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    AUNT SAM'S & DD'S GUIDE TO EATING BETTER FOR LE$$!

    By Richard Day on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:24am |
    Artist Caravaggio
     

    The Every ‘DAY’  Guide to Secure Healthy Nutrition for Mind, Body and $aving$

    Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security*:

    • In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children.

    • In 2010, 14.5 percent of households (17.2 million households) were food insecure.

    • In 2010, 5.4 percent of households (6.4 million households) experienced very low food security.

    • In 2010, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.2 percent compared to 11.7 percent.

    • In 2010, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.2 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (35.1 percent) or single men (25.4 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (25.1 percent) and Hispanic households (26.2 percent).

    • In 2009, 8.0 percent of seniors living alone (925,000 households) were food insecure.

    • Food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 5 percent in Steele County, ND to a high of 38 percent in Wilcox County, AL.                                                                                                                                                                                *Per Feeding America

     

    We are attempting to attack a problem here, there and everywhere because too many people do not know how to cook well on a budget.

    AUNTIE SAM AND I DISCUSS WITH YOU:

    HOW TO EAT BETTER FOR LE$$!

     

    Poorer folks do not eat out or at least they should not!

    Take out pizza is ten bucks minimum.

    If you ate take out pizza all week (forget delivery, I mean you have to pay a tip) it would cost a minimum $300 a month and you would be receiving one meal a day—or two if you really wish to eat cold pizza at 12 midnite or 600:AM.

    Of course, fast food and all processed food meals are loaded with too much of everything bad and very little of what’s good, in taste and nutrition, for us or our wallets.

    I have spent hundreds of hours with food channel shows or with Martha over the last few years. I learned a lot from these programs even though I usually attack the subject with satire. And I have learned much from the diner shows, believe it or not.

    Now I cook for me! And I can easily eat on $150.00 a month and eat nutritionally. We shall continually discuss how to save money at the grocers.

    I would think that two would be able to eat for under $200/$225 a month. If you are living with three teenagers, I think you should need at a minimum $500/month especially if you have active boys! A teen age boy needs 4500 calories a day if he is active as I was in my day but we shall discuss this at length in further episodes—assuming this idea catches on.

    Still learning about, but now know enough to be rid of gout, the onset of adult diabetes and a number of other ailments that were created mainly by the food I was eating.

    So Auntie Sam and I decided that it might be fruitful for all of us to come together to share/discuss philosophically and realistically the type of diet that one could live on for $150.00 or so a month. These menus would be satisfying, nutritional, cheap and easy to prepare. All the Vitamins A and B's and C and E and other needs should be taken care of in a 3 meal a day regimen.

    Remember physical activity is of the utmost import in deciding a diet regimen. But if you skimp on dietary necessities you are open to arthritis, gout, diabetes, depression, anxiety, heart problems....

    We hope to share with you good recipes, including nutrition and other economic assists in this endeavor.

    Auntie Sam and I would like to begin a real look at nutrition and we welcome every recipe and other ‘food and nutrition fare facts, as well as hints on $aving$ you feel like contributing.  Do you recommend a good coupon site on internet for printable coupons?  Please share.

    TO BEGIN:

    Ah, spices are so important.  Here is my basic spice and herb list:

    Garlic Salt*

    Italian seasoning

    Cumin

    Red Pepper flakes

    Salt and Pepper of course

    Chili Powder

    Dried Onion flakes

    Parsley flakes

    Cinnamon

     

    (*Auntie reminds me that garlic powder is healthier and more economical.)

    If you have other basics that you believe are essential, please tell us.

    We’ll continue to give you a ‘pantry’ list including condiments, staples and other foods that best deliver better food and nutrition for less. 

    But, here’s your first tasty recipe sampling:

    My recipe for apple sauce that can be a side with pork or chicken or pancakes or waffles or integrated into a whole wheat coffee cake:

     

    Three apples

    Cinnamon

    Lemon juice (bottled)

    Orange juice

     

    Pare the apples (now while I pare the apples I eat the peelings which are highly nutritious and good fiber for our digestive tracts).

    Cut the apples rustically so that some pieces are larger than others.

    Put the remaining apple pieces in a pan.

    Stick on a low low burner and add a touch of lemon juice, a touch of orange juice and the cinnamon.

    Cover with one of those holy pie tins you kept after you purchased a pie.

    Check every few minutes, carefully turning the mixture with a wooden spoon.

    Ten or fifteen minutes later (depending upon the type of apples you found on sale at the grocers) you turn off the burner. The smaller pieces have become sauce, the larger pieces (which you might even cut a bit) add substance.

    There is absolutely no reason to add sugar to this recipe because APPLES ARE MOSTLY SUGAR. hahaha

    ###

     *Toward the beginning of every month I pick up 5 pounds of apples (Now I might wait till the first Sunday when the prices change) and I choose those apples that are on sale. It usually runs me four or five bucks and the bag lasts me a month.

    Poached Egg ‘omelets’

     

    2 eggs

    crack eggs into poaching ‘cups’

    top with your favorite omelet ingredients such as these options:

    A bit of shredded cheese and/or

    crumbled bacon or small chunks ham, sausage and/or

    chopped vegetables like pepper, mushrooms, green onion, etc. and/or

    chopped tomato and/or

    well, whatever you want

     

    As egg poaches, ingredients cook and blend into top of egg.  Easy clean up, no fats

    You can put on whole wheat toast

     

    (kids and adults love these)

    cost – less than $1.00 per serving

    CEREAL FACTS:

    • The average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year just on television, almost all for cereals with the worst nutrition ratings.

    • Compared to cereals marketed to adults, those marketed to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium.

    • Cereal companies together spend more than $156 million per year marketing to children.

    • Of the ten cereals with the worst overall impact (nutrition and marketing scores combined), six are products from General Mills, three are from Kellogg, and one is from Post.

    • Self-regulation by industry should not forestall needed government action. Self-regulatory pledges by the cereal companies have thus far been weak and have not shielded children from a barrage of messages to eat the least healthy products. Companies should be held accountable for the impact their products have on children.

        IF CEREALS HAVE PRESERVATIVES AND OTHER ‘FAUX’ INGREDIENTS – THESE ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU.  CHECK INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITION INFORMATION ON PACKAGES.  CEREAL IS EXPENSIVE. STEEL CUT OATMEAL IS INEXPENSIVE AND OH, SO HEALTHY.  TOP WITH A BIT OF FRUIT, BROWN SUGAR, WALNUTS AND YOUR BODY AS WELL AS TASTE BUDS WILL THANK YOU.

    Kellogg Mini-Wheats received the best nutrition rating; therefore, it is the only brand to receive a high combined FACT score.

    The cereals with the poorest scores based on combined nutrition and marketing impact are Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix, and Reese's Puffs.

      Coming soon:  Healthy, nutritious and economical homemade cereal recipes.

    Comments

    Interesting that a few weeks ago MSM pundits were claiming that it is cheaper to eat out than cook at home. (That was hard to swallow.)


    by Donal on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:37am

    It really depends on what staples and equipment you already have on hand.  

    I remember a Cathy cartoon that really captured my own experience.  Her first trip to the grocery after deciding to save money by cooking at home instead of eating out was around $800 or something really outrageous like that.  :-/

     


    by EmmaZahn on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 1:25pm

    The trip to the grocery store takes some research along with written goals in mind for a month; not a week or a week end.

    At Paradigm we published this and Momoe shows up strawberry recipes--where she is strawberries are in season.

    This month you might need a five lb bag of flour but your four pounds of the evil white sugar was purchased last month so...

    And I get cheap spices (no name cost a buck a piece) and after a few months you get a little cache going in the cupboard.

    The same thing goes for condiments.

    See, I think about this all the time and when you have to consider these things as a single person it really underlines how difficult it is to feed a family of four with growing kids.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 1:42pm

    Hard to swallow indeed.

    Toward the first of the month I get a big bag of potatoes, a bag of apples, a jar of pickles (no brand or on sale), five lbs of whole wheat flour (lasts 2 months), four pounds of sugar, corn meal....

    I want to discuss this later on. Besides sales and the season I do cheat with some processed foods like potato flakes, gravy packets and pancake mix. This group is just for last ditch meals if I run short toward the end of the month.

    But we just wished to demonstrate that one can eat nutritionally and cheaply and have some fun doing it.

    And we welcome recipes with an eye on budget!


    by Richard Day on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 1:32pm

    Honest Earth (creamy mashed potatos) are the best.  Organic, no additives and delicious!  Great for using flakes for crispy baked chicken and fish too.  lots of uses besides mashed potatos.  Available at Costco, very inexpensive too.


    by Aunt Sam on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 1:42pm

    Actually instant potatoes last fall was cheaper then bagged potatoes when they were a $1 a pound in South Florida.  You always have to be on your toes in the grocery store.   


    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 6:47am

    Poultry seasoning and Apple Pie or Pumpkin Pie spice mixes are really handy.


    by EmmaZahn on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 1:36pm

    I find them real cheep just before the fall holidays in discount stores. My favorite place is Big Lots/ Odd Lots for spices. I find a lot of cool stuff in their grocery sections.    


    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 6:42am

    Richard how do you cross post?  Do you right it first on Word or do you use note pad? I not having any luck with copy and paste right now from wordpress. 


    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 4:58am

    I have a clone Word; came with the pc

    Now when I post I still have to edit. The lines are too far apart. And I have to re-embed the video.

    And I usually add or subtract anyway...re-edit.

    I did not re-edit much here because it was a two person project.

     


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 10:30am

    If you put a tablespoon of cider vinegar into your boiling water instead of salt, It make a better poached egg.  Salt causes bubbles in the egg white.  You can give it a dash of salt after you drain it on a paper towel.  The acid in the vinegar makes the protein in the egg bond faster and you don't have to cook as long to get that nice milky egg white around the yoke and leaves the center nice and soft.  Just what you want on a piece of wheat toast instead of a rubbery yellow center. 


    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 6:36am

    The vinegar will also neutralize sulfur smell / taste.  I add a drop of white vinegar to my two egg omelet.  It just makes it taste better to me.

     


    by EmmaZahn on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:33pm

    I never thought of that. I knew about the protein chemistry. Maybe that is why egg salad is such comfort food. There is lemon or vinegar in bought salad dressing like Miracle Whip.

    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 4:08pm

    Cereals ... I'm not sure if they still do it, but for a long time, if you checked the side of the Spoon-sized Shredded Wheat box, you'd discover that in order to maintain their claim of being 'all-natural with no preservatives', the manufacturer would add preservatives, not to the cereal, but to the inside of the package lining which held the cereal.  Unfortunately, due to the type of plastic used, the lining was not very good at holding onto the preservative .... so, wonder of wonders, it all fell onto the cereal ... Whoever the genius was that thought of that, well, I hope he got a big bonus for his out of box... errr, inside of the box thinking.

     

    Also, re: chili powder ... One of the few recipes my mother passed down to my sister and myself was for her chili.  I call it 'Depression Chili', since it contains no chili powder whatsoever.  Instead, you substitute paprika for the chili powder.  (It also includes as an ingredient, a can of undiluted Campbell's tomato soup, but never mind that.)  I usually make a batch and then freeze a half dozen or so portions for micro-waving later. Yum.

     

     

     


    by MrSmith1 on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 7:41am

    I have been making chili for a couple decades.

    I use whatever is around; chili powder and/or cumin and/or red pepper sauce.

    We should just do an entire post asking for chili recipes. The best comfort food of all!

    And it is always good as a side to Polish or hamburgers.


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 10:33am

    The genius that thought of that was a research lab at the University of Akron. They developed a whole field of "controlled release " plastics. Most of it was done after WWII using plastics from BF Goodrich and Goodyear. Many of the meds we take are in controlled released plastics. It is the only way some of them can be delivered orally.

    by trkingmomoe on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 4:28pm