Tips for Stretching Food Dollars

Tips for Stretching Food Dollars

While the economy continues to sputter, gas prices climb and food prices increase, household budgets are getting stretched. Here are some tips for stretching food dollars while eating healthy.

• Be willing to spend a little more time preparing foods. In most cases, the more processed a food is, the more it will cost. For example, a one-pound bag of baby carrots usually costs more than a one-pound bag of standard carrots. Similarly, popcorn that is already popped or in a convenience form usually costs more than popcorn that need to be popped in a kettle or popcorn popper.
• Take advantage of food sales if you have the space to safely store what you won’t use right away.
• Prepare meals and snacks at home and take them with you rather than purchasing meals and snacks at a restaurant or from a vending machine.
• Choose healthy, low-cost foods for snacks. Examples of healthy, inexpensive snacks are graham crackers with a glass of fat-free milk, carrot sticks with a dip, or a homemade trail mix with cereal, raisins and peanuts.
•  Frozen and canned vegetables and fruits may be less expensive than fresh, especially when the fresh varieties are not in season.