, grits, rice -- if it's on deep discount, stock up. And then use the money you save to buy more fresh vegetables.
Tip #5
BONES!
If you have bones, toss them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. I have one bag for poultry bones and one bag for pork/beef/lamb bones. When I have lots of bones, I make stock. Homemade stock is better tasting and you can make it on the back of the stove while you do other things around the house. Paying for canned stock is silly.
Tip #6
Grow your own food.
Even if you don't have a yard, you can grow tomatoes and squash in pots. Vine ripened vegetables taste better. And all they need is a little care and some water -- which falls from the sky, free. (I don't have that luxury in Las Vegas.)
You can set up your "victory garden" so that there is always something producing, eight months of the year.
Tip #7
Waste not. Want not.
Do not overbuy and then discard food. Sure, it happens to the best of us -- that bunch of celery gets rubbery in the fridge because we forgot to use it. (And in that case, throw it in the stock pot.) If you're throwing away spoiled food regularly, you're throwing away money -- money that you already spent to buy the food in the first place AND money that you have to spend again to replace the spoiled food.
Consider barley as a carb. It may not appear to be as economical as pasta but it plumps up much better, adds more water than pasta to your diet, and is MUCH MUCH better on the glycemic scale than pasta.
Fabulous for soups and can be used for breakfast coupled with yogurt.
Consider barley as a carb. It may not appear to be as economical as pasta but it plumps up much better, adds more water than pasta to your diet, and is MUCH MUCH better on the glycemic scale than pasta.
Fabulous for soups and can be used for breakfast coupled with yogurt.
Harder to find but very worth it.
Actually, not that hard to find. I used to cook with it all the time before I moved on to quinoa as my preferred grain. Maybe it's a regional thing?
In any case, it's GREAT with pasta sauce as a substitute for pasta. It also goes great in soups. I also like to use it in the slow cooker to make risotto instead of using arborio rice. Some white wine, a lot of parm and some roasted squash and sauteed mushrooms and OMG. I adapted it from a Mark Bittman recipe.
Actually, OP, I have found this to be a hugely helpful book (by Mark Bittman) for formulating healthy meals.
I rarely use recipes directly from books, but I have a sizeable collection of cookbooks that I use for ideas and frequently adapt recipes to my tastes.
Like my Chicken Ratattouille from Rachael Ray's magazine. Hers was pretty basic - chicken, chopped canned tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, zucchini and onions, with garlic and parm. I used shallots instead of onions, doubled the amount of zucchini, changed the yellow pepper to a red one, added a ton of chopped mushrooms, added some fresh Italian herbs and white wine and used fresh mozzarella slices to top it. It's one of the best things I've ever tasted, and it freezes wonderfully. I think there may have been celery in the original recipe too, but I chucked that because celery is evil (imho). I use other recipes to just figure out what things go well together or learn techniques.
You may want to go to the library and sit down with a bunch of cookbooks and just read through them for a few hours. America's Test Kitchen has some great ones - my roommate and I love the ones for freezer meals and slowcooker meals.
Wow! Thanks for ALL of your suggestions , fellow CDers.
I notice a lot of you seem to be big on crock pots. I have a 4 qt crockpot that I use occasionally. It seems to be hard to find recipes for 4 qt crockpots and if you scale down recipes they don't always come out right. I can't make a boston butt or a roast in a 4qt crock pot because I have never seen one small enough to fit. I really want to learn to use my crock pot more often . I have only used it like 4 times in the six months I have had it. The recipe book that came with the crock pot kinda sucks so I want to find some good crock pot cookbooks. I prefer to have the book with me when I am cooking versus having to look recipes up online because I don't have a printer to print out recipes.
People on here say rice and pasta is not healthy. Everything is unhealthy nowadays. They used to say that pasta and rice was a part of a healthy diet?
You are right someone, some stud will say everything is bad for you.
My Grandmother lived the first half of her life in the Appalachian mountains, eating fat back, lard, and lots of hand churned butter. They grew what they could and survived off the land and eat eggs, bacon cooked in lard and drank real buttermilk with lumps of real butter in it for breakfast. They slaughtered the old cow once in a while and canned/preserved with lots of salt the meat. CHickens were a feast item especially when they stopped laying. SHe lived to age 93. Her older sib, born in 1885, ate the same way and lived off the land too only longer, and lived longer to age 97.
If you CAN get raw milk in your state,and get a churner, there is NOTHING like the taste of sweet cream churned butter!!! YUMMY! I can't wait to get some raw milk to make some more!
Wow! Thanks for ALL of your suggestions , fellow CDers.
I notice a lot of you seem to be big on crock pots. I have a 4 qt crockpot that I use occasionally. It seems to be hard to find recipes for 4 qt crockpots and if you scale down recipes they don't always come out right. I can't make a boston butt or a roast in a 4qt crock pot because I have never seen one small enough to fit. I really want to learn to use my crock pot more often . I have only used it like 4 times in the six months I have had it. The recipe book that came with the crock pot kinda sucks so I want to find some good crock pot cookbooks. I prefer to have the book with me when I am cooking versus having to look recipes up online because I don't have a printer to print out recipes.
People on here say rice and pasta is not healthy. Everything is unhealthy nowadays. They used to say that pasta and rice was a part of a healthy diet?
Invest in a pressure cooker instead of a crock pot is my suggestion... cooks just about anything (including dried beans) in an hour and under. You can also brown meats which gives it more flavor.
I stopped eating most starches (lentils are the exception) and lost a fair amount of body fat. Pasta, bread and flour just make you hungrier and converts into body fat way too easily. Unfortunately they're also cheap.
I make lentil soup with the pressure cooker weekly and eat it for lunch just about every day. it's really cheap and easy and fast.
Last edited by arrieros81; 11-06-2015 at 05:24 PM..
Wow! Thanks for ALL of your suggestions , fellow CDers.
I notice a lot of you seem to be big on crock pots. I have a 4 qt crockpot that I use occasionally. It seems to be hard to find recipes for 4 qt crockpots and if you scale down recipes they don't always come out right. I can't make a boston butt or a roast in a 4qt crock pot because I have never seen one small enough to fit. I really want to learn to use my crock pot more often . I have only used it like 4 times in the six months I have had it. The recipe book that came with the crock pot kinda sucks so I want to find some good crock pot cookbooks. I prefer to have the book with me when I am cooking versus having to look recipes up online because I don't have a printer to print out recipes.
People on here say rice and pasta is not healthy. Everything is unhealthy nowadays. They used to say that pasta and rice was a part of a healthy diet?
brown rice isn't so bad,,and some pasta isn't so bad,,,,,better than a box of twinkies..
legumes,lentils,beans all very good for you and you and very cheap,buy bulk.
brown rice to have with them, also pretty cheap
basic veggies are cheap,and herbs,grow your own herbs in your window.
the only processsed food you may need to buy and that i buy is jarred/canned tomatoes.
I eat all organic,natural,no processsed food ever and im on a budget.
sounds perfect im going to try and it,and it is actually very healthy for you,cinnamon and honey both have many medicinal properties and the butter is good for you too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JrzDefector
Lately, when I have a craving for something sweet, I soften some butter, blend it with honey and a healthy dose of cinnamon and then spread it on whole wheat toast. Not exactly healthy, but very satisfying.
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