This article by Renee Beasley Jones, illustrated with photograph by Alan Warren, was published in
the Messenger-Inquirer on May 4, 2017.
Eat fresh, healthy on a budget
By Renee Beasley Jones Messenger-Inquirer
Photo by Alan Warren, Messenger-Inquirer/[email protected]
Margaret Powers O’Bryan, Food Service Assistant for Daviess County Public Schools, left, and Lisa Clark,
Food Services at Meadow Lands Elementary School, right, taste some roasted vegetables out of the oven
on Tuesday as the school staff works with recipes for the upcoming school year.
Compared to already-processed foods, meals made with fresh ingredients can be
prepared just as quickly in many cases, and can't be beat when it comes to nutrition.
In addition, eating fresh doesn't have to break the bank.
For optimum savings, meals require a bit of planning, said Mary Higginbotham, the
Daviess County Cooperative Extension agent for family and consumer science education.
"I have a hard time when I hear people say eating fresh food is expensive," Higginbotham
said. "It's a misconception."
She recommends basing meals around in-season fruits and vegetables because they tend
to be more reasonably priced.
Instead of buying cans or jars of spaghetti sauce, for example, make it from scratch in
large batches when tomatoes are in season. Divide and freeze the sauce in meal-sized
portions for future use. (Hint: Spaghetti sauce can cook all day in a slow cooker while the
family chef works.)
Higginbotham recommends weekly menu planning as a way to spend less and eat a more
heathful diet. Busy families spend too much of their monthly food budgets at fast-food
restaurants because it's convenient. Even an hour of planning at the beginning of the week
can yield savings.
Other Extension tips for eating better on a budget are:
Prepare a shopping list, which saves time and money. Make use of weekly specials and
use coupons. Compare unit pricing on grocery shelves. Grow a garden. With two small
children and a busy work life, Suzanne Cecil White knows how difficult it is to find time for
meal planning and preparation.
But her thoughts on using fresh produce have transformed in the past six years.
White, of Daviess County, is the director of operations at Cecil Farms Produce, which
opened in 2011.
Buying from local producers guarantees freshness, she said. Fruits and vegetables are
picked hours before they are sold. "And you have an opportunity to have a relationship
with the person who raised it."
Low-income families can use federal vouchers at grocers and the farmers' market.
White agrees with Higginbotham; it's a myth that fresh foods cost more and require more
time to prepare.
If that were the case, local schools and independent restaurants -- both of which operate
on tight food budgets -- would not buy fresh and cook from scratch, White said.
About 10 years ago, Daviess County Public Schools started buying in-season produce
from local growers.
The school system's food program provides nutritious meals for thousands of students, but
it also serves an educational purpose.
"Our (food) program is designed to teach children to eat healthy," said Lisa Sims, the
school system's nutrition director.
At one time, Sims sent home recipes to entice families to make food from scratch and to
try new items. Educating parents about food is important, she said. For example, at a
school event, several parents couldn't identify a grapefruit.
In her job, Sims constantly assesses cost versus value.
This time of year, the school system's tomatoes come from a Philpot grower. DCPS also
buys local fruit and vegetables from other producers when they are in season.
And kids notice the difference, Sims said.
"(Students) will tell you if something is inferior," said Margaret Powers O'Bryan, a trained
chef who works in DCPS' food program.
For families on a budget, preparing fresh food from scratch is not a high-dollar option, she
said.
Powers O'Bryan buys 1-pound bags of peeled, ready-to-eat carrots for 89 cents each.
Apples cost about $2 for a 3-pound bag. Blueberries run $1.49 a pint.
Those purchases are packed with more fiber and nutrition -- and less sodium and fat -than a comparably priced package of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese or other processed go-to foods.
"The world today is so fast and high-tech, and people are in a hurry," she said. "(Eating
fresh and cooking from scratch) doesn't take that much time."
Spring Harvest Salad
Ingredients:
5 cups torn spring leaf lettuce
2½ cups spinach leaves
1½ cups sliced strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
Dressing:
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Kentucky honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
½ cup unsalted sliced almonds
Directions:
Combine leaf lettuce and spinach leaves with sliced strawberries, blueberries and green
onion in a large salad bowl. Prepare dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive
oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and salt; pour over lettuce mixture and toss to
coat. Sprinkle salad with feta cheese and sliced almonds. Serve immediately.
Beefy Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked, whole wheat couscous
1 small tomato, diced
½ cup garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
4 large bell peppers
½ pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Directions:
Cook couscous according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine
cooked couscous, tomato, beans, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt and mozzarella cheese in
large bowl; set aside. Remove the tops, seeds and membranes from peppers. Cook
peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain upside down on paper towels. Cook beef until
lightly browned in skillet. Add minced garlic and green onions to beef and sauté until soft.
Drain fat. Toss beef mixture into the couscous mixture. Stuff bell peppers evenly with
mixture. Place in a lightly greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until
peppers are tender and cheese is melted.