Monday, August 29, 2011

Mamavation Monday - Can Health Fit in the Budget?


Fast Food, Frozen Meals and cheap Mac n Cheese have caused many people I know to worry about how they can afford to eat healthy. How do you break the cycle of the "bargain menu"  when the alternatives can cost 2 or 3 times as much?

I have to admit, I don't use coupons... since staples rarely are included, but I have kept our family meal budget down to under $50 a week. In the past few years we have been switching to whole foods, non-processed and homemade. Is it difficult? No. It does require more planning, but work smarter and not harder.

Here is my Top 10 for saving money:
  1.  Make your own Greek Yogurt - A little yogurt, constant warmth & milk can give your fresh Greek yogurt
  2. Use Dry Beans - soak over night or make in the crock pot. I can get multiple meals for under $1 out of a bag of dried beans. They also last longer in my pantry!
  3. Can it! I save a ton by canning my own veggies, fruits and sauces. Check yard sales and estate sales for bargain priced canning equipment. It is so worth it.
  4. Embrace Oatmeal. I love Quaker Oats because the old fashioned oatmeal is cheap, full of fiber, and filling. I am loving it even more since I started baking it. Check out my apple and cinnamon baked oatmeal recipe here.
  5. U-Pick. Without the cost of labor, food is cheaper... and can be fun for the kids... to pick yourself. Our farm offers fruit like cherries, strawberries and cane berries at a fraction of the picked cost. Which is still less than in the store!
  6. Freeze Away. Right now you can probably buy a box of corn for a song. If you shop at your local farm stands you can get an even better deal. We freeze enough corn for the year. It saves me quite a bit throughout the year.
  7. Farm Stands. Do you know what is available in your area? Ask around. Even at a Farmer's Market you will find people with things to sell on other days of the week. They might even know someone with a surplus of what you are looking for. Get to know your local growing community, support them and enjoy produce at bargain prices. Sometimes there is a markup for having a booth at the Farmer's Market, so you might be able to do even better with the same quality.
  8. Buy Ingredients. The less times a product is touched the less it costs. The only investment you need to make is time. If the bottom dollar is the issue, thisqs one trade-off you can make.
  9. Simplify! Sometimes less is more... but definitely costs less. Instead of making a sauce, use some simple herbs. Steam, poach and broil to preserve flavor and keep things simple and healthy.
  10.  Start a Garden! Even when we lived in an apartment with no yard, I had a mini container garden. You can use anything as a pot, and even if you can only grow herbs, that can cut your food costs down and add flavor to your healthy foods. We used a rain gutter to grow lettuce and baby greens and had a few pots with tomatoes and various herbs. Now I have a yard and have expanded. Just utilize what you have. Seeds are inexpensive and the activity can be a lot of fun to do with your children.
I am happy to be able to link up. We are currently enjoying our family vacation at PKU Family Camp and I will be posting my weight when we get back this week.


MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Go Sport ID. Two blogging carnival participants will receive a Go Sport ID Inspire bracelet. Answer the following question in your blog post and link back to the Go Sport ID website. Link up your post here.

Question: What safety precautions do you take with your workouts?  Any special equipment when working out outdoors?

I use RunKeeper on my cell phone when I walk or run. My droid has GPS enabled so my DH always knows where I am. I tend to wear brightly colored clothing on my walks and don't usually run at night. We do have reflective sashes for walking in low visibility. I love that most of my clothing and running shoes also come with reflective strips.

This post is sponsored by Go Sport ID and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation.
Pin It

4 comments:

  1. Great tips. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Can you literally just wrap fresh produce and put it in the freezer? How long will it last? I'd love to freeze fruits, veggies and even meals, but I'm afraid of "ruining" something by just covering it and throwing it in the freezer...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erin, no... most veggies need to be prepped before freezing. The corn is blanched and packed in freezer containers. Check on each indiv. veggie before processing it. Fruit can generally be frozen whole. I prepare baking sheets lined with parchment and freeze berries in a single layer. This keeps them from sticking together once placed in a freezer bag. Best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I am sad that our local farmers market went away. It was so close to the house we would walk up there and get our fresh fruits and veggies. It was great. Sadly, even in our rural town it has gone away. How can I find other local farmers markets?

    ReplyDelete

I always love reading your comments and questions. Let me know what you thought about my recipe or post. Comments are currently being moderated due to spam-tastic recent postings. I'll have your comment up shortly. Thanks!