When food money gets tight, it is important to know what resources your family has and be creative using them. Resources include time, money, energy, knowledge and skills.
“When money is plentiful people don’t pay much attention to what they put in their grocery carts and it is easier to eat healthy,” said Pat Anderson,Iowa State University Extension nutrition and health specialist. “When money is tight, building your skills and knowledge about food planning, shopping and preparation is very helpful in making dollars go further.”
Anderson recommends visiting the Iowa State University Extension Spend Smart Eat Smart website at www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings for a variety of learning experiences. The more you know about how to prepare food, the more choices you have when shopping. The more you know about menu planning, the more options you have in deciding what to serve.
“Spend Smart Eat Smart is one place where you can build food related skills,” said Anderson. “The website is organized so visitors can learn how to plan, shop and prepare food for family meals. Each category offers tools, tips and information that will add to the knowledge and skills of every shopper.”
The smart shopping link on the site tests grocery shopping skills. By answering the quiz, visitors can learn new strategies based on money, convenience and nutrition. Or they can check out a variety of nutritious recipes – and watch a video of the easy stuffed pasta shells being made.
Q&A boxes are another way to check savings skills. One Q&A box asks, “Which words indicate that the labeled product is a whole grain? Wheat flour…wheat bread…multi-grain…whole wheat flour…seven grain…100 percent whole wheat… unbleached cracked wheat… wheat flour.” The correct answers are whole wheat flour and 100 percent whole wheat.
Want more information than what is available on the website? Ask an Extension expert trained in food, nutrition and health through the website blog. These experts are everyday people who also are trying to eat smart on a budget. They share ideas, tips, resources and recipes to help fellow bloggers feed their family for less, then offer them a chance to comment and share tips or questions related to saving money on food.
Spend Smart Eat Smart is one way Iowa State University Extension is helping families save money and eat healthy. For more information, contact Pat Anderson or your local extension office for Spend Smart Eat Smart tip sheets.
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2/3/2009