Inexpensive food is a thing of the past. Food prices soared almost four percent last month alone! This is the biggest gain since November 1974. Most of that increase was due to a sharp rise in vegetable costs, which increased nearly 50 percent.

What’s Going On?
The price of corn doubled in the last six months. According to the US Department of Agriculture, US corn reserves will drop to a 15-year low by the end of 2011. That means meat and dairy products are also on the rise, because cows are fed corn.

The price of wheat has almost doubled since the middle of 2010. According to Forbes, the price of soybeans is up about 50 percent since last June.

Katelyn knows it’s hard to save pennies when food is more expensive.

The United Nations says the global price of food hit another new all-time high in the month of January. They are projecting the global price of food will increase by another 30 percent by the end of 2011.

Major Price Increases Still to Come
It’s no surprise that food producers will pass on their cost increases. General Mills said it plans to raise prices on one-fourth of its breakfast cereals. The USDA expects cereals and bakery items to increase 2 to 3 percent in 2011. Sara Lee in August said it was raising prices for its breads and deli meats. J.M. Smucker, Kraft Foods and Starbucks have all raised coffee prices.

Global Weather & Food Supply
Major weather catastrophes in various parts of the world is contributing to food inflation:
>Crop damage from the freezing weather in Florida this winter.
>This winter Brazil and Australia were hit by some of the worst flooding they ever saw. This has hampered their food production.
>Russia, one of the largest wheat producers in the world, is still feeling the effects of last summer’s scorching temperatures. Russia imported wheat this winter to sustain it’s cattle herds.
>China is dealing with the worst drought it has seen in 200 years. The drought which expected to last into the 2011 growing season. This will have a huge impact on several provinces that grow two-thirds of their wheat. The Chinese imports of corn may be about nine times larger than the US Department of Agriculture originally projected it to be in 2011.
>Japan is a top consumer of rice. The recent tsunami swept away homes and crops. How much of their rice production will be affected is still to be determined. Add to that catastrophe, possible radiation fallout and there is a giant unknown for crops in Japan.

It is expected the price of groceries will continue its upward climb. One estimate is there will be an additional 4 percent increase this year. If you don’t already have a well-stocked pantry, it’s not too late–you can still prepare:
Food Storage
Waste Less Save More
Save Grocery Dollars

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The typical American family wastes between 25 and 50 percent of the food they purchase. By one estimate, Americans waste more than 40 percent of the food we produce for consumption. This figure includes food tossed at restaurants and stores.

We are seeing food prices raise dramatically. Global food prices have increased for eight straight months. Wheat, corn, sugar, dairy, meat, and oils have experienced record highs.

Ally has another great money-saving tip:
Slice, then freeze leftover bell peppers (and onions) in baggies.
No need to defrost: add frozen to casseroles, stews and soups.

Add to that the pain at the pump (with the daily rising cost of oil) and we’re sure to see more increases at the grocers. An obvious way to extend your food budget is to make the food last longer and to wastes less. If you’re eating whole foods with lots of fresh produce, you’ll want to know how to make it last. Being a savvy shopper means getting the best price for food and then eating it BEFORE it spoils. You can prolong the life of fresh food, when it’s properly stored.

Chew On These Dozen Food Tips
1. Store veggies (produce without seeds) in the veggie bin and fruit (produce with seeds) in the fruit bin. When veggies and fruit are stored together, they spoil more quickly.

2. Line your refrigerator’s crisper drawers with paper towels; that will absorb excess moisture and keep your produce from rotting.

3. A bay leaf in a container of flour, pasta or rice will repel bugs.

4. Bananas spoil less quickly in a bunch — keep them together until you eat them.  Peel and freeze ripe bananas in individual baggies for a quick addition to a fruit smoothie.

5. To make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, turn the container upside down — this creates a vacuum which inhibits the growth of bacteria.

6. Remove as much air as possible from bags of produce. Oxygen accelerates decay.

7. Snip off the bottom of the stems of parsley and cilantro. Fill a glass jar with water and place the stem ends of the herbs into the water. Cover loosely with a plastic baggie and store in the refrigerator.  Change the water every few days. The herbs can last up to 2 weeks.

8. Store fresh herbs (like basil and thyme) in the freezer. They’ll stay fresh for months and defrost instantly when you want to use them for cooking.

9. Make limp celery, carrots and radishes crisp again by placing them in a bowl of ice water.

10. Put a kernel of rice in your saltshaker to absorb condensation and keep salt from hardening.

11. Before storing mushrooms in the refrigerator, take them out of the plastic container and place them in a paper bag.

12. Store your butter in the freezer; it will keep fresh for up to six months.

For a Bakers’ Dozen:
Make it a habit to immediately label and freeze leftovers. (This is one I’ve gotten better at. Still, sometimes, I don’t get around to freezing leftovers right away, then I end up throwing them out.)

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My daughter, Jackie, called the other day to ask if I’d purchased ground buffalo meat from Costco in the last week. I had not and asked why she wanted to know. It seems the price had jumped three dollars a pound. The last time Jackie purchased ground buffalo it was $5 a pound. The meat was presently priced at $8 at the Costco near her.

The next time I was in Costco, I checked the price. It was $8 a pound. I called her and told her to “get used to it.” This is only the first of many price jumps in food.

According to official stats, America’s inflation rate is only around 1-2 percent, so there’s no problem. Really? The government’s official inflation rate is based on annual changes in the consumer price index (which excludes food and energy costs). This is very misleading.

Economists, like John Williams of ShadowStats.com, pegs inflation at a much higher 8.5 percent! If you have been in a grocery store lately, you know that Williams’ assessment is closer to the truth.

1) QE
Add to the current inflation, the Federal Reserve’s most recent expansion of the money supply, dubbed “quantitative easing” or QE. (QE is just plan ol’ inflation.)

QE isn’t taking Ally by surprise. She’s been saving.

Bill Gross, a global investment manager, says the Fed’s latest action (QE2) may result in the U.S. dollar losing 20 percent of its value! You can expect BIG increases in just about everything during the next couple of years due to QE. You know the stimulus bills have to be paid sometime. (Bush added $4 trillion, then $10 trillion has been added so far under Obama.)

If there are no new taxes (you can’t convince me there won’t be), then inflating the dollar will do the same. The only surprise to me is that the Federal Reserve managed to wait this long. I thought for sure we’d be hit hard by inflation last autumn.

QE translates into BIG increases in the price of everything from food, utilities and gasoline.

2) Oil
Speaking of gasoline, if QE wasn’t enough, the price of oil continues to rise. Oil prices threaten our already damaged economy. Oil prices have edged closer to $100 a barrel in recent weeks and Brent crude hit $98 a barrel today. (Update: For the balance of January, crude oil fluctuated between $80 and $85. February 3 it rose to $103 a barrel and then settled just below $90 the next day. The oil market is sure to continue it’s rise.)

When the price of gas goes up, you pay more to get to work, take the kids to school and go to the grocery store. Not only are you paying more to get “there”, but when the price of oil goes up…so does EVERYTHING else. Everything we purchase is trucked to the store, so any increase in the price of gas is passed to the consumer (you).

3) Food
World food prices rose to a record in December on higher sugar, grain and oilseed costs, the United Nations said. The price of oilseeds, cereals and sugar was at a 30-year high. Add to that, US grain stockpiles are the lowest in 30 years. Just about everything is up according to The Business Insider: Beef 23%; Salmon 30%; Coffee 45%; Barley 32%, Sugar 24%, Oranges 35% and Wheat 63%.

Other than “getting used to it” there are some things you can do to prepare. It’s not too late, if you act now. My next blog is Prepare for Food Inflation. Also you can check out the blogs to the right of this page in the Food Storage category.

For information on long-term food storage,
Click Here.

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YIKES: An estimated 27 percent of the food available for consumption, according to a government study, ends ups as waste. This includes food purchased at the supermarket, in restaurants and cafeterias, and food stored in your kitchen. It works out to about a pound of food every day for every American.

Wasted food equals wasted money. The old proverb, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” is equally true for food consumption. Eating all the food you purchase is saving grocery dollars. Wasting less means saving more. It requires small shifts in the way you plan your meals and store your food.

Use All Your Food
Your job is to keep track of the food that you have on hand and make sure that it gets eaten or preserved before it goes bad and needs to be thrown out. All it takes is a little planning, some organization and the willingness to be creative.

Zach knows that consuming all the food purchased is like a savings account.

Shop Wisely
First, buying the proper amount of food and eating food before it spoils will save you money and reduce energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions.

I hate having to throw out spoiled food. I do everything I can to avoid it. Yet, I have a bunch of beets that I will throw out in this week’s garbage. I purchased them a couple of weeks ago. A new grandbaby was born and I was away from home a lot. Now the beets are way past prime. It’s time to toss them. (Although the nutrition is less than ideal, I make my own dog food, so I could cook them up for the dogs.)

Plan Ahead
When you plan your meals in advance, you will buy only what you will consume. I regularly shop at Costco. Most items are packaged in large amounts. Costco sells sliced turkey that makes for a great sandwich, but it must be consumed a few days after opening. I automatically freeze what we will not eat in three days. If one roisterer chicken is more than your family can eat at one meal, chop up the remaining chicken for a casserole or salad. If you can’t eat it the next day, freeze it for later.

Store Food for Longer Life…Especially Produce
Keep a well-stocked pantry with often-used items. Every week, go through your fridge, cabinets and storage to see what’s getting close to its pull date or is starting to spoil. Make it into a meal, preserve it or freeze it. A well-stocked pantry will make it possible to toss together left-over ingredients with other items for a new meal. Click Here to find out how you can make your produce last longer.

To avoid throwing out leftovers, I make a special effort to freeze food that has been in the frig for a couple of days. If we don’t eat it right away, I freeze it. Leftovers can be pulled out of the freezer for a quick lunch or even a hardy snack.

Find recipes for tasty leftover meals. My husband loves casseroles. Casseroles are great ways to re-invent leftovers and produce needing to be consumed. Toss noodles or rice with leftover meat and leftover veggies and presto a yummy casserole. There are lots of recipes for casseroles on this site and in my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater.

Eating Out
Portions are usually too large when you eat out. Ask the waitperson, how large their portions are. Many times, I’ll split a meal with whomever I’m with, my husband, friend, or sister.

If you bring a container home with your leftovers, eat them the next day. Or they will end up in the trash. If you don’t eat them yourself, give them to your dog. (Restaurant leftovers are called “doggie bags” for a reason, so give them to your doggie. But, don’t give your dog fried food.)

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Keep Produce Fresher, Longer
1. You may think your kids fight a lot, but fruit and veggies don’t like each other at all! They’re constantly fighting in your refrigerator! The solution is to separate them. Manufacturers know this and build refrigerators with special bins for each. For optimum nutrition, taste, and longevity, store plants with seeds (fruit) separately from plants without seeds (vegetables).

Ally knows fruit (produce with seeds, like this happy watermelon) should be stored separately from veggies (produce without seeds).

2. Remove the tops from beets, carrots, and radishes because the sap will continue to flow from the root to the leaf. This deprives the part to be eaten of some of its nutrients.

3. If your lettuce or celery is wilted, soak it in cold water. The vegetable will absorb the water and crisp up once again.

4. Place mushrooms in a brown paper bag to enhance longer storage.

5. Potatoes, onions, and garlic should be stored in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place—not the refrigerator.

Don’t place them under the sink either, as the moisture will cause them to quickly spoil.

6. Bananas turn black when stored in the refrigerator. Keep them on the counter.

7. Always thoroughly wash vegetables and fruit to remove bacteria. Preferably wash and dry before placing in the refrigerator.

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It all starts with baby’s first solid food. Many moms purchase their baby’s first solid foods ready-made. The baby food jars are certainly cute, but this is usually NOT a healthy choice and definitely NOT the most economical.

Many baby foods have added sugars and thickeners, such as modified food starches, and flours. Organic baby foods will be your best source for nutrition in the store bought variety. Of course, no pesticides are used in the growing process of organic foods, although the cost will be higher.

Grace finds it hard to believe that baby food is sooo easy to make.
Photo taken by Mary Beth Graff Photography: http://www.mbgpics.com/

In a Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI ) report about baby food they say, “Baby foods are very high priced compared to similar regular foods… parents often pay more than double for baby food fruit juices and applesauce…Makers of baby food encourage a mystique about their products. They want parents to think that commercial baby foods have special properties that make them particularly appropriate, if not essential, for infants.”

CSPI recommends making your own baby food and always avoid baby food desserts. I agree! What makes baby food applesauce any different from applesauce for big people? NOTHING…both should be sugar-free! I’d like to know who came up with the idea of baby dessert, anyway. Since when do we need to teach our children to eat sweets? Babies shouldn’t eat any sugar, at least during the first year, after that only sparingly, if at all.

Most babies are ready to begin solid food at about 6 months. Making your baby’s food gives you total control over what goes into your baby’s tiny tummy. You’ll know it’s free of additives and you’ll have the option of preparing organic foods for your baby. If your family is prone to food allergies, homemade baby food will ensure your baby will not ingest hidden allergenic ingredients!

It’s not difficult to make your own baby food
Before you begin, you should make sure you have clean hands and clean utensils. Homemade baby food will store for three days in your refrigerator or you can freeze it in baby-size portions in an ice cube tray. Once the food is frozen, remove the individual portions and defrost when needed in the refrigerator. After feeding your baby, throw out any uneaten portion, because bacteria will quickly grow.

The first grains to introduce should be oatmeal, barley, and brown rice. You can make your own baby cereal by grinding up the grains in a food blender (or even a clean coffee grinder). To make a powder of the grain, place a cup or two of brown rice, barley, or oatmeal in your blender. Turn on to high and process until it’s the consistency of a powder. Store your powdered grains in an air tight container, in a cool dry place. When you’re ready to make the cereal, Put ¾ of a cup of water into a saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add one ½ cup of the grain powder. Use a whisk to mix it together. Simmer for about 10 minutes and continue to whisk the entire time. Add liquid (breast milk or formula) to the desired thickness. Baby cereal stores nicely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Of course you can also freeze cereal in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, place the cubes into a plastic bag and store them for up to 3 months.

When your baby is ready to add more food items, it’s a good idea to know which foods to avoid. Foods to stay away from the first year of baby’s life are chocolate, citrus fruit, egg, fish, honey, milk, peanut, shellfish, soy, sugar, tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.), and wheat.

Introduce new foods at the rate of one per week, so you can pinpoint any allergies or sensitivities. Make sure your child has accepted grains, vegetables, and fruits before adding any meats. Steam vegetables to retain as much vitamins and minerals as possible, as opposed to boiling.

First foods to consider after brown rice, barley, and oats are applesauce, apricots, avocados, bananas, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, mangoes, peas, peaches, pears, pumpkins, squash, and yams. Add meats (turkey, chicken, lamb, and beef) after your baby is used to eating grains, veggies, and fruits.

I think it’s best to wait until a baby is able to pick up small pieces of food him/herself, before introducing most food. Just make sure the food is soft and coarsely mashed or chopped into very tiny pieces. Another easy method is to grate food items for a toddler: carrots, apples, pears, etc. Know that a baby may eat only a tablespoon or so of food at a time. Don’t force your baby to eat any food.

If you want to puree the food, then steam it and puree it in a blender or mash it with a potato masher or fork. Add liquid as you are pureeing or blending to the desired consistency. The secret to how much food you put in the kitchen appliance you use to puree is that the container basket should never be more than half-full. No appliance will do a good job if it’s overstuffed! Fill the container less than half way and add a scant amount of liquid to begin.

It’s not usually until the second year, that babies tend to become picky. If your baby (and then toddler) eats only whole foods, picky eating won’t EVER become a problem.

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…Buy Whole Foods

Stretching your food budget is BIG news today. I’ve been a guest on several TV and radio programs as of late: offering tips on how to save at the grocery store. There’s a heightened interest with concerns about the economy. So much so, it’s common for regular TV news features to focus on ways to make your grocery dollars stretch.

It seems there’s another magazine article on saving at the grocery store with each new issue. The latest is from Consumer Reports, “Shop Smart & Save Big.” CR offers their best grocery tips, comparison shops for the lowest price, and customers rate supermarkets. CR cut their grocery bill in half by paying attention to price, purchasing store brands, and frequenting warehouse stores. All are tried and true techniques.

Ally knows how to pinch pennies.

CR says coupons can also bring down your grocery bill, even though coupons are usually for highly processed food items. Most of the time, I only recommend coupons for non-perishable items, like diapers and other paper products. Otherwise, it’s best to stay away from processed foods, even with the benefit of a coupon, and stick with whole foods.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but it does, without fail articles and news reports focused on saving, invariably, include highly processed foods. The truth is when you purchase whole foods your food budget will go further. We believe the opposite, because we’re comparing the wrong items. We’re stuck in a rut of processed foods.

Moms often tell me purchasing whole foods is too expensive, yet they load up their shopping carts with processed cookies, crackers, chips, and soda. Dollar for dollar, junk foods are the most expensive items in the grocery store, with no nutritional value whatsoever. Instead of spending $3 or $4 on a bag of chips or cookies, buy fresh fruit. It’s much cheaper to purchase beans cooking them yourself, rather than canned beans. In addition, your health will benefit as well, saving dollars spent on medical care.

Pound for pound, nuts may be expensive, but eating just a few will stop hunger pains, filling you up. Actually, that’s the key to whole foods. Just a little will satisfy you. When you eat a diet of processed foods, devoid of nutrients, you overeat. Your body is trying to get the nutrients it requires, but you’re eating empty calories. You spend more, because your family eats more. When your family eats whole foods, they will feel satiated, consuming less food.

Enough Already
Okay, you agree, but you’re always running to catch up with yourself. Who has the time to cook whole foods? It’s true, whole foods can take a little more time to prepare. I offer three time-saving tips in Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. They’re summarized in my blog, Three Easy Meal Tips.

You can save grocery dollars and save time in the process. To expedite the process, it’s a good idea to make a few initial expenditures. Three time-saving small appliances worth investing in are a pressure cooker (the original fast food), a crock pot (slow cooker), and the best blender you can afford. I love my VitaMix—a blender on steroids.

With whole foods, my Three Easy Meal Tips, and three helpful appliances, there are no excuses. You’ll save grocery dollars AND have healthy meals on the table in just minutes!

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We’re used to making daily or weekly trips to the grocery store and having everything we need available when we want it. Food shortages are unthinkable.

In 1999, many families decided to beef up their pantries for Y2K. It was thought computer chips would fail with the rollover to January 1, 2000. Computer chips hold our energy grid together and there was concern food distribution would be effected along with other services. Thankfully, Y2K turned out to be a non-event and the millennium began as any other year. Most U.S. family food storage disappeared after Y2K.

Zach is saving for a rainy day. Are you?

So why have food storage? Turns out computer chips were a new concern. Since Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, it became necessary to store food.

It’s only recently, that families don’t grow and prepare their food for at least a year’s storage. One group, the Mormons, still encourage their members to store a year’s food supply for their families (and neighbors in case of a disaster), but only 15 percent actually do it.

It’s 2009 and Y2K is long-forgotten; so why have food storage? Convenience is one reason. I get irritated when a favorite item isn’t available at the grocery store. Just recently, the brand of applesauce I purchase has been unavailable. To avoid this in the future, I decided to buy a case of applesauce when it’s restocked.

With the recession, many families have found their pantry was more than a convenience. A friend of mine, whose husband was laid off six months ago, told me during the past months they have been eating the food she had in her freezer and pantry. The food in her home became a savings account, which they could draw on in their financial crisis.

In recent years, we experienced natural disasters disrupting the food supply and the energy grid for various regions in the U.S. We’ve all seen what happens when a weather alert advises families to stock up for a hurricane or blizzard. In short order, grocery shelves are emptied.

Disasters include more than the weather or losing a job. Other disasters include a terrorist attack, illness, injury, divorce, and death in the family. These almost always have severe financial repercussions. When you have food storage, it’s comforting to know that your pantry won’t be empty in a couple of days.

There’s one more important reason we should be looking at storing food, today. Food storage is a hedge against inflation. Last summer, when the price of gas jumped to over four dollars, the cost of food went up, too. What will happen, when inflation hits hard and everything goes up…a lot?

Our country is experiencing tough financial times. The banking bailout and the stimulus package are massive spending plans. The government has been printing new money to finance the bailout debt. It may take six months or a year, but rapid inflation is inevitable.  Just when we will see inflation hit in a big way is still unknown. (Hopefully we won’t experience hyperinflation.) Massive money creation always destroys the purchasing power of the currency.  It hits hardest on those who are retired and others on fixed income or families who’ve lost one income. It’s worst for those who have lost their only source of income; who can’t purchase at any price.

Food bought and stored today may be a smarter investment than putting money in the bank. This is especially true when you purchase extra food items on sale. Present interest rates are in the tank. A really good interest rate is a mere 4 percent and that’s very hard to find. Most CDs are at 3 percent. When you factor in the Current Economic Indicators for February 2009 with an inflation rate of 9 percent: stored food becomes a savings account earning more interest than banks are offering.

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Although, I frequently shop at a whole foods store, you can save on organics at big box stores like Sam’s Club and Costco. Since there’s not a Sam’s Club near me, I have a Costco membership. You’d think that Costco would have a list of organic products carried online, but I couldn’t find one. This is my unofficial list. My list is not inclusive and because items are constantly being changed. The most frustrating thing about Costco is that a favorite item will disappear from the shelves…sometimes for good, sometimes for a season.

Not all of these items are available in all Costco stores, some are seasonal and some are for reasons unknown to me are not always available.

Organic Frozen Foods (They keep adding to the organic frozen foods…YEA)
Asparagus (Pacific Meadows)
Blackberries
Blueberries (Scenic Fruit or Pacific Meadows)
Berries, mixed (Cascadian Farms)
Broccoli (Natural Choice)
Cherries (Townsend)
Corn ( Bybees)
Frozen Yogurt (Julie’s Organic lowfat strawberry)
Garden Trio (Bybee)
Green Beans (Lisa’s)
Peas (Bybee)
Peaches (Wawona)
Salmon (check to see if it’s from the Pacific Ocean and not farmed)

Organic Produce
Apples, sliced
Apples and Pears — occasionally are organic
Carrots & Mini Carrots
Edmamame (Fusjsan)
Mangeos (Pacific Meadows)
Spring Mixed Lettuce
Spinach
Roma tomatoes aren’t organic, but pesticide free

Not organic produce with peels or shells, so you’re throwing away most
(I added the word most, after Mike’s comment below) of the exterior pesticides.
Avocados
Bananas
Garlic
Onions
Oranges
Potatoes
Nuts in the shell seasonally

Organic Dairy
Butter (Kirkland)
Cheese (Organic Creamery Sharp Cheddar)
Eggs (Some stores have cage-free eggs) “ Free-range Chicken Eggs.”
(I believe that Sam’s Club carries organic eggs)
Milk, but it’s 1 percent (Whole milk is a whole food, children need healthy fats, see “ Whole Milk Challenge.”)
Tapioca
Tofu
Yogurt

Organic Meat
Organic Chicken Breasts, Thighs & Whole Chickens
Beef (grass fed is better than corn fed, but organic fed is a step up from commercially grown beef)

Organic Grains
Brown Rice, short grain (Lundberg)
Cereal (Ancient Grains, Mesa Sunrise, Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola & Kirkland Instant Oatmeal)
Farro (Earthy Delights)
Quinoa (Red Hill)
Wild Rice (Harvest Medley)

Other Organic Products
Alpine Valley Organic Multi-Grain Bread
Apple sauce (Treetop)
Apple Chips (Bare Fruit)
Beef Jerky
Blue Agave
Chicken Broth (small amount of sugar)
Corn (Westrae canned corn)
Coffee (Magnum)
Figs ( Black Mission Figs)
Flax
Granola (Udi’s)
Ketchup (Heinz)
Maple Syrup
Olive Oil (extra virgin)
Peanut butter
Rudi’s Bread
Raisins (Sunmaid-comes in 2 two-pound packages)
Rice Dream Rice Drink
Salad Dressing (Newmans’ Own)
Salsa (Kirkland)
Salmon (Bear & Wolf wild Alaskan salmon)
Seasoning, No Salt (Kirkland)
Soup (Amy’s Lentil & Pacific Red Pepper)
Soy Milk, plain and vanilla  (Kirkland)
Strawberry Spread (Kirkland) It has 8 grams of organic sugar (two teaspoons) per serving.
Spaghetti & Macaroni (Garogalo Organic whole wheat)
Tomatoes (canned, brand changes)

Organic, Not Necessarily Healthful, Because They Are Highly Processed (may have added sugar)
Candy (The ingredients shouldn’t contain additives such as artificial colorings and flavorings.)
Cake mix (Sof’ella Gulten-Free Chocolate Cake and Frosting.)
Cereal (Kirkland Raisin bran & Kashi Autumn Wheat)
Corn Tortilla Chips
Granola bars (Nature’s Path)
Macaroni and Cheese (Annie’s)
Healthy Handfuls (organic toddler cookies, not necessarily healthful, but organic)
Italian Blood Orange Fruit Drink
Oatmeal (Kirkland instant)
Sugar (not healthful at all, but there may be times when a little sugar is needed)

Products which are NOT organic, without too many additives or sugar
Chicken Breast for sandwiches and salads (Kirkland)
Crackers (Milton’s Multi-grain & Crunchmaster Crackers are trans fat & interesterified fat free )
Fruit Leather (Stretch Island Fruit Co. no artificial ingredients)
Mushrooms (canned)
Marinara Sauce (White Linen Collection-needs some added Italian seasonings)
Tuna (Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna)

*These are the brands that I have purchased from Costco, but they can change. If you purchase an organic food item from Costco and it’s not on my list, leave a comment. I’ll add it to the list. Thanks

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Yes, preparing healthy meals may take a little time, especially in the beginning. It’s essential to shop for the best nutritional value and then have a resource of healthy easy-to-make recipes.

Nicole doubts I can purchase whole foods on a food budget of only $300 a month!

Whole foods, like fresh produce, whole grains, and dairy, satisfy hunger and pack a lot of nutrition into a few bites. Each calorie is nutrient-dense and packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and essential amino and fatty acids. Whole foods take longer to digest, warding off food cravings between meals.

Last Spring, I talked with a group of parents from the Colorado Homeless Families in Jefferson County. These are parents who are attending school, receiving job training, and education to better care for their families. Most are temporarily on food stamps. Jefferson County allows a maximum of $298 a month for two people. It’s a sliding scale, larger families receive more and food stamps are adjusted to the family’s income. Also, it’s expected that each family will supplement their food stamps with their income.

For the purpose of my demonstration, I went to a Super WalMart to purchase two week’s groceries for two people. I used $300 as my monthly food budget. You’ll be happy to know that I purchased more than enough food for two people and I only purchased whole foods. Sometimes, I even purchased organic foods! I refused to purchase expensive processed junk foods, which don’t contain any nutrients.   CLICK HERE to print off a FREE helpful grocery list.

This is how I spent my food budget for one week, $75. To economize larger size items were purchased with $25 of the next week’s food budget and used for the second week’s groceries. (I spent $100) . Prices reflect Spring 2008:

I shopped using the recipes found in Baby Bites for dinner which serve 4. I planned to freeze ½ for a second meal. Of course, I included items like flour for pancakes, oatmeal, and eggs for breakfast, lunch items and even food for snacking in my grocery shopping. CLICK HERE for Nonna’s Favorite Pancakes.

1) Spanish Rice & Beans, pg 121

2) Cheesy Salmon Casserole, pg 125

3) Spinach & Tomato Medley, pg 121

4) Lentil Pilaf, pg 128

5) Gilled chicken breasts, salad, lentils.

$34      Dairy, Poultry & Bread:

2.30     Butter, 1 pound

3.40*   Organic eggs, 1 dozen ($1.63 less if not organic)

5.30*   Organic milk, 1 gallon ($1.22 less if not organic)

2.50*   Dannon plain yogurt

2.25     Mozzarella cheese, 8 ounces

4.00     Cheddar cheese, 16 ounces

3.55*   Organic bread

10.00   3 lb.(6) Tyson chicken breasts without hormones & antibiotics

$16*    Produce:

0.70     1 lb carrots

1.40     1 lb celery

1.85     2 green bell peppers

1.00     1 pound onions

4.40     Clemintine oranges, bag of 7

0.30     Garlic

0.90     Frozen spinach

0.65     2 small tomatoes

2.70     4 pounds of bananas (8)

1.50     1 head lettuce

.50     Avocado

*Weekly purchases

$11 Canned Goods:

3.30     2 cans 14 ounces salmon (1.65)

1.80     3 cans tomatoes (60 each)

1.30     2 cans black beans (60 each)

1.20     2 cans pinto beans

3.00     32 ounces organic chicken broth

1.20     2 cans of 6 ounce light tuna

$36      Staples:

This section is divided: $18 weekly

1.85     Red wine vinegar (or balsamic)

1.85     1 10 ounce jar green olives

3.00     Smuckers Strawberry Jelly 15 ounce, Low Sugar, No High Fructose Corn Syrup

1.70     Popping corn, 2 pounds

5.15     Extra virgin olive oil, 15 ounces

2.20     Best Foods mayo, 15 ounces, No High Fructose Corn Syrup

1.90     Applesauce, 3 pounds, No Sugars

1.80     Raisins, 1 pound

2.15     Wheat flour, 5 pounds

2.60     Smucker’s peanut butter, 1 pound, No Sugars

2.00     Rolled oats, 2 pounds, 10 ounces

2.50     Pace Salsa, 1 pound, No Sugars

0.75     Lentils, 1 pound

3.00     Brown rice, 28 ounces

.35     Baking Soda

.85     Baking Powder

2.50    Honey

1.25     Cinnamon

Sub-Total          97.00

Taxes              +3.00

Total Bill           100.00

-25.00 for 2^nd week*

1 Week Total   $75.00

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

For info about the free Baby Bites Ezine, CLICK HERE.