Guest post from Tammy of Skinny Mom’s Kitchen
I was inspired to write this article after reading Crystal’s guest post 8 Tips for Feeding Your Family Whole Foods on a Budget over at Heavenly Homemakers.
Over a year ago, I made the commitment to start feeding my family of four healthier minimally processed foods. This decision was based on my increased food and nutrition knowledge as well as the desire to lose weight.
As I expected, I began to lose weight–40 pounds to be exact! However, the unexpected surprise was the decrease in my grocery bill.
Prior to adopting a healthier whole foods lifestyle our grocery budget was on average $800-$900 a month–and sometimes more. Additionally, we would spend another $200 a month on take-out.
Today, since increasing the amount of whole foods and decreasing prepackaged process foods we buy, we are spending $300-$400 in groceries and $50 in take-out a month. That is more than a 50% savings!
Not only are we eating better but we are saving money too! Who knew?
I also want to point out that I never use coupons. I tried a couple times but failed miserably. My grocery savings has been solely based on cooking more wholesome nutrition foods at home. Of course, I do purchase some processed foods, but for the most part I try to prepare most of our food from scratch.
Before I go over my tips I want to quickly demystify the concept of whole foods. According to Wikipedia, “whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined or processed and refined as little as possible”.
A lot of times, because we think too much into it, we become overwhelmed trying to visualize how to move towards this lifestyle. However, adopting a healthier whole foods diet can be as simple as baking cookies instead of buying prepackaged, making homemade pizza instead of ordering out, or eating brown rice instead of instant white.
It is likely that you may already be moving towards a whole food diet without even realizing it. Of course there is more to it, but even the simplest changes can have increased health and money-saving benefits.
In addition to the eight tips that Crystal offered I would like to give a few more that I have used to make whole foods affordable:
Bulk up your ground beef with rice, bulgur, and/or beans.
I prefer to purchase grass-fed beef but it is expensive compared to its counterpart. We are talking $5 or more a pound! So to stretch it a little further, I always add in grains or beans.
For example, when I make taco meat, I use one pound of meat, one cup of cooked bulgur, and two cups of cooked black beans. This little trick typically provides our family of four with two full taco dinners.
Prepare your own baked goods.
Do you know what you can bake with a 5-pound bag of flour (white, wheat, or flour of choice)? Well a 5-pound bag, costs around $3-$5, and will yield 20 cups of flour. Therefore, using basic recipes, with 20 cups of flour I can make either 6-7 loaves of bread, 10 quick breads, 10 pizza doughs, 120 muffins, 144 chocolate chip cookies, 150 pancakes, or a little of everything.
Of course you will also need sugar, butter, oil, and other basic ingredients. However, even with all the ingredients the savings compared to buying everything prepackage is significant.
For example, a prepackaged loaf of whole grain bread can easily cost over $3 adding up to $18-$21 just in bread. Greater than the savings is the nutritional value of the food. When you take control of preparing the foods your family eats, you are controlling the ingredients and ultimately the quality of the food.
Use small kitchen appliances to make cooking from scratch easier.
Many people think that it is impossible to cook from scratch. I am here to tell you that not only is it possible but much easier than you think, especially with a few nifty small appliances. I use my slow cooker, rice cooker, and bread machine weekly to prepare a number of recipes from scratch.
For example, beans, shredded chicken, sauces, large batches of brown rice, honey wheat bread, and pizza dough are all foods I am able to make regularly because of these small appliances.
Keep a grocery cost spreadsheet.
Admittedly, I did not do this at first. When I finally did implement this approach I saw a huge difference in my grocery savings. As with everything, just knowing what you spend is half the battle. Basically, a grocery cost spreadsheet lists out the foods you purchase along with the price. This spreadsheet is most effective when referred to as you put your grocery list together. That way you can figure out almost exactly what you are going to spend beforehand.
To start my spreadsheet, I used old grocery receipts to locate prices of the items I purchase regularly. Then I would continue to increase the list by jotting down prices as I grocery shopped. Before I knew it I had put together a spreadsheet filled with the prices of many different grocery items.
Of course prices change and you may want to try new things but it will give you a starting point to work with before you shop. There has been many times, after referring to my spreadsheet that I needed to make changes to my menu plan because I was going to be over budget.
Combine menu planning with make-ahead meals and freezer cooking.
In my experience, this has been the cornerstone to affording whole foods. All three of these concepts alone are effective in reducing stress, saving money, and eating healthier. However, when intentionally used together these three tools will provide even greater benefits. Think of it is this way.
Menu planning provides the road map for what you will eat and the ingredients to purchase. Make ahead meals and freezer cooking are the vehicles and fuel to help you get to your destination (affording a whole foods diet). It is much easier to eat healthy whole foods when they are already prepared and ready to eat. Not to mention you will also save money by reducing food waste because every food and ingredient you purchase will have an intended purpose.
The last bit of advice I can give is to start small, slowly make changes, and don’t put pressure on yourself. You are the only one that knows what is best for your family and budget.
How do you eat whole foods on a budget?
Tammy, the author of Skinny Mom’s Kitchen, is dedicated to helping busy moms eat healthier and lose weight by teaching them how to combine calorie awareness with menu planning, freezer cooking, and other make ahead cooking strategies. She loves showing others how easy, and affordable, it is to serve their family healthy nutritious meals everyday.
Liz says
Can I ask one of you – how do use a breadmaker exactly and are there any models you recommend? can i used it for more than bread – pizza dough, muffins, or just different breads? really want to start making my own baked goods and i’d appreciate any help I can get.. i was considering the book 5 minutes to artisan bread but assumed I didn’t need a machine… thoughts? thanks in advance! Liz
Amy says
My SIL was given a bread machine and one of the 5 Minutes for bread books by a friend, and she has never used her bread machine because she loves the 5 Minutes recipes so much. I would try out one of those books first, since it will cost you so much less, and then decide if you also want and would use a bread machine. I have a bread machine and use it weekly or more, mainly for breads, but you can use the dough cycle and make rolls, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, etc. I use Crystal’s pizza dough recipe, which takes 5 minutes and does not require a bread machine or mixer. Muffins and quick breads do not need to rise, so you would not use a bread machine for those.
Susan (FrugaLouis) says
Great Post! I love the concept of the price spreadsheet to help in menu planning and staying in budget!
Jessica says
I’m a bit late, but I just want to add I love Tammy’s blog. I’ve never met her, but I find it very realistic for my life. She works full time outside the house and has 2 young kids and she’s lost 40 lbs. Those are all things I’ve struggled with or am struggling with. It’s a relief to find foods that are wholesome, quick, good for you, easy to put together quickly and my family will eat! There was a time when I had 15 minutes to get dinner on the table before toddlers melted down. I could have used Tammy then!
Emilie says
I own a bread machine….it sits (lives) in the basement on a shelf. I kind of forgot about it 🙁 Thank you for the reminder! It will come out today!
I LOVE homemade bread….does anyone have a good, easy recipe for rainsin/cinnmon bread for a bread machine?
Karen says
The one Crystal has in her recipe section here is delicious.
Jessica Fritz says
We have a produce co-op in our town and many small towns close to where we live and it is a life saver. We get a huge bag of fresh in season produce for $23 and it usually lasts our family of 5 for 2 weeks. (We order the basket every 2 weeks). It has also gotten us to eat different foods than we would normally have if I bought it all in the store. We usually get up to 6 or 7 different fruits and veggies in one basket.
We also go through our local butchers for most of our meat. We will by a whole hog or 1/4 of a cow all the time. The cost is a lot up front, but is worth it in the end. It is all fresh meat with no processed fillers and it tastes so much better than store bought. People tell us all the time how good our food is when they come to visit! A whole hog was around $270 the last time and lasts up to 6 months. The other great thing about it is that you always have meat in the freezer. The beef is all lean and hardly has any grease in the pan after cooking. You can just call and ask any local butchering plant if you can buy meat directly from them this way and they will walk you through how to order. Most of them get the animals from local farmers so you are helping local farmers and getting the lowest fat and healthiest cuts of meat possible.
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
My husband and I talk about purchase whole hogs and cows all the time. I know it would really help with meat costs. We just need to do it 🙂
Jessica Fritz says
If you find a good place to supply it, you will not regret it I promise! We usually do one animal every 3 months or so.
Angela Faust says
Excellent advice. Don’t forget to “like” your favorite grocery stores on facebook… Whole Foods and others post sales weekly. We’ve scored some great deals on healthy fresh food that way.
Regarding growing one’s own food, it’s a great way to save money, teach kids about food and ensure freshness and quality.
I live in the city, in my small space I’ve grown many things. Things that have done well in containers on a sunny deck: tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, eggplant, herbs, spinach. Even better if you can carve out some space in your yard for a raised bed… we’ve done great growing our own beans, carrots, cucumbers, celery root, cabbage, leeks, beets, swiss chard, heirloom tomatoes, and many types of herbs.
Betsy says
I don’t find whole foods cheaper. Better, healthier, adn what I want to feed my family….absolutely. But, cheaper…not really for us. I work hard to keep our budget at $400 for a family of 5. When we ate more processed stuff (canned biscuits on a regular basis, say), I could do it for $300.
For instance, we eat organic steel cut oats that I buy in bulk. But, with coupons and sales, I could probably get Quaker instant cheaper, and use less energy in making it. Fruit, even in season, is always going to be more expensive than pop-tarts. White bread is cheaper than whole wheat. Stuff like that.
There are ways to save money so that it’s not SO expensive, but i don’t think it’s ever cheaper than a more processed diet.
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
I know what you mean about the cost of food. For us, we have found that we eat less now that we eat whole foods. When we ate processed food, my husband was always hungry soon after a meal and had to eat more just to fill satisfied, but now neither of us eat as much because our bodies are consuming more nutrients in what we do it. That is one way we have saved.
Kenedi - Real Food Whole Life says
I agree with Holly….we find that we are satisfied with less. The foods we are eating fulfill our nutrient needs. We also view it as an investment, Yes, the food may cost more sometimes, but I’m spending less gas driving to the pediatrician, less on co-pays, prescriptions, etc. I have a blog coming out on Monday at my site with much more on this topic: 10 Tips for Making Real Food Affordable.
Betsy says
Yes, we do find that we are satisfied with less. But, for my family, “less” might mean 1/2 lb of $7 grass fed beef versus the before of 1 lb of $2 regular beef.
My kids don’t really know less, either. The other morning, the 3 of them finished 9 bananas in an hour. So, perhaps it would have taken 20 poptarts? Maybe. 🙂
All that to say…I’m 100% for whole foods. 100%. I just think that we do a disservice when we say, “it’s so much cheaper!” Box mac and cheese is always going to be cheaper than the real stuff. Better? Um, no. But, cheaper, yes. In the long run, it is absolutely worth it in terms of health. I just like to preach that…we spend a little more now, so that we don’t have to spend more later. There is value in investing in our health. And I’m not using this as an excuse–I spend $400 on a family of 5. I work hard on my budget, and I’m commited to whole foods. It’s just not as easy as “switch to whole foods, and you’ll save 1/2 of your grocery budget!”
Momof5 says
Betsy, knocking those cheap canned biscuits out of our diet was a huge challenge! But think dried lentils and beans, rice in bulk, stock made from vegetable scraps or chicken/beef bones, etc. The hardest part for us was getting enough of a storehouse that we could phase the inexpensive processed foods out. Plus whole foods help you feel full longer; when my kids grab a pop-tart for breakfast (at Grandma’s :)) they need 2 more meals before lunch. Steel cut oats with milk, applesauce, peanut butter, etc. stirred in will keep them going until lunch with much less difficulty.
We’re not able to be quite as frugal as you are (4 teenagers at home, 2 with anemia who crave red meat EVERY day), but bulk purchases cut our costs significantly – that includes the beef, by the way, a whole cow from a local rancher almost every year. Good luck!
ksenia says
I agree. Most of the food we eat is unprocessed, we get all organic meat, and milk that is only flash pasteurized (not homogenized) and comes in glass jars. I’m less picky with produce. It is very challenging to keep our food budget under $400. Buying any wholesome “snacks” or eating out totally puts us over. So I often feel like although we have a lot of food ingredients, it takes a lot of work to actually have easily accessible food. Processed, junky, packaged foods are not an option.
The Prudent Homemaker says
I always find oats to be cheaper in bulk. I just bought 50 pounds of rolled oats for just under $31 at the beginning of this month.
Homemade bread is a lot less. You can buy wheat in bulk and grind your own, if you prefer whole wheat, or buy white flour in bulk, if that’s what you like. We use some of both.
I’ve never seen Poptarts to be cheaper than fruit (oranges 6 lbs for .98, anyone?).
You must have double coupons in your area. We do not.
I feed my family of 8 for $100 or less a month. Organic is out of our budget (those oats I bought at the begining of the month are all we can buy this month), but we eat fruits and vegetables, and make bread. I think processed food is VERY expensive.
Heather says
I’ve never seen oranges (or other fruit) that cheap! Wow! Around here, some stores sell them for $1 EACH. But in the fall I can get a bushel of apples for about 20 cents a lb. Otherwise, $1 per lb is my target price.
Emily says
I have to agree with you Betsy. I had to increase my food budget to $100/month more when I decided to start purchasing mainly organic produce and as much organic dairy as I could (though I guess that’s not really the same as whole foods). I never bought much processed food to begin with, other than the breads and cereals I buy. I had to increase my grocery budget to $600/month for my family of 4. However, I don’t make a lot of things from scratch, where I suppose we could cut down our costs if I did things like make our bread from scratch (we go through at least 2 loaves per week). I’m inspired by this post though, to think about trying some things from scratch. I’ve checked out Tammy’s blog and I like a lot of the recipes I see. I may just have to try making bread from scratch soon!
Joan says
Any money saving tips for large families (9 kids) who want to eat only whole foods but who are also eliminating wheat and most other grains as well? One of our kids is a type 1 diabetic so we are moving towards a lower carb, grain-free (esp. wheat-free), legume-free, diet for the whole family. I am AMAZED at how much more energy I have not eating grains (and I was a very “healthy” eater to begin with and thought I had tons of energy compared to others). It is so expensive, however. We do eat dairy which helps a bit, but I would sure love to hear from others who are trying to do this on a budget.
Andrea says
It sounds like you’re moving towards a “paleo” diet, which is I think is expensive any way you do it.
Do you garden? Can you buy in bulk through a food co-op such as Azure Standard? Can you buy direct from farms?
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Jen I have also found a new love in brussel sprouts!! Have you tried roasting them in balsamic vinegar? YUM!
JenK says
Good post and great tips from readers! We have been trying to eat more whole and healthy foods lately, and we have found a few unexpected changes. First, we have been shopping at a local farmers’ market every weekend for our produce, and the difference in taste is incredible. I’m sad when I have to pick up food from the grocery store now. The produce is more expensive, but it tastes so good that veggies have moved from a minor side dish to the main parts of our meals. (And I have discovered that I absolutely LOVE Brussels sprouts–I cannot get enough of them!) As a corollary to this, we’ve become almost vegetarians. We have been enjoying the veggies, whole grains, and beans so much that meat is an afterthought. I use chicken maybe once or twice a week, and I can’t even tell you the last time I bought beef–talk about a budget saver! Even though we are spending more on produce, I haven’t really seen an increase in our overall budget because we are cutting out those expensive meats. (Also, we just moved to California, where everything is more expensive, so it’s hard to judge the effects of these two major shopping changes that both happened at once.) Really, my favorite part of this is the flavor. Fresh, local, in-season produce is so much better than produce that is shipped to the grocery stores.
Andrea says
It is cheaper for me to buy local, grass-fed beef than it is to buy organic chicken at the grocery store.
KB says
Whole Foods makes couponing pretty easy.
1.They put out a book of coupons “Whole Deals” every few months. (when the new books come out the old coupons are usually good for another month so check the expiration dates before tossing them.) I only go twice a month so I usually pick up several each trip so that I always have them when I need them.
2.You can use the Whole Deals coupons and stack them with manufactuer coupons.
3.There is no limit to how many of each coupon you can use.
4. There is a 10% discount if you buy a case of one item.
*On my last visit I spent $75.00 and saved $91.00 by using coupons.
I’ll admit it takes some of your time to learn what system of couponing works for you, but I started couponing in July and have already cut our monthly grocery bill in half, and I don’t buy junk.
I encourage you to join the many blogs and facebook pages available on the internet to help you learn.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons/ (Their book coupons scan better than the internet ones)
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
These are great tips thank you! I really need to learn the art of couponing.
Emily says
I’ve stacked coupons at Whole Foods before too. I’ve purchased Muir Glen canned tomato products for my spaghetti sauce for less than generic ones at other stores would cost me.
Chantell Fenner says
Don’t forget about the amazing Dehydrators! Apple slices keep for forever in ziplocs and they taste super sweet if you sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on them as they are drying. Such good tips. I love the wealth of the Titus 2 mentality on this post. Ya’ll are a blessing!
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Yes I need to get a dehydrator! That is next on my list 🙂
Catherine says
I must admit, I am a baker and wholefood eater but do like having convienence food on hand for those times when we need something quick and easy to make to avoid getting takeout. Also, has anyone tried the book “Artisian Bread in 5 minutes a Day?” It really does make bread making much easier for those who don’t have a bread machine or a day to bake bread from scratch.
Dawn says
Love that book and the bread. Great taste and easy once you get the dough prepped and in the fridge.
Jessi says
To the first point, we started grinding our own hamburger meat with a hand-crank grinder. After I hear how ground beef is made, I decided I would never feed it to my family again! (They “wash” leftover parts of the cow in amoenia, grind it up and use it as filler). Of course buying a cut of meat may not be cheaper than buying ground beef, but sometimes it can be. Particularly if that cut is on sale and the ground beef is not! Then I just grind it, and freeze it for later.
Heather says
My husband looks for the stew meat that is always on sale and just grinds that. It is usually pretty cheap. We are lucky because grandpa hunts and so we mix it with free elk meat to make it go farther and we know there are not hormones or other things in that because we process the meat ourselves.
Anna @ Feminine Adventures says
Wonderful tips! I agree, eating whole foods can be cheaper than buying processed (and definitely saves in health costs in the long run)
I also have a target price for optional purchases. For example, we eat lots of salad. Purchase in-season lettuce (or grow your own) What toppings we use change. I have a target price for toppings: 50 cents. Sometimes it’s a pepper , sometimes cucumber, sometimes just carrots. Usually a mix. Whatever is in season is generally cheapest. The salad is always different, but still healthy.
Mackenzie @ The Random Path says
I’m trying to eat more healthy and your tips are awesome! I really want to learn how to make my own bread and pizza since we eat a lot of those things.
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
We love homemade pizza! Here is a crust recipe that is WONDERFUL and very hard to mess up, doesn’t need a lot of rise time, fairly simple: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2007/11/tuesday-recipes-pizza-crust.html
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
Here is our favorite quick & easy pizza crust recipe. My hubby says it’s the best pizza crust he’s ever had, lol. http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2007/11/tuesday-recipes-pizza-crust.html
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
I have very easy recipes for bread, pizza dough, and other baked goods on my site.
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
Tammy, thank you for this excellent post! I bought 30 lbs of organic black beans and $25 lbs of organic basmati jasmine rice last month through Azure Standard and have been using them in almost every meal lately. A little goes a long way, especially for my hungry, meat loving husband! There are so many ways to use those ingredients as fillers in our main meals without having to sacrifice the quality of taste! Also, I like your idea of a pricebook/spreadsheet! I had started a pricebook at the beginning of last year (per MSM advice), but then switched to a whole foods lifestyle for my family and then most of that pricebook was irrelevant. I need to start a new one! Thanks again!
Heather says
Great article. I also really believe that eating better saves money.
Heather says
My sister in law and I were just talking about this the other day. Granted she lives in Boulder where food is jaw dropping expensive but to cut her cost she does a garden co-op and she buys meat right from the guy who “grows” it. I am amazed at how much she saves by doing those two things. Plus her kids get to try alot of new things. What comes in the produce box is what they eat. We are trying to find a co-op this year. I would love to garden but we are not allowed to where we rent.
We started baking all our own baked goods a few years ago and my kids won’t even touch store bought bread. We have the cost of whole wheat bread down to 38 cents a loaf. I used to buy it for a little over $3.oo a loaf.
the other thing about whole food is how much do people who eat whole food save on medical bills? Seems when we started making everything we could from stratch the kids were less sick. We only go to the doc for the yearly check up.
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
Do you have a patio, deck, porch or balcony where you rent? A lot of veggies can be planted in plastic tub gardens or other types of boxes/pots if the issue is that your landlord doesn’t want you digging in their dirt. These types of gardens are sometimes easier, too, from what I’ve read!
Amanda says
Has anyone tried this? I am considering starting a few items in pots, but I am not sure what will grow successfully.
Jessica says
My favorites are grape or cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. I do them all in pots. The lettuce, if you get a variety of colors, is quite pretty!
Melody @ Making Doing Living says
And you can’t go wrong with herbs in pots – this works wonderfully even if it’s shady. And you can keep benefiting from the same plants all year – even into the winter.
Wendy Jahns says
Hi Heather,
I really want to start baking our own bread. Would you kindly share your Wheat bread recipe? I’m trying diff. recipes and nothing works to get my family liking home made bread like your family.
Have a great day!
Kelli @Taste & See says
In case Heather doesn’t see this comment, I thought I’d share mine if you’re interested. I’ve been making bread for awhile with this recipe, and my family loves it.
http://psalms34verse8.blogspot.com/2011/03/whole-wheat-bread-recipe.html
Also, since you were talking about co-ops above, I thought I would mention this too – I didn’t have a lot of success finding a co-op (maybe there are great ones nearby and I’m just missing them!), but I used http://www.eatwild.com to find a local farmer to buy grass-fed beef from, and it’s been great. I was careful to find one that sold cows in quarters/halves/wholes (instead of packages of different cuts) because it was much, much cheaper.
Love this post, love this topic!
Heather says
Kelli I went and checked out your bread and yummmmy. I may have to try and find the ingredients for that. The one I used was because all the things were avaliable when we lived in a tiny town. The closest Wal mart was 40 mins away. Does that happen in America any more. Now that we are in the “big city” and have one close I will look for those things. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy Jahns says
Kelli, Thank you for sharing your recipe. You are so sweet!
Heather says
okay here is the one I use. Sorry had to find it. We have been making it so long I forgot where to find it. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Wheat-Bread/
It turns out so good that half a losf usually is gone in the first 30 mins.
Wendy Jahns says
Thanks Heather, You are awesome 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Heather that is fantastic!!
Shelly Allen-Tucker says
Have you tried http://www.bountifulbaskets.org? I get most of my fresh fruits and veggies from them.
Heather says
Thank you for the suggestion of the container garden. Went and found a book at the library. The bread reciepe makes three loafs which is great for us because I have 4 kids. I only bake it once a week.Let me find the link for it and I will post it. I think this is why I love this site. everyone is so helpful and encouraging. Thanks Guys.
Heather says
Thanks for that link. I think last year the closetest one to us was aobut 1 hour but it looks like they have added more.
Amanda says
Question: I too love whole foods, vegetables in particular (I am a vegetarian). But how do you keep veggies from being wasted? Do any veggies freeze well, if you chop them in advance? If so, how? Also, if you cook them in recipes, do the recipes freeze well? Please help! Desperately need knowledge regarding veggies/freezers! Thus far, I buy my vegetables over the weekend, stick them in the fridge, use what I can when I get around to it, and toss what rots by the end of the week… what a waste! If it helps to know, I usually buy carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and occasionally, green beans or zucchini. It might also help (me) to know how to make veggies stay fresh in the fridge longer… thank you to all who can answer these questions.
Amanda says
I forgot to add that I also purchase bell peppers.
Emily says
One thing you could do is cook and puree the veggies and then stick the purees in the freezer. There are a couple cookbooks out there that sneak veggie and fruit purees into regular recipes. I use Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook called “Deceptively Delicious” (and she has a second one out now too). There are some great recipes in it. Now, if I have extra veggies that we can’t consume before they’re wasted, I’ll just steam and puree them, then stick the puree in the freezer for later use in one of her recipes.
Heather says
Most of those will freeze nice. We picked an overabundance of carrots, green beans, onions and bell peppers this year at the farm and just cut and froze all of them. A tip that my husband found is if you freeze them in a single layer they do better without getting frozen together. Also try cooking up big batches of soup. That would freeze well also. The only thing I have not been able to freeze well has been anything in the squash family. They always defrost mushy for me.
Mickie says
I usually make vegetable-rice”soup” (it is really more like a veggie stew) out of my left over veggies at the end of the week. I use some of the exact veggies you use (onions, carrots, celery, potatoes) and use a can of diced tomatoes (if I have that on hand, if not I add some tumeric for color) and then add brown rice. It freezes well also. With the cauliflower and broccoli, I make a gabanzo beans curry and add the veggies. You can freeze this one also, but I found that the broccoli tends to get soggy if it is cooked too much before freezing. HTH!
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
Oh, honey! Save your money & save the veggies! 🙂
Carrots: wash, chop & freeze in a ziploc for cooking with later & they also keep in the refrigerator for around a month
Onions: peel, chop & freeze in a ziploc for cooking with later & they keep in a cold place for weeks and weeks
Celery: wash, chop & freeze in a ziploc
Potatoes: store in a cool, dark area to keep them lasting for weeks, can be sliced & frozen in a ziploc for later use in potato soup
Broccoli: wash, chop, blanch, and freeze in a ziploc
Cauliflower: wash, chop, blanch, and freeze in a ziploc
Green Beans: wash & freeze in a ziploc
Zucchini: this one I haven’t tried freezing
Basically, any veggie that you would find in the freezer section of the grocery store (most you mentioned here) can be frozen in plastic baggies and kept in the freezer for months. They won’t retain the same raw veggie fresh taste, but will be marvelously nourishing & flavorful for homemade soup later. Save your chicken bones to make homemade chicken stock (super easy in the crockpot overnight) and you’re good to go. Also, you can save the veggies pieces you might not normally eat (like the tips of carrots, the inner part of the celery stalk, etc.) in a ziploc bag in the freezer and then add them to the pot when you make your homemade chicken stock. Great way to get the most health for your money!
Amanda says
Wow, you are really good at this!!! Thank you so much for your thorough response; I’ve actually just learned a lot. My mother was amazing in so many ways, but she did not teach me to cook! I am 33 now, and it’s taken me a long time to figure out the few recipes I have learned and gotten good at… but I am embarrassed to say that I am still pretty clueless in the kitchen. So, thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions.
Andrea says
Get a copy of the Blue Book by Ball. It tells you how to freeze and preserve a ton of different foods.
ISBN-10: 0972753702
ISBN-13: 978-0972753708
I’ve seen the book at Wal-Mart and grocery stores, or check your library. It’s been in print for decades (and updated a few times), so you might find one at a used book store.
Amanda says
Do you have to thaw the veggies before you put them in soups (or whatever you are making), or use them frozen?
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
I don’t thaw my veggies before putting them in soups since I use a slow cooker most of the time, I just throw all of my ingredients in the crockpot and put it on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Also, dry your veggies with a towel before you ziploc and freeze them.
My mom didn’t teach me to cook either, I’ve just learned a lot through reading and experimenting in the kitchen. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do! Glad I could help! 🙂
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
Amanda, you inspired me to write a post about making soup on my blog today. Check it out: http://www.faithfulwomanhood.com/2012/01/10-minute-stew-aka-how-to-make-amazing.html
Mickie says
One more thing, I found that zucchini doesn’t freeze well. But you can make zucchinni bread, wrap it with some foil and plastic wrap, stick it in a ziploc and freeze it.
Amanda says
Have you got a good and easy zucchini bread recipe? Also, for how long can you freeze it? Thanks!
Mickie says
I use dairy-free, egg-free recipe by Food Allergy Mama due to allergies in our home. It freezes well and tastes great!
Here is the link:
http://www.foodallergymama.com/2009/01/04/dairy-egg-and-nut-free-zucchini-bread/
Kelli @Taste & See says
I don’t always have room in my freezer for whole loaves of zucchini bread, but I’ve found if I shred it ahead of time, I can thaw it and use it for bread later (and then I don’t care if it’s mushy!)
I also have sliced zucchini and used it in stir-frys with no trouble. I don’t defrost it first, I just throw it into the stir-frys frozen. I do agree that it’s not usually great just steamed if it’s been frozen, but those are my two tips for zucchini!
Jen says
You can shred or puree the zucchini and freeze it. You don’t have to make the loaves ahead of time. It saves space rather than freezing the whole loaves. Just pull out the zucchini, defrost, then use in the bread. I’ve done it for years and love it. Works with pumpkin and butternut squash too, which I make into bread. My recipes can be found at http://thekitchenskitchen.blogspot.com
Andrea says
I’ve had no problems freezing zucchini for 3 to 5 months. I slice it lengthwise into quarters and then slice. It’s great in stir-fry, soup, chili or casseroles.
Amanda says
Thank you so, so much to all who answered. Your responses were very informative and helpful. I most certainly will put all your tips to good use! Thanks again.
Momof5 says
Amanda, good luck! Getting ahead of the veggies before they go bad is a big step. One other thing, though: if you’ve had spoilage, take a few minutes to empty your veggie drawer completely and wash it out with a mild bleach solution first. That way if there’s something in the fridge that’s speeding up the spoilage, you’ll be rid of it before the next batch of fresh stuff comes in contact with it. I’m no microbiologist so I don’t know details, but when our fresh stuff from the farmer’s market was spoiling ridiculously fast last summer, this helped.
One other trick I’ve learned is to freeze things in cupcake pans. They pop right out when they’re frozen so you can store them in ziplocs, they’re between 1/2 and 2/3 cup so it’s easier to know how much you’re putting in a dinner, and they’re so cute I’m tempted to use them often 🙂
Debbie says
Onions, celery, zucchini and bell peppers can all be chopped and frozen as is in freezer containers (bags or plastic containers) and should be used in cooked recipes (can’t thaw and eat as though they are fresh). Broccoli, cauliflower and carrots can be blanched in hot water for a couple of minutes, drained and then frozen and used as above. Green beans can be blanched for a couple of minutes and then frozen in their blanching water. Your potatoes should last much longer than a week and should be kept away from your onions. Both should be kept in a cool space. Potatoes should not be refrigerated. Hope that helps.
Andrea says
Also, keep the potatoes in the dark.
Emily says
One more thing, regarding getting veggies to stay fresh longer in the fridge. I have these containers made by Rubbermaid (I think) called Produce Savers. They can be bought at Target, Meijer, Walmart, etc. (probably even your grocery store). They are made to keep fresh produce lasting longer. Tupperware also makes a similar type of container, and I’ve also seen green bags designed to do the same. The ones I have work pretty good, especially in the summer with fresh berries. They’re not too expensive…..just might be worth it to give them a try if you are ending up throwing a lot of produce away.
Carolyn says
I have the produce savers by rubbermaid and love them! They work even better with a paper towel placed at the bottom of the container. I love putting my fresh spinach leaves in them. And they definitely extend the life of my berries in the summer!!
Sakura says
I store my fresh veggies in snap ware containers in the drawer. This keeps everything separated and prepped. When the weeks over I either make soup or stew, or I dehydrate. You can dehydrate almost any fruit or veggie and I think they work well when you rehydrate and use them. I dehydrate all summer long and in the winter when I find an awesome deal I dehydrate. In november I found a 25 lb. bag of onions for $2, awesome deal. I blanched and chopped 90% of it and dehydrated it. When I run low I’ll look for more.
Jessica says
Eat seasonally. In the winter, we mostly have apples and bananas with the occasional pack of strawberries on sale.
Pick and choose your organics carefully. Just because it says “organic” does not mean it is any better for you.
My DH and DD are extraordinarily picky and detect the smallest bit of onion or tomato and would never go for “weird” grains mixed into their meat. So we don’t use meat as a main dish. I also buy a 1/4 beef twice a year from my uncle who raises grassfed, organic beef. And, we get venison from my dad who is a hunter.
And just because something is “processed” does not mean it is evil. Fruit leather is processed. Raisins are processed. Pretty much everything you eat that is not exactly as it started, is processed. There is a huge difference in processing grapes into raisins and thereby having “processed” foods in your diet, than eating Velveeta and Spam!!!
Amanda says
Anyone know which fruits are in season during each season?
Jen says
It depends upon where you live. What’s in season in Maine is different than what’s in season in Arizona, for example. Here is a helpful link to find out what’s in season when: http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/
Heather says
Totally depends on where you live in the world. Ask the locals, especially farmers.
Here in VA (which is similar to much of the U.S.):
Winter: citrus (shipped from FL), apples stored from the fall
Spring: Not much in early spring – leftovers from winter. Strawberries in late spring
Summer: Tons! Peaches, cherries, nectarines, watermelons, cantaloupes, blueberries, plums, and much more
Fall: Pears, apples
I buy bananas and grapes year round to fill in the gaps – they’re shipped in, but quality and price seems to consistent year round.
Andrea says
Spring: lettuce, asparagus, spinach, dandelion greens, radishes, peas, rhubarb and chard
US grapes are in season mid-summer to mid-fall. Otherwise, they are shipped in from Chile/Peru
Kelli @Taste & See says
Haha -I read “Velveeta and Spam” and my stomach immediately flipped. What a change! I used to LOVE velveeta, but have been eating healthy, whole foods for years now, and just the thought makes my stomach turn now. The other argument I often hear is that the whole foods taste weird – but if my tastes can change that much, so can anyone else’s!
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
I completely agree! These extra tips are great!
Lisa says
Excellent advice. “Convenience” food is soooooo expensive in so many ways–mostly down the road in what it does to your health.
I’ve always taught my kids to eat more “God-made” food than “man-made so-called ‘food'” it pays off every time.
Amber @ SIMoneySavers says
We too have moved to a whole foods way of eating. Not to say that we never have processed for anymore however for the most part we are cooking basic meals from scratch. I still coupon when it comes to household products however I hardly use any coupons for food anymore. Yet I have found I have still been able to get my grocery budget in the same range I was spending when I was couponing heavily.
One of the things I have noticed by the change is that our cravings are changing. Eating whole foods we are wanting more whole foods and our sugar cravings have gone down tremendously.
We do set aside Friday night to get take out, go out to eat, etc…however we no longer seem to be able to eat as much as we would have previously when eating out.
I love all the extra tips and look forward to checking out the guest posters website. 🙂
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Hi Amber! I am so glad you found this helpful. I agree once you start eating more whole foods that is what you start to crave. Hope you liked my site 🙂
Amber @ SIMoneySavers says
Thanks Tammy! Definitely enjoying browsing your website. 🙂
JD says
Thanks for all the tips, I do cook mainly from scratch but will try to do the spreadsheet. I am finding products going up much faster in 2 or 3 weeks since the last time I purchased them. It is causing my food budge to rise and there really isn’t much more to take away. At least I don’t think so.
Andrea says
I have noticed prices going up lately, especially on dairy. The organic butter we like went up 70 cents per pound.
Kenedi - Real Food Whole Life says
I think that perhaps you’ve hit on one of the biggest myths about whole real foods…”it’s too expensive”. I get that comment all the time and as it turns out, it just isn’t true. The focus over at my blog this month is, helping newbies get started on real food. I actually have a post coming on the topic of money next week.
Emily says
Wow…..$5/lb for grass fed beef is super cheap. Where I live, we pay that for regular lean ground beef. Whole Foods is the only place I’ve found here that actually sells grass fed, and it costs almost $8/lb.
Emily says
Oops, this wasn’t supposed to be a reply to your comment Kenedi, just was supposed to be a regular comment.
Melissa says
Check the Weston Price website to find places where you can buy part of a cow, and maybe you can find beef for quite a bit less expensive. I hope you can!
Emily says
Thanks for the suggestion. I”ve never heard of that website…..going to go check it out right now.
Melissa says
localharvest.org is also a place to look.
Anna @ Feminine Adventures says
I would definitely check to see if there are local farmers that sell grass fed beef. We have a local farmer that sells grass fed, antibiotic-free beef for *less* than Walmart. I know that isn’t normal, but maybe if you found a good source farther away you could get together with friends and split a big order?
Andrea says
Agreed…buying direct from the farmer is often much cheaper!
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
I purchase mine from Wegman’s and it is $5. $8 is a lot! I have not bought from local farmers yet but that is next on my list.
Emily says
Oh how I miss Wegmans. I had one in the town I went to college in…..what a great store. Though I can’t complain. I have my fair share of choices where I live, with both a Trader Joe’s and 2 different Whole Foods to choose from.
Reagan says
We purchased 1/2 a cow of grass fed beef. Had it turned into cuts and ground beef. After butcher costs, it was a little less than $3 a lb. it’s a good option, from a local farmer, non- commercial cows without all the antibiotics. See if you can find this in your are!
Melissa says
Thank you for this post! I already do many of the suggestions, but one I don’t do is the price spreadsheet. I need to do that as I struggle to keep our groceries around $400 for our family of 5. We don’t use coupons because I am not good at it :o, we try to eat organic, and we have food intolerances to contend with. However, I don’t want to spend more than $400 a month. I think the spreadsheet will help. Thanks!
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
I love my spreadsheet! It does not have to be complicated just a sheet and paper with the items and price. It will help tremensously!
Kate says
I have also found that eating healthy has LOWERED our grocery expenses! Soda, chips, frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, and all those other “convenience” foods are super expensive! My husband can drink Crystal Light for 2 or 3 weeks on what it costs to buy a 12 pack of soda, we never miss the chips because they were just eaten “because they are there”, pizza crust from a mix + toppings is so much healthier and cheaper, and a package of quality chicken made into little baked chunks is always cheaper than a bag of the processed kind! I do live overseas where I can only shop at the commissary on base, but for us it is always cheaper to buy healthier! 🙂
Amanda says
What do you mean when you say “chicken made into little baked chunks?” My youngest is a nugget fiend; we keep a giant bag of nuggets from Costco in our freezer. I would really like to swap those out with homemade; however, the nuggets that “I” make and bake have never turned out exceptional. Have you got a recipe that tastes GOOD and stays crispy? Also, do you freeze them to have some available when needed? If so, how? After coating/baking? Thanks for any suggestions; the kitchen is not my strong point.
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
For chicken nuggets, try this recipe from Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers (her entire website is filled with amazing recipes, btw. I haven’t tried one I didn’t like yet!): http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/create-your-own-restaurant-fun
Amanda says
Thank you! I will check this out.
Jessica says
Tammy (the woman who wrote the post) also has a homemade chicken nugget recipe on her site. I haven’t made it yet, but it’s on my to do list!
Signed,
Also the mother of a chicken nugget fiend
Jorgiee says
Agreed!! Heavenly homemakers has great recipes! My family loves her ranch dressing, it is by far the best recipe out there and I’ve tried them all. Her breakfast sausage is also EXCELLENT.
Amber says
I agree! I LOVE her ranch dressing.
Brittany says
I use (and LOVE) the chicken fingers recipe on the back of the bisquick box. The breading isnt super crispy on the outside (which is fine by me), but the inside is nice and juicy, I know what goes in them, and they are very easy and quick to make.
Emily says
Great question. I’m in the same boat with 2 kids that eat very little meats but chicken nuggets are one that they will eat. I can’t stand to buy the processed ones, and making my own homemade is on my lists of things to try soon. I have a recipe (not with me, sadly) that calls for using ground chicken, which I think might make the texture more like a typical nugget, as opposed to using chicken breast pieces that don’t have the same texture. I’m definitely going to check out these 2 suggested recipes.
Jo Davis says
Oh my gosh… I just considered that you could *hide* something like zucchini or cooked brown rice or quinoa (zipped in the food processor a bit) in the ground chicken, to increase the nutrition AND make the meat go further.
🙂
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
here is my homemade chicken nugget recipe…you will love it…a little messy but oh so worth it http://www.skinnymomskitchen.com/2011/10/18/homemade-chicken-nuggets/
Kate says
Thankfully, my children are not very picky and will eat just about any kind of chicken I give them, so I have not had to work too hard to please them. I just put a little bit of bread crumbs on the chicken and bake, but obviously a picky kid might need a little more convincing! Good luck finding a recipe your kids love! 🙂
Leighann says
I would love to make my own bread, and that seems the biggest way my family can save money (we buy expensive whole grain, all natural, no gmo bread). However, I can’t get the bread to come out of the bread machine correctly. The inside of the bread is just fine, but there’s always an inch-thick crust that is impossible to bite into; we usually have to cut through with a huge knife, then cut then inside away. I’ve tried dozens of recipes, dozens of different ways, followed the recipe exactly by the book, etc. and it comes out that way *every single time*!
I don’t have the space to do bread in the oven (and with a “helpful” preschooler hanging on me, it’s hard for me to get any scratch cooking done – trust me, I’ve tried everything with her, too; she is where I am, and if I am cooking, she has to put her fingers into it. Nothing distracts her, no one distracts her, and letting her help doesn’t work because she’ll only help with what I am immediately doing).
Any advice for me?
Lana says
Seems to me that there is a problem with the bread machine, especially if you are using the light crust setting and the correct loaf size setting. My bread machine does make more of a crust than baking bread in the oven but not like you are describing. If your machine is still under warranty I would contact the manufacterer.
Tammy@ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
I agree it sounds like maybe something is off with your breadmaker. Or try setting it a light crust setting. See if that works.
Jo Davis says
Most bread makers have an option to pull the dough out before baking and put it into a pan. You might try this option, with a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to lighten up your crust.
Sarah says
My mom always ran a stick of butter over the crust after baking which helped to soften it up very nicely. Not much is needed, just rub the stick over the crust until you’ve covered most/all of it 🙂 I’d say you won’t even use a Tablespoon.
Karen says
The best tip for making good bread from ANY bread machine is not to bake it in the machine. Let the machine do the “grunt work” of kneading, but bake your bread in the oven.
Heather says
Give that preschooler some tough love!
Andrea says
Not necessarily!! Instead of thinking of her in the negative sense, think about how wonderful it is to have someone that loves you so much that she wants to do these things with you. She won’t always.
Let her help you cook! Make it fun, light, bonding time! She’s not too young to learn proper hand washing and cooking. She can do a lot of the steps, just not the dangerous things. Insist that if she wants to help, that she not do anything to contaminate the ingredients. If she puts her hands in her mouth, take her back to the sink to re-wash.
Alternatively, have you tried giving your daughter her own bowl with ingredients (in much smaller quantities) and having her copy what you’re doing? One of my girls loves to stir and knead.
David Reilly says
This is exactly what we do with our ‘helpful’ preschooler. She loves doing everything we are doing. And we in turn love having her around when we are in the kitchen. Let me add that we have an extremely small kitchen, so having 3 people in at the same time is interesting. We have a mobile cart that doubles as extra counter space. We put a chair up to it and let her work away. Sometimes actually helping and other times pretend helping. Either way, things are easier and less chaotic.
Diane says
My 2 yr old “helps” with cooking by dumping flour into a bowl I’ve already measured or stirring dry ingredients. I’ve even taught her how to crack eggs (and we wash hands before and after so I am very careful to not let her eat raw eggs). I think it is important for little children to have fun in the kitchen and help with cooking. Yes it’s more work now but in a few years she’ll know cooking is fun and really be able to help you.
grace says
i have a question along this subject for everyone….i bought a bag of organic spelt flour from target on clearance for like 2.50 or so. i made bread yesterday from scratch quite possibly the best bread i ever had and def healthier….but looking at the cost of the comparative spelt flour is quite expensive….anyone know of a good place to get it?
but great post when we got married my husband was all natural and i was not….so i have been trying to move this way without breaking the bank 🙂
Holly @ Faithful Womanhood says
If you plan to use it often, buying in bulk could be an excellent money saver for you. For example, if you live in an area that Azure Standard delivers to you can buy 5 lbs of organic spelt flour for $7.20 or 25 lbs for $24.50 (less than $1/lb). If AS is not an option, are there other delivery companies or bulk/wholesale stores in your area?
grace says
awesome thanks!
Kristine says
I used to buy it in bulk from Azure Standard. Unfortunately, I don’t have room to store bulk foods anymore.