BREADS AND GRAINS
Look for bargains on day-old bread and bakery products. Buy regular rice, oatmeal, and grits instead of the instant and flavored types.
Try whole-grain bread and brown rice to add nutrients and variety to family meals.
VEGETABLES AND SALADS
Look for large bags of frozen vegetables. They may be bargains and you can
cook just the amount you need, close the bag tightly, and put the rest back in
the freezer.
Foods at salad bars can be costly. Some food items-lettuce, cabbage, onions, and carrots-usually cost less in the produce section of the store than at the salad bar. But if you need only a small amount of a vegetable, buying at the salad bar can save money if it reduces the amount you waste.
FRUITS
Buy fresh fruits in season, when they generally cost less.
MILK
Nonfat dry milk is the least expensive way to buy milk. When using it as a beverage, mix it several hours ahead and refrigerate so it can get cold before drinking.
Buy fresh milk in large containers (gallon or 1/2 gallon). These generally cost less than quarts.
Buy fat-free or lowfat milk to cut the amount of fat in your family’s meals. Note that children under 2 years of age should be given only whole milk.
MEAT AND POULTRY
Look for specials at the meat counter. Buying cuts of meat on sale can mean big savings for you.
Buy chuck or bottom round roast instead of sirloin. These cuts have less fat
and cost less. They need to be covered during cooking and cooked longer to make the meat tender. Buy whole chickens and cut them into serving size pieces yourself.
DRY BEANS AND PEAS
Use these sometimes instead of meat, poultry, or fish. They cost less and provide
many of the same nutrients. They are also lower in fat.
BULK FOODS
Buy bulk foods when they are available. They can be lower in price than similar foods sold in packages. Also, you can buy just the amount you need.
TIPS FOR HEALTHY COOKING
Go easy on fat, sugar, and salt in preparing foods. For example, make Oven Crispy Chicken instead of fried chicken or make Baked Cod with Cheese instead of fried fish. You don’t have to leave out all the fat, sugar, or salt-just limit the amount you use.
Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other lowfat seasonings instead of using rich sauces and gravy. Look for ideas about what seasonings to use in some of the recipes in this booklet, like Baked Meatballs, Baked Spicy Fish, and Turkey Chili.
Make homemade desserts sometimes to save money and serve additional healthy foods to the family. For example, try a fruit crisp, like Peach-Apple Crisp, or a pudding like Rice Pudding.
Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower the fat content. For example, try Baked Chicken Nuggets, Chicken and Vegetables, or Oven Crispy Chicken.
Always follow food safety rules in the kitchen to make sure that the food you prepare for your family is safe.
KEEP YOUR FAMILY’S FOOD SAFE
Clean-wash hands and surfaces often:
- Always wash hands with soap and warm running water before handling food.
- Always wash cutting boards, knives, utensils, dishes, and countertops used to cut meat with soapy, hot water right away-before you use them for other foods.
- Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, dishcloths, or sponges, wash them often, and every time they have touched raw meat, poultry, or seafood juices. Use hot soapy water or the hot water cycle of the washing machine.
Separate-don’t cross contaminate:
- Store raw meat, chicken, turkey, and seafood in a sealed, wrapped container in the refrigerator.
- Keep raw meat, chicken, turkey, and seafood away from foods that will not be cooked and foods that are already cooked.
- Never place cooked food on a plate or cutting board that previously held raw meat, chicken,
turkey, or seafood.
Cook-cook to proper temperatures:
- Use a food thermometer to make sure meats, chicken, turkey, fish, and casseroles are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
- Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145 F.
- Cook ground meat to at least 160 .
- Cook whole chicken or turkey to 180 F.
- Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
- Cook fish until it flakes easily with a fork.
Chill-refrigerate promptly:
- Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter. You can also thaw foods under cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Or, use a microwave oven.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftover foods right away. Meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and egg dishes should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
- Keep your refrigerator at 40 or below. Don’t pack the refrigerator. Cool air needs to circulate to keep food safe.
