by happyalyssa » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:50 pm
Welcome Rondy!
I, also, try to stick to a fairly small budget. Buying dried beans & lentils and grains in bulk or large packages saves a lot of money. The dried beans take a bit more planning since you have to soak them overnight but if you're looking to reduce cost, it is a great way to go. Also, keep in mind silly little things like...when I shop bulk, I used to get a mixture of brown & wild rice (I really like the taste combination) but after a while I realized it was cheaper for me to buy brown rice & wild rice seperately, then just mix it together myself.
Over all, you should find you're spending less than the Standard American Diet since cheese and meat are so expensive. The occasional tofu or exotic fruit shouldn't even come close to the old grocery bill.
Also, you can find ways to incorporate your leftovers into new meals. I had some leftover quinoa today after lunch that I plan on adding to a veggie soup later this week. I save the trimmings from all the vegetables I use (peels, celery leaves, kale stems, etc) and make stock out of it.
I find that cooking this way does tend to require more time in the kitchen than the old way of eating. You can't just go there and pop a frozen mac & cheese in the oven, but with a little planning you'll find lots of shortcuts you can do. One of the best suggestions I read was to make large batches of food & then freeze & reheat at will.
In the meantime, things like whole wheat pita bread & veggies with a drizzle of fat free/dairy free dressing & a piece of fruit can be a good quick meal along with the other wonderful suggestions here.
Hope to see you around,
Alyssa
Start date: January 1, 2007
23 lbs lost...32 to go!