11 Foods To Buy On A Cheap Budget
I have a post discussing 11 affordable foods to buy on a tight budget. Mark and I went to Costco yesterday and nearly choked over the price of steaks. We went there for other items, but people grabbed those packaged ribeye steaks like no tomorrow.
Yes, they were probably going to barbecue them for the weekend—I get it—but the price for three steaks was $91.00. They were beautiful and marbled throughout, but I couldn’t believe they were over $21.00 per pound.
I could almost feel my cholesterol going up just looking at those beauties! There is nothing better than a juicy, tender barbecued steak.
Unless it costs $30.00 or less per package and I get to cook it myself, it won’t happen. So, today, let’s get real, my friends. Unless we have a cow, a pig, or some chickens in our yard, we may need to cut back on meat.
I applaud those of you who raise your meat. I would love to do that, but it’s not realistic in my current stage of life and location.
There are still options to properly feed our family, slash our grocery bill, and eat healthy at the same time. Of course, having a garden is a bonus. Then, we can supplement our grocery budget with fresh vegetables right out of our back door.
I love my Aerogarden and now have four of them. In case you missed this post, Growing Fresh Lettuce Indoors Year-Round, I still have lettuce growing in the unit, and we eat a salad almost every night with tomatoes from our garden or the local farmer’s market.
My Favorite Pans for These Items
11 Foods To Buy On A Cheap Budget
1. Rice
Do you love a bowl of sticky rice? Mark and I eat rice almost every night because we love it. It’s easy to make a big batch ahead of time and bag the leftovers into a few meals for the week. We make fried rice and rice bowls with vegetables, topping them off with teriyaki sauce. Open a can of mandarin oranges; that rice will be even better with those small oranges.
This week, we made a chicken and broccoli casserole and served it over rice. With the chicken breast meat, broccoli, and white rice, we had enough food for three dinners and a lunch. A meal full of protein, nutrition from the veggies, and rice to make you feel full. I call that a budget-friendly approach to planning meals for the week.
Note that I cook with white rice. Brown rice tastes great, but it doesn’t have the long shelf life of the white option.
You can make burritos with rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. That’s why I always stock salsa, lots of it. Tacos are excellent, especially when paired with some rice added to the beans. It will stretch your budget, and your family will enjoy a different flavor.
2. Beans/Lentils
I love beans, whether they’re dry or in cans. My favorite beans are pinto beans, followed by black beans, and lentils taste great in soups and stews. We can make lentil tacos, bean tacos, or a combination of beans and lentils into tostadas. If you missed this post, Lentils: Everything You Need to Know.
Beans are one of my pantry staples. I buy more in bulk when they go on sale during case lot sales at my local grocery store. That seems to be held most often in the last summer or early fall. Other canned foods are also available during these sales, which helps save on food when you’re on a tight budget.
3. Oats
We can use oats for a bowl of hot oatmeal, add some of our dehydrated fruits, and our bellies will be full! I used to add oatmeal to my hamburgers to stretch the patties further. And who doesn’t love oatmeal muffins, right?
Most whole grain foods are fairly inexpensive, have a decent shelf life, are flexible for meal preparation, and are healthy for your family. Legumes are also a healthy and budget-friendly option.
4. Pasta
Pasta is another staple you’ll find in my pantry. When I had kids at home, we had spaghetti once a week, pasta salad another night, and casseroles with pasta. My homemade soup always had pasta in it. It would have been elbow macaroni, spaghetti noodles, or lasagna back then. Life was good with pasta, spaghetti sauce, and grated cheese.
When you think of all the varieties of pasta available on the shelves when grocery shopping, they are a great choice for meal planning and a cost-effective way to get many of the vitamins and minerals we all need.
5. Bananas
If there was ever a great deal on fruits, it’s bananas, right? Mark and I pile them high weekly when we pick up milk at the grocery store for his cold cereal. I’m sure people wonder why we buy so many, but I also like them in smoothies and on ice cream. Life is good with a bowl of ice cream and bananas. They’ve got to be one of the cheapest fruit options out there.
Costco, Walmart, and Smiths sell them for about $.49 per pound all year long. We love apples of all kinds, but most of those start at $1.59 and above, when in season. It seems like an apple costs about $1.00 each or more. Bananas are our go-to fruit, providing valuable fiber and its related health benefits. They make a great snack, especially compared to candy or calorie-laden crackers.
6. Spinach
The great thing about spinach is you can get a HUGE container of organic baby spinach for about $3.00 – $4.00, which goes far. We like it in soups, quiches, salads, and smoothies. Just think of all the nutrients in that spinach!
I understand that some people on blood thinners can’t have spinach, at least that’s my understanding. This is my very favorite spinach salad, The Best Spinach Salad
7. Eggs
Mark and I grew up eating bacon and eggs for breakfast. There wasn’t a lot of bacon, but we had more eggs, and our breakfasts were excellent. I’m unsure when it changed, but now it’s scrambled eggs or quiches with some leftover ham or bacon. Or it may be no meat—just homemade bread with butter that works with scrambled eggs.
We used to pay $12.00 for the five dozen package at Costco, that’s less than $.20 per egg to get all the health benefits of this great product. So many recipes call for eggs, so you can buy a very inexpensive recipe ingredient and know you’re stretching your food budget dollars in healthy ways.
Now, I buy eggs from my neighbor for $5.00 a dozen, and they are the freshest eggs on the planet. Or I trade my lettuce for her eggs; either way, we both win!
8. Peanut Butter
What’s better than a peanut butter and jam sandwich? Did you notice I didn’t say peanut butter and jelly? I like jams with chunks of fruit; that’s how I roll. We’ve started buying smaller jars of peanut butter and jam since our family has shrunk to two people, and we want the jams to stay fresh once the container is opened.
I remember raising our girls, and we bought #10 cans of peanut butter; I miss those days. I wonder if they still sell #10 cans of peanut butter these days.
9. Canned Meat
Do you love tuna or chicken salad sandwiches? We add mayo or Miracle Whip to the can of drained meat and mix it up. If you have bread and butter pickles, it’s the best meal ever. We usually add some of our favorite chips, too. Mark loves those with a BBQ flavor!
Canned meats have a decent shelf life and can be cost-effective when purchased as part of the case lot sales event. Tuna is great for us, and we avoid the more expensive canned seafood options like salmon. If you haven’t tried this tuna that Harry recommended, you need to. By signing up for their newsletter, you’ll get access to great sales and the best tuna I have ever tasted. Natural Catch Seafoods
10. Frozen Vegetables
It’s awesome when I see the mid-week ads in the mailbox show frozen vegetables for $1.00 a bag. You can keep them in the freezer or dehydrate them if you have a dehydrator.
They are great as side dishes or when the dehydrated veggies are added to a pot of soup or stew. One of my favorite frozen vegetables is chopped onions. When I want to make tacos, sloppy joes, or soup, the chopped onions are ready to go—no slicing, chopping, or watery eyes.
11. Flour
Today, I want to ask people to teach their kids and grandkids how to make bread, biscuits, tortillas, pancakes, and even sourdough bread or pizza. I promise that life is good when you can make your bread and related food items.
I prefer bread flour over all-purpose flour. I make bread most often, and it works in other recipes calling for flour. If you have wheat and a wheat grinder, you can also make your own flour and save money.
All of my recipes are no-fail. If you have fresh ingredients, YOU CAN MAKE bread! In case you missed this post, How To Make My No-Fail Homemade Bread
11 Foods To Buy On A Cheap Budget
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed today’s 11 foods to buy on a cheap budget. Let me know if you have any ideas, and I’ll add them to this post. It’s scary how much food prices have risen, and we need to help each other save money whenever possible.
Is it the weather? Is it because the farmers lack people to pick the produce? Is it a water shortage (drought) or the truckers who cannot deliver the goods? I’m still not sure why we are seeing prices spike right now.
It’s all about teamwork. If we have a broken link, the food chain and everything else become ineffective. Please keep stocking up and teaching your kids and grandkids to cook from scratch. It’s a much-needed skill. May God bless this world, Linda
I’ve spoken to several retailers and I believe the biggest issue right now are there are not enough truckers. During the pandemic all (or nearly all) the places where truckers would train closed down. I saw an article a few days ago that the gas prices are because they do not have enough trained truckers to deliver the gas to stations. Also, not all the refineries are back in operation from the cold that hit Texas this past winter. I need to buy some vinyl lattice for my yard and it’s out of stock and they don’t know when it will be back in stock. I forgot that vinyl products are produced from the petroleum industry, duh!!! So far, here, although prices at the gro. store have gone up, they are not that bad on the items I purchase on a regular basis. We do have a bunch of ranchers here that do sell their beef, chicken, hogs, etc. at a fairly reasonable price. Unfortunately, I don’t see things getting better any time soon. Those who can, and do, grown their own gardens are truly blessed. Happy 4th to you and your family.
Hi Pam, great comment, it makes total sense, thank you. I have heard that the wood mills are back up and running not sure how many but wood prices have been out of sight. The price of homes here in Utah has doubled in one year. It’s crazy, it’s the old supply and demand. No one is selling because you may not be able to bid on another home and get it. I was in real estate and owned my own mortgage company for 15 years. I have never seen anything like this. Realtors can sell your home with multiple offers 25% over the asking price but then you can’t purchase a home. It’s insane. We are decluttering because we want to be ready to sell soon or at least while the market is high. Crazy times. Happy 4th to you and your family. Linda
Great list (as always!). Regarding number 9 Canned Meat: I don’t know if anyone has previously shared but I recently learned that if you open your canned meat, drain off the liquid and replace it with boiling water then let it sit for about five minutes, it reduces the sodium (and fat!) massively. If your canned meat is in a block (such as SPAM) just cube it or slice it and soak it. I’ve been delighted with the results!! Thank you for the work and thoughtfulness you put into what you share!
Hi Sarah, oh my gosh, why didn’t I think about this??!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this comment! I will for sure be delighted with the results, less salt, and less fat. I love it! Linda
Solid list,Linda. You help so many people, thank you
I’d add wheat to the list, here’s what we do with it (my family has used wheat for over 45 years now…very heathy!! It took about 3 years to get used to the fiber and taste, so we added a new recipe every month or so…we started with the wheat blender pancakes)
Cracked wheat cereal
Creamy wheat
Blender wheat pancakes
Whole wheat waffles
Whole wheat crepes
Whole wheat French toast
Steamed wheat with maple syrup
Wheat ‘sausage’
Golden wheat patties
Big Sky burgers
Chuck wagon chili
Italian lentil wheat stew
Whole wheat dinner crepes
Noodles
Pizza and pantry pizza
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches
Any sandwich we make is on whole wheat bread
Gluten ‘steaks’
Wheat muffins
Whole wheat bread
Chappati
Whole wheat quick bread
Wheat sprouts
Popped wheat
Peanut butter honey wheat balls
Graham crackers
Cinnamon wheat crusties
Chocolate chip cookies
Whole wheat brownies
I use one part cooked cracked wheat with 2 parts ground beef to add fiber and not change the taste much
Some things we don’t like full whole wheat use, but like it to have part wheat
Hi Janet, oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your reminder about wheat. You and I buy wheat, some people don’t know what to do with it. A few years ago, I live in Utah, just giving everyone the heads up here. The Mormon Church came out with a directive that they would no longer be selling wheat berries, about a few years ago as I remember. Why? Because their members did not have a wheat grinder and did not know how to use it. After this last year, I’m sure they are selling it again. I quote, “The Church has announced plans to supply families and community agencies with “finished good” such as pasta, pancake mix, and flour—rather than raw wheat, which can be difficult to process at home.” Here is the link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/church-announces-updates-to-food-storage-emergency-preparedness?lang=eng
Great list, Janet, you know I love this stuff!! I need to write a post on storing wheat for preparedness people. I’m on it. Linda
Great list, Linda! I’m so bored with making meals that this gave me renewed energy to cook again. It’s so blasted hot here that I have zero energy to do most anything. I did read a book yesterday afternoon – The Orphan Train – it was amazing! Might be why I read it completely in one afternoon.
I totally agree with you on the price of meat. We love to shop at Costco but it’s just the three of us and we always have to repackage everything. It’s a pain but necessary. Have you seen the price of cheese, too? It’s going sky-high AND it’s on “the list” to be in short supply. Darn…I use cheese in almost everything. I never shop for meat most anywhere but Costco but I did find some smaller pkgs of petite filets at Walmart- not very big but just fine for us and they were around $12 a pkg. They were decent; not as good as Costco but for being smaller pieces, broiled or bbq’d, they were quite tasty. My son has a rancher who sells (and locks in prices, which my son did before all this hoopla started) direct to the public so that’s definitely the way to go anymore. I usually cook a prime rib for holidays and have paid around $60 for a huge prime rib, enough to feed 10-12 people. Now, the prime rib I saw was so incredibly small, maybe 3-4lbs? enough to feed 2-3 people and it was over $131!!! Yikes! This is crazy times.
I wanted to comment on your jam vs. jelly. I totally agree with you, we never use jelly. I found a jam out there, Bonne Maman (sp?) – it’s from France or Belgium, can’t remember. It’s got a red and white checkered lid. The FIRST ingredient is the fruit you’ve chosen, i.e., raspberry, blueberry, strawberry. It has no high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup but naturally sugar. It tastes amazing, like REAL fruit! It costs around $4.57 a jar at Walmart or Winco. I stopped buying everyone elses jam and only buy this one. You need to try it. I’d skip the marmalade tho, it’s kinda bitter tasting.
Time to figure out my design for my next quilt. Have a wonderful 4th Linda! And God Bless AMERICA!!!!! She really needs it.
Hi Robbie, oh you have to send me pictures of your quilts when you finish them!! I will check into that “jam”!! I need to look at that book! I’m pretty sure Mark and I will not be buying meat going forward. I refuse to pay those prices. But if I have salsa, rice and beans are my best friends! Happy 4th!! Yes, God Bless America!!! Linda
I only buy meats on sale. No way I’m paying over $6 a pound for steak. We found baby back ribs and boneless beef ribs on sale, that’s what we’re having today. I also bought an Aerogarden, (Per your suggestion). I could only afford the Sprout model for right now. I have dill, basil and parsley growing. I will be planting lettuce soon. I also bought some cherry tomato seeds to start. I have seen the price of ground beef go up as of late. Not to mention various other foods. And gasoline prices ? Don’t get me started. LOL I filled up last week and it cost me $10. more than usual. I live off my SSI, which is less than $1000 a month, so I must be careful with my spending. I am so thankful for the food I have stored so I don’t have to buy a lot of groceries. I can’t imagine going to the store every few days like some people do. I do have 2 manual wheat grinders and wheat berries. Wishing everyone a safe and happy fourth of July. God Bless and keep you.
Hi Judy, I choked when I saw the price of gas the other day. I am saving to buy another AeroGarden. Oh my gosh, the lettuce is so delicious. I can’t imagine having to go to a store every few days. I detest shopping. LOL! My lettuce is now on 42 days and going strong. It’s like magic, it keeps growing super fast. Best thing I have ever bought!! I have so many tomatoes to go with that lettuce!! Happy 4th! Linda
I can’t speak for Costco, because we don’t shop there, but I do know that I can take a family pack of meat to the butcher and they will repackaged it while giving me the discounted price….. and bonus….I don’t have to do the work!!
Hi Chris, this is awesome, thank goodness for good butchers! Linda
Linda, we’ve had company and I’m just getting to read this, but . . . You’ve posted a great and much needed list. I can also live on beans and rice and other veggies. I’ve cut down on my meat portion. Not because of the prices, but for my own good. We’ve been eating meatless meals a lot. Today, I didn’t cook anything. Big difference. We ate sandwiches, and things like that. In fact, that’s what we’ve been eating since the 1st. We had a house full today. I like to add rice or pasta to stretch my meals. We do like potatoes and sometimes have a loaded baked potato for dinner. We do use cheese on it, and bacon bits. Oh and either sour cream or ranch dressing. We Cook a lot in the crockpot or InstaPot. Or, I do. Hubby does the stove cooking. I like the easy way. I’m so bad! I do like to cook pinto beans, add a bit of cooked ground beef, add some cooked rice, with your spices of choice. I use Taco seasoning or chili seasoning. And make a meal of it. I also make a dish that uses cube steak cut in small bite sized pieces, brown in a little oil, add a Can of diced tomatoes with green chili peppers, some chopped onion, a diced tomato can of rice and some kind of Mexican seasoning. Simmer until rice is done. You can eat this in a flour tortilla with sour cream, cheese, and salsa. Or in a bowl with the same added and use corn chips with it. Good and filling. We love it. It has no name, but we call it Rice Stuff. You can use chicken if desired. Or ground beef or whatever. I like eating it as a burrito.
Sorry for so long a post.
Hi Deborah, I love long posts. These are great ideas to stretch our grocery budget. I love hearing you had company, it’s so awesome to see faces again, give some hugs, and laugh together. My grandson and his girlfriend stopped by on their way to Boise. I could eat burritos or tacos every single day. Great comment and tips to help all of us. Linda
Love the list and can honestly say that most of the items are a constant here in my home. I have cut WAY back on meat of all kinds. When the pandemic/lockdowns occurred, I started seeing meat prices go up significantly. On a fixed income, I had to really weigh my options. So, I studied a bit on plant based eating – not vegetarianism or veganism but going mostly plant based. Unfortunately, I also need to lose weight and have in the past gone very low carb! Plant based is not especially low carb friendly so I do eat a lot of eggs for a protein. I have also discovered (at Costco but probably available other places) Protein2O – 20 grams of protein in a flavored water. It is not too bad as long as it is icy cold! So a hearty salad and a protein water is filling and pretty satisfying. The water is about $1.00 per bottle.
I have also discovered (again) – Tostadas – I lightly oil a couple of corn tortillas and “fry” until they are browning (I’ve done this in the oven on 350F as well as on my tortilla griddle); smear some refried beans on the tortillas, add some grated cheese, lettuce and homemade pico de gallo (chopped tomato, chopped onion, chopped jalapeno, chopped roasted green chiles and chopped cilantro, salt & pepper to taste and a squirt or two of lime juice. Very satisfying! If you have some Spanish rice that would be great on the tostadas as well.
Like Deborah, I also do loaded baked potatoes quite a bit. I love them with ranch dressing as well!
Hi Leanne, I need to check on that drink you are talking about. I love tostadas, I need to make some of those, a great reminder. I’ve been harvesting potatoes, and I will bake some today, that sounds so good! Linda
I’ve found the 25lb bags of flour are a much better deal than 10lb bags. As long as you transfer the flour to containers and if you bake a lot, the turn over is good and you save money on other things like crackers, bread, pasta and other baked goods. We are very thankful to have a garden, it helps. Even just a potted plant or some herbs help.
Gardening is one of the most signficantly rebellious things a person can do.
Hi Jeilea, I buy my flour in 25-pound bags as well. I remember going to Flagstaff to help my daughter for graduation or something and I could only find flour in 5-pound bags. I was actually shocked! LOL! I agree a garden is a blessing to all. Linda
Linda:
Either this article was written some time ago or you get your eggs straight from the farmer I can’t call buying eggs cheep. The last time we bought eggs they were close to $5.00. I am trying to find someone who raises their own to buy from because they are less expensive that way but the last time we bought them it almost blew my mind away to have to pay $4.99 for a dozen. I have to buy organic because of allergies. My husbands eggs were $2.99 a dozen. Occasionally we can find his on sale for a 18 count carten for $3.99. We still eat eggs but a lot less than we used to.
Hi Jackie, no it was written Saturday. Hmmm. We just bought 3 dozen eggs and they were $2.99 a dozen about a week ago. Wow, that would be a shock to pay $5.00 for a dozen. Thanks for the heads up, I will check it out next week. Nothing would surprise me about prices these days. Yikes!! Linda
Linda,
Surely there is a rancher in your area who sells grass fed beef with no antibiotics. It’s well worth the cost of a larger freezer to get 1/4 or 1/2 a beef. You get to tell your butcher how you want it cut up and I always tell him to maximize the steaks and roasts and minimize the ground beef. Last Fall ours ended up a bit over $5.50 a pound–which is expensive for hamburger but cheap for all the steak and roast cuts we got. Think about filet mignon for $5.50 per pound. Half a beef lasts my wife and I an entire year though since I minimize the ground beef I end up buying some of that at the store.
We have a friend whose family goes in with us for the other half beef. And we even get to pick our steer.
Hi Ray, we moved into our hose and the freezer is ready for some meat. Yes, I just need to find one, I looked for them a year or so ago but now, I need to research them again. I will find one, we just need to find a good source now. There are several choices here. Linda
If price controls get put on anything it means shortages. That may be in for us. Soviet/Cuban style lines. It may be too early to “pull the trigger,” but at some point we will need to really stock up even more than many of us already have. I call that “under the bed food storage time!”
I’m monitoring the situation as we head towards the election. Also, Straits of Hormus are only 3.7km across (2.3 or so miles). wouldn’t take much to block it. 40% of global oil passes through there. Cyber attack is a pretty good bet.
“Something” will get us and it will hit fast. I have a list under a magnet on my refrigerator with all the “grab it while I can” items for just something like that.
The high prices I paid when I started prepping seem cheap now….but the prices now will seem cheap if we have a “situation.” Food is a good investment when you look at it that way.
Hi CAddison, cyberattacks will become more frequent and power grids disabled. We can count on that. I’m with you on the under the bed food storage, totally agree. Food is a very good investment. Some people need to realize those grocery stores will be empty. I’m not a negative person but all you need to do is listen to the news and read other sources that are reputable. I won’t get political but this election no matter how it turns out will turn our country upside down. I hope I’m wrong. I can’t say what I would like to say because I can’t afford to lose my ad company that keeps my blog running. If people are not stocking up, they must be living under a rock. Enough said, Linda
Amen. I agree completely. It matters greatly who gets elected. One will keep us out of war. But, the world wide financial situation is so dire and there is serious evil around. We all must become as self sufficient as possible. I’m forming one on one relationships with a number of people. That gives us all an automatic network. I wondered what I could do as an older woman. I’m still the warrior inside, but let’s get real!! I’ve bake our bread for years. Bread machine. I’m now trading bread for eggs. Have a few others who will want my bread and trade fish or other proteins for it when “it” happens. We all want to keep our relationships quiet. I live on an island. Island mentality.
90% will get caught.
Did you read Light’s Out by Koppel. Not political. A good friend is the CEO of our power co-op. Parts are backordered by years…and with each big disaster it gets longer.
I do not worry. I prepare. WHATEVER is coming, the preparation for us is the same. That is the point that I make to people who are overwhelmed. We only have to do ONE prep style. You have wonderful connections. You have made your cause a business. Fabulous. Hang in there! We need you
Hi CAddison, oh yes, I recommend Ted Koppel’s “Lights Out” book all the time. Our power grid is so antiquated, it would take years to replace or even get parts to repair. You are blessed to know how to make bread. I will trade bread if it comes to that. I totally agree with your statement, I do not worry, I prepare. Good one. Linda
I don’t eat uncooked flour. Not because I don’t like it but because it is hard on my stomach. I had stomach surgery about 15 years ago and now I can’t eat regular grain because my stomach just is’nt there to consume it. We are buying things from Sams and I think we might try the Cosco when we go to Albequerque next week for my eye surgury on my righ eye next week. Asking for prayer that it goes as well as the left eye did the last time.
I was trying to make a shopping list on a small notebook so that we know what we need to get when we go shopping. It has been really hard not to be able to read or go online to talk to people for because my eyes are messes up.
HI Jackie, oh I hope your eye surgery goes well. Prayers being sent to you right now! Sam’s usually has some things cheaper like canned goods compared to Costco. But as we all know food prices are through the roof. Get better soon, my sweet friend, Linda
I love buying the Safe Catch Tuna Elite and Simply Organic canned Chicken Breast from Vitacost when we buy vitamins from them! Wait until they have 20% off and you will get the best prices anywhere!! We do not eat ANY other brand of Tuna besides the Safe Catch Elite, because it is tested out the kazoo for heavy metals and contaminants, and because that is Skipjack Tuna which is the safest form…smaller fish that have not been massively contaminated at that age/size! I actually prefer to pressure can my own Org. Chicken Breast, because you can get a heck of a lot of chicken in one pint bottle, lots more than in a 5 oz. can. And that job is beyond super-easy, too!! The chicken breasts just slide right in to a pint jar with ease. We also buy our hamburger from a local organic farmer, and the price is comparable or less than the stores, but organic. We also love the Australian Lamb that Costco sells at $5.50/lb. which is a STEAL compared to local grocery chain, Wegman’s, though I do buy their organic chicken products there (when they’re on sale or clearance). Sometimes, around the holidays, Costco even sells the Aussie Lamb for less than that! We had it for dinner last night and it was AWESOME! Just squirt or squeeze some lemon juice over the meat and sprinkle lots of Fresh Jax Greek Seasoning over it, maybe some lemon salad dressing to keep it moist. Lime juice can replace lemon juice, which always turns out FANTASTIC and such a treat! Then we surrounded the entire thing with lots of chunks of org. onions and some roma tomatoes, too. Topped the meal off with a first of the season sliced and steamed Zephyr squash straight from the garden with butter and Redmond Real Salt. WOW!! What an easy, yet satisfying meal!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
Hi Jess, oh that dinner sounds delicious! I try to have zucchini and crookneck squash every night when my neighbor brings me some. Fresh is truly the best! I love hearing about different foods, thank you, Linda
One concern we all should have is the adulteration of our food. Example: take a look at the front of a grocery store can of tuna. It will say 100% tuna. And, they are correct. The actual fish in the can IS tuna. Now turn the can around and read the ingredients. Most of the time, grocery store tuna will say “tuna, soy.” That means that up to 49% of the product in that can is allowed to be SOY. Wonder why the canned tuna isn’t flaky anymore?
I get my canned tuna delivered Natural Catch, the company you have pictured above. Wonderful.
It is possible to get all tuna at the grocery. It’s generally in those little foil packets.
Watch out for maple syrup and honey adulteration, too. Grocery store products are almost always diluted with some sort of other “sugar.” My guess is it’s corn syrup. That makes it mighty expensive “sugar.” 49%
Real honey from the bee keeper is expensive these days. Ditto on maple syrup.
What we have found is that when we eat REAL food (even the grassfed/finished beef), we are satisfied with far less of it. Maybe we over eat the other foods because our bodies are craving the nutrition that is absent in them?
I trade my bread for eggs from the neighbor! I do use a bread machine. Not fun to heat up an oven here in the sub-tropics!
As always, your post is wonderful and gets me thinking.
Hi CAddison, great idea on trading your bread for eggs! I believe we will be doing this more and more. Great reminder about the tuna and SOY, yikes! I just bought some honey from Idaho and had it shipped here. Cox’s honey located in Shelley, Idaho. I know the price was high but I was totally out waiting to move into this house. I buy the creamed so I can freeze it. Plus the honey is raw unfiltered and so good! I better check on the maple syrup, thanks for the tip. I’m down to 1/2 gallon. I totally agree the unprocessed food makes us feel fuller and healthier as well. Great comment, Linda
Our daughter inventoried our garage freezer yesterday, and since we have been eating less, it is still 3/4 full. We went to a farmers market two days ago with coupons from the VA so $26. of fruits and vegetables were free. We had a treat because we had a gift card from Longhorn Restaurant. We split a 9oz Filet with 2 sides from curbside pickup for dinner. My husband says I squeeze every penny until it screams.
Hi Chris, that’s awesome! I’ve been told I can turn a penny into a nickel with my savings. Life is good. Cooking from scratch is a skill everyone needs to know. I love gift cards! Yay! Linda
I know chocolate may not be a necessity, but I am seeking wisdom on when to buy. In the past, we always stocked up for the year during the Halloween candy sales. Hershey is saying prices will be going up…ALOT. Do we buy now, or wait and risk the sales not being very good??
Hi Chris, I bought Hershey’s chocolate chips from Costco months ago, because I heard the price was going up. They are cheaper than the 11.5 ounce packages at the grocery store. Everything will be going up in price. I would stock up now, chocolate is one food item I don’t skimp on. I have a lot of chocolate chips, a lot. LOL! Linda