Making the Most of Your Food Budget

Food... it's a necessity that can often be expensive.



I've alwasy felt that, in the budget, food is the one area that had the most wiggle-room. In this day, when gourmet, organic, and whole foods is the "in" way to cook and eat, it's a nightmare on the frugal person's way of thinking.



The easiest way to eat well is to shop smart and eat smart. That being said, here is my first of many tips on eating healthy and inexpensively:

One of the most obvious ways to ease your food budget is to eat less meat. If eating a vegetarian meal makes you think of lettuce and carrots... it's time to jump out of your comfort zone and explore a new way of eating.

My husband is a vegetarian and my daughter is allergic to beef and pork, so meat-based meals have a limited appearance in our weekly menus. Having been a meat-eater and a vegetarian thoughout my life, I can honestly say that vegetarian cooking is by-far, a culinary adventure that can often bring a party to your mouth.

I plan to post different menu options along with pricing to show the cost benefits of eating meatless meals throughout the week.

For tonight, we're having black bean chili. Here's my recipe:

2 green peppers, chopped
1 med. onion, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
1 cup frozen corn kernals
2 cans black beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 TBS. chili powder (or to taste)
1 TBS. cumin (or to taste)
1 cup veg. broth

Chop onions, garlic and green peppers. Saute lightly in pan with a bit of veg. oil. Add cumin & chili powder, continue cooking for one minute. Add veg. mixture, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and broth to crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours and viola! Dinner is served!

The best part about this meal is that it is inexpensive to make. Most of the ingredients can be found in your local Aldi's which helps cut costs. I plan on serving some corn bread alongside the chili for a complete meal. I'll post pictures later, once the food is cooked.