We all know that a meal at a nice restaurant is more expensive than cooking at home. You may also know that daily fast-food meals add up quickly, and there are of course the inherent health consequences to choosing drive-thru dinners.
What you might not know, is that in your efforts to save money by eating at home, you can fall trap to some added costs that keep the grocery bills equally high. Things like frozen meals, bottled salad dressing, and ingredients that you only use once, can be a total money pit.
Last night we made a wonderful meal at home that cost less than $10.
We roasted two game hens, and stuffed them with cubed butternut squash and chopped onion that had been lightly sautéed in olive oil (until just tender). We then sliced some potatoes and laid them on the bottom of the roasting pan. We placed the birds on top of the potatoes, and cooked them at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes. We then tossed some green salad with salad dressing recipe below to round out the meal.
It was a gorgeous and easy meal that would have cost at least $20 per person at a restaurant.
I was so inspired by this that I wanted to share my Top Five Tricks for Cooking Healthy on a Budget. See if these work for you:
1. Spices are spices: You may buy the most expensive brands because you assume they are better quality. 99% of the time, spices are comparable – you just pay for the brand name. Before you purchase, compare labels. If the ingredients are exactly the same, and there are no fillers or preservatives, go for the generic or store brand product. You will pay more for organic, or all-natural, but this is not where I would normally spend my organic dollars.
2. Make your own salad dressing: Step out of the box and make your own salad dressings, hummus, or all-natural cereal. These items, if bought in stores, can cost up to $6, and will be half or one-third the price if made at home.
See below for recipe
3. Don’t be afraid to substitute: Recipes often call for one or two extremely expensive ingredients. Don’t be afraid to compromise a little bit. For instance, if a soup calls for all fresh veggies, you can use frozen veggies or ones that are in season or on sale.
4. Bulk, bulk, bulk: Buying from the bulk section is a low-budget-cook’s best friend. Many grocery stores have extensive bulk sections that offer a variety of products. This is a great way to get the exact portion you need for a specific recipe, especially if it’s an item you don’t use on a regular basis. You will also save money on packaging.
5. Develop your staples: Keeping your cabinets stocked with foundational cooking items will save you time and money. These are some of the staples I keep in my home: Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, canned tomatoes, oats, sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, basil, oregano, thyme, a variety of canned beans, honey, canola oil, olive oil, butter, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, and fresh garlic and/or shallots. These are all examples of extremely nutritious, low-priced foods that can become a key element to a delicious sauce, dressing or main-course.
Try this salad dressing recipe to get you stared. Keep it in an air-tight container and use it for salads, veggie dip or to put on a veggie or turkey sandwich instead of mayo. You can also check out all my recipe archives on the Single Dad’s Town website for simple, low-cost and family-friendly meals at home.
Enjoy!
Mixed Citrus Vinaigrette:
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Mix together the vinegar, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lemon juice. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Add the walnuts and Romano cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper.