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By Jill Kokkonen May, University of Minnesota Extension
ST. PAUL, Minn. (7/14/2008) — It seems that the prices of essential items are rising all around us, including the prices of our basic foods. Many families are eating more meals at home, and they are also looking for low-cost options for family entertainment. Instead of viewing cooking as a chore, see it as a way to connect with family. That way, cooking does double duty as an “entertainment” option as well as a necessary act to feed a family.
Almost every age can do something to take part in preparing a meal. Generally, the more “from-scratch” cooking you do, the more money you save and the less sodium, fat and sugar you consume.
To stretch higher cost foods, offer smaller portions of expensive items, like meat. Provide less expensive side dishes, and peanut butter and crackers for snacks. Spark curiosity in new foods by asking kids and teens to peruse your recipe books, cookbooks from the library, or online cooking sites to find other snack ideas.
Plan to use leftovers in the next meal. Bake a chicken for one meal, have chicken salad sandwiches for the next. Again, this is an opportunity to try something new from a cooking website, or a conversation topic if you ask some friends what they do with their leftover chicken.
Making bread from scratch is a great weekend activity, and the results are delicious. If you are short on time, bread machines are a great alternative. If you don’t own one, you may find one cheap at a garage sale. There are many ways to add extra flavor and nutrition to breads, so brainstorming ideas can be an activity in itself.
If you have been increasing the amount of organic foods that you have been buying, consider cutting back on those items that may be safest even if not organic, such as bananas and peas, and other foods with shells and peels. You could start a whole new social network if you involve your family and friends in a community garden. A small home garden has never been a bad idea either.
Challenge your family to devise meat-free menus for a day or two—try some Indian food recipes, for example. Indian food often contains dried beans and lentils that are made flavorful with spices and are a great source of inexpensive protein. Even though egg prices are up, they are another source of relatively inexpensive protein. Eggs are versatile and can be a part of any meal.
Meal plans and shopping lists help you make choices that stretch your food dollar, and children can learn about finances and food if they help. If you are on a very limited budget, University of Minnesota Extension’s Nutrition Education Program offers sessions to teach you skills and tips to help you feed your family well. To locate your county’s Nutrition Education Assistant and to see if you qualify, visit www.extension.umn.edu/Nutrition.Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line:
Jill Kokkonen May is a health and nutrition educator with University of Minnesota Extension.
NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.
URL: http://
www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2008/makecookingfun.html This page was updated July 21, 2008
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