Eat at home as much as possible.
If you normally eat out at noon, consider brown bagging it at least one day a week. The typical fast food meal out easily can cost $5.00 or more. Take food left over from the evening meal to work the next day. A peanut butter sandwich and a piece of whole fruit quickly can be packed from foods on hand.
You may save money on your children’s lunch by having them participate in the school lunch program. They can eat a balanced meal that is offered at a reasonable price.
Save money on lunch!
Eating a sack lunch once a week: Save $2.50 (or more!)
Eating a sack lunch 5 days a week: Save $12.50 (or more!)
Be a good role model. Provide a wide variety of nutritious food in appropriate amounts. Check out Food for ME TOO for toddler and preschooler nutrition tips and ideas.
Food prep tips. Package-mix dinners and other ready-to-eat foods are popular because they are easy to make and save you time in the kitchen. Just add a salad or fruit, a roll, and something to drink for a complete meal.
If you have the time, you can save money by making "planned-over" pasta or rice dinners. Buy enough rice, pasta or meat to have some leftover. Mix the leftover meats and pasta or rice; add vegetables like canned tomatoes or corn. Then spice up the dish with your favorite seasonings.
Many package-mix foods are high in fat and sodium. Be sure to read the nutrition labels. Choose the products that are lower in fat and sodium. You can lower the fat and sodium in foods you prepare from mixes when you leave out the salt; use half of the margarine or use low- fat milk instead of whole milk.
Cooking with fruits and vegetables
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Make a quick smoothie in the blender by puréeing peaches and/or nectarines, a touch of your favorite fruit juice, crushed ice, and a light sprinkling of nutmeg.
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Make homemade salsa with tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
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Looking for a fun appetizer when you entertain? Try making spears of fruit by attaching strawberries, grapes, melon slices, or pineapple chunks onto small skewers. Use low-fat or non-fat yogurt for a dip.
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Here's a quick fruit salad you can make in less than a minute. Open a can of juice-packed mandarin oranges and empty into a bowl. Add a sliced banana, a sliced apple, and some blueberries or raisins. There you have it—a quick way to a delicious fruit salad.
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Sometimes you can eat some of your fruits and vegetables in their own containers. Kiwifruit comes with its own serving cup and cantaloupe with its own serving bowl. Just cut them in half through the middle and scoop out each half with a spoon.
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