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“That which gets measured gets managed” 

   Hard times seem to be here for now. Gas is currently $4 per gallon and there is speculation on all of the money/financial shows that it is going to go to $5 per gallon. People are trading in their large SUVs and Suburbans as fast as they can get to the dealership and everyone seems to be starting to cut back, if even just a bit.

   I was talking to a friend the other day on the phone about the kind of food that I used to eat when I was first out on my own. We swapped a few basic recipes and that got me thinking, just how would I feed my family now if hard times were to really come again and money was truly scarce? You know, when you’re 18 through at least 28 or so you don’t think a lot about nutrition. But now that my kids are here I’m always thinking about how I can balance their meals overall.

   Here is my basic nutritional checklist for my kids (ages 3 and 6):

1.  Make food fun! Build your food. Play with your food. Get your hands into your food. (Wash your hands first!!!)
2. Vegetables everyday. No exceptions. Even if it has to be hidden.
3. Eat the colors of the rainbow. Blue/purple, red, green, orange/yellow, white.
4. Potatoes don’t count unless they have the skin on them and are not fried.
5. Olive oil where possible. Then canola oil. Then butter. This one is important!!!
6. Reduced sodium /no salt where possible.
7. Unsweetened where possible (this is a tough one!).
8. Protein everyday.
9. Limit red meat to some extent.
10. Fish at least once per week. (Working on getting that up to 2 – 3 times per week.)
11. Fruit once per day if possible but definitely multiple times per week.
12. Whole grains where possible.
13. Healthier cereals where possible. (Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kashi, etc.)
14. Meatless meal once per week.
15. Less pepperoni, lunch meat, and bacon.
16. Eat from the local Farmer’s Market as much as possible for veggies.
17. Let them grow something out in the yard or in a pot outside that they can eat! (Touch it, see it, nurture it, play with it, prepare it, eat it. This really works wonders for picky eaters. It worked on my pickiest eater!)
18. More fresh food, less packaged / processed.
19. Water and low-fat milk to drink. (2% for now; skim as they get a little older)
20. Some juice but less juice overall. More whole fruit instead.

   So, tons of Ramen noodles will not fit the nutritional bill although throngs of people live their entire 20’s existing on little else. Here’s what I would perhaps serve my kids to keep it balanced.

Check prices to see which version is cheaper at the time you are shopping: fresh, frozen, or canned. Definitely check to see what’s on sale and in season. It will be cheaper. Bags of onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans would be essential. Bags of rice (preferably brown rice, but we’re still getting used to that) and boxes of pasta are also cheap staples.

• Cream of chicken soup, egg noodles, a little Ms. Dash, and a veggie thrown in. (Green peas work great for this.)
• Purchase fresh, whole chicken when it is on sale. (I’ve seen it as low as 39 cents per pound!) Bake them in the oven with some simple seasoning on them. Have dinner then cut up and shred what’s left. Freeze in small containers, covered in diluted chicken broth.
• Purchase cheap cuts of beef and put the slow cooker to work making it fabulous.
• Ditto for the pressure cooker.
• I would definitely try to grow things that we eat often. Cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, squash.
• Not too many people freeze or can their foods anymore but freezing foods for later is quick, easy, and pretty cheap. Buy food items when they are in peak season and cheap and freeze them for later. Look up “food preservation” for more information.

   What are your healthy but cheap meal ideas? Think of the single moms, working moms, and big families that you’ll help by leaving a comment with your ideas and recipes!

   I look forward to seeing what your family is eating when eating on the cheap!

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