Debbie Smail looks for a good deal on chicken Wednesday evening at Queen’s Price Chopper in Paola. Smail buys in bulk and freezes extra food to take advantage of sale prices. (Photo by Catherine Odson / catherineodson@miconews.com)
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Tight times crimp healthy meal options
Nutritionists give recommendations for making the most of a food budget
By Catherine Odson And Terrie Cole, Staff Writers
Debbie Smail has had a lot of practice cooking for a crowd.
Each day, she prepares lunch for the children at her in-home day care, and on weekends, her family grills out at the lake.
Through the years, she has spent extra time at the grocery store looking for deals, and regularly buys foods in bulk, using her freezer to make everything last.
“I’m not a coupon shopper, but I definitely look for sales,” Smail said.
Georgiea Slyter of Paola has economized her entire life. She likes to stock up on specials and shop on a budget.
With everything going up, food prices are going to sting people who aren’t used to saving.
“It’s going to hit a lot of people hard because they don’t know how to save on other things,” Slyter said.
With food prices going up, preparing nutritious meals could become a challenge.
Nutritionists recommend looking for foods that have a lot of nourishing bang for the buck.
Foods that are nutrient-dense — including high fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals — will go further than calorie-dense foods, said Stacy Moser, Olathe Health Systems dietitian.
Spending extra time in the kitchen also can make a difference in trying to prepare healthy meals on a budget.
Packaged pasta and rice, while convenient, contain high amounts of sodium, Moser said. Buy whole-wheat pasta and brown rice in bulk, she said, and experiment with salt-free seasonings.
Moser recommends planning meals in advance and sticking to a list to ensure you buy things that can be entire meals, and not an unrelated smorgasbord of odds and ends.
Not shopping when you’re hungry also helps, said Diane Burnett, Miami County Extension agent.
Look at entire shelves of food, not just those at eye-level, she said. Buy fruits and vegetables in season, possibly at a local farmers market, and buy small quantities at the salad bar to eliminate waste, Burnett said.
Buying foods in bulk and looking for sales on expensive items such as meat also helps, she said.
Here are three dishes that can be made for $12 or less. Whole-wheat grains can be used in all of these recipes.
Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms
4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
Spices: Salt, pepper, lemon pepper, paprika
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with spices and place in a slow cooker. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low for six to eight hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles.
Baked Ziti Pasta
2 cups meat sauce
1/2 pound of small tubular pasta
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the meat sauce. Prepare pasta according to the package directions and drain. Mix the pasta into the meat sauce and pour into an 8-inch-by-8-inch pan. Top with mozzarella and then Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for five more minutes.
Couscous with Chicken and Broccoli
1 cup dry couscous
1 pound grilled chicken breast
One 16-ounce bag frozen broccoli
Mozzarella cheese
Cook the couscous according to package directions. Separate into four bowls. Dice the chicken. Steam the broccoli, and add both the chicken and broccoli to the bowls. Top with mozzarella cheese.
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Each day, she prepares lunch for the children at her in-home day care, and on weekends, her family grills out at the lake.
Through the years, she has spent extra time at the grocery store looking for deals, and regularly buys foods in bulk, using her freezer to make everything last.
“I’m not a coupon shopper, but I definitely look for sales,” Smail said.
Georgiea Slyter of Paola has economized her entire life. She likes to stock up on specials and shop on a budget.
With everything going up, food prices are going to sting people who aren’t used to saving.
“It’s going to hit a lot of people hard because they don’t know how to save on other things,” Slyter said.
With food prices going up, preparing nutritious meals could become a challenge.
Nutritionists recommend looking for foods that have a lot of nourishing bang for the buck.
Foods that are nutrient-dense — including high fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals — will go further than calorie-dense foods, said Stacy Moser, Olathe Health Systems dietitian.
Spending extra time in the kitchen also can make a difference in trying to prepare healthy meals on a budget.
Packaged pasta and rice, while convenient, contain high amounts of sodium, Moser said. Buy whole-wheat pasta and brown rice in bulk, she said, and experiment with salt-free seasonings.
Moser recommends planning meals in advance and sticking to a list to ensure you buy things that can be entire meals, and not an unrelated smorgasbord of odds and ends.
Not shopping when you’re hungry also helps, said Diane Burnett, Miami County Extension agent.
Look at entire shelves of food, not just those at eye-level, she said. Buy fruits and vegetables in season, possibly at a local farmers market, and buy small quantities at the salad bar to eliminate waste, Burnett said.
Buying foods in bulk and looking for sales on expensive items such as meat also helps, she said.
Here are three dishes that can be made for $12 or less. Whole-wheat grains can be used in all of these recipes.
Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms
4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
Spices: Salt, pepper, lemon pepper, paprika
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with spices and place in a slow cooker. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low for six to eight hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles.
Baked Ziti Pasta
2 cups meat sauce
1/2 pound of small tubular pasta
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the meat sauce. Prepare pasta according to the package directions and drain. Mix the pasta into the meat sauce and pour into an 8-inch-by-8-inch pan. Top with mozzarella and then Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for five more minutes.
Couscous with Chicken and Broccoli
1 cup dry couscous
1 pound grilled chicken breast
One 16-ounce bag frozen broccoli
Mozzarella cheese
Cook the couscous according to package directions. Separate into four bowls. Dice the chicken. Steam the broccoli, and add both the chicken and broccoli to the bowls. Top with mozzarella cheese.