Don't Let Food Prices Frustrate You
by Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist     Barton County robertsr@missouri.edu
     If it seems like you're spending more and more money every time you go to the grocery store, you're right. Food prices are increasing and have been for the past couple of years. According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, food prices increased 4% between 2006 and 2007 and that was the highest annual increase in the price of food since 1990.

    In 2008, it is expected that food prices will rise 5% - 6%. That is enough to have a significant impact on your food budget. A little planning with some minor changes can help you eat healthfully without breaking the budget.

     The first way to save money is to decrease the amount of food waste in your household. According to a New York Times article by Andrew Martin, we Americans waste about a pound of food per day per person in the United States. (Of course, that includes restaurant and field waste.) Think about how much money you would be saving if you never had to throw any food away.

      I’m not suggesting that you become a member of the clean plate club and eat everything in sight to avoid throwing it away. I’m suggesting that you make plans for all of the food you purchase and follow through with those plans.

     How many bananas sit on the counter until they turn black and get tossed in the trash? That banana can be mashed and frozen and used for banana bread later. When you prepare a meal and don’t eat it all, take leftovers for your lunch or plan a night when you finish the leftovers. Before you go to the grocery store, check to see what you have on hand to assure you won’t be doubling up on some items.

Coupon Savings
  Clipping coupons for the items that you use can help with the bottom line for your grocery bill. Two web sites that allow you to print coupons are www.Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. The Sunday newspaper often has a booklet or two with coupons.

    Plan your meals around sales at the grocery store. You can also save significant dollars by purchasing the fruits and vegetables that are in season or are on sale that week.

     While it is hard for many Midwesterners, planning a couple of meatless meals every week can make a big difference in how much you spend at the grocery store. Beans are a great source of protein and cost only pennies per person to serve them. You can use beans to make a vegetarian chili (most people don’t even miss the meat). Many kids say they don’t like beans but will eat a bean burrito and love it.

     You can’t control food prices but you can control how you spend your money. You can also control the amount of waste from your household. Check your waste this week and see how your household fares.
    
Food prices are up but there are
still ways to save

Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Barton County, University of Missouri Extension

If it seems like you are spending more and more money every time you go to the grocery store, you are right. Food prices are increasing and have been for the past couple of years. According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, food prices increased 4% between 2006 and 2007 and that was the highest annual increase in the price of food since 1990. In 2008, it is expected that food prices will rise 5% - 6%. That is enough to have a significant impact on your food budget. A little planning with some minor changes can help you eat healthfully without breaking the budget.

The first way to save money is to decrease the amount of food waste in your household. According to a New York Times article by Andrew Martin, we Americans waste about a pound of food per day per person in the United States. (Of course, that includes restaurant and field waste.) Think about how much money you would be saving if you never had to throw any food away. I’m not suggesting that you become a member of the clean plate club and eat everything in sight so you don’t throw it away. I’m suggesting that you make plans for all of the food you purchase and follow through with those plans. How many bananas sit on the counter until they turn black and get tossed in the trash? That banana can be mashed and frozen and used for banana bread later. When you prepare a meal and don’t eat it all, take leftovers for your lunch or plan a night when you finish the leftovers. Before you go to the grocery store, check to see what you have on hand to assure you won’t be doubling up on some items.

Clipping coupons for the items that you use can help with the bottom line for your grocery bill. Two web sites that allow you to print coupons are www.Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. The Sunday newspaper often has a booklet or two with coupons.

Plan your meals around sales at the grocery store. You can also save significant dollars by purchasing the fruits and vegetables that are in season or are on sale that week.

Missouri Mix is University of Missouri Extension’s "make at home" version of baking mixes that can be bought at the grocery store. 

     According to Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri Extension, having this mix on hand helps speed up the process when making anything from biscuits to muffins to banana nut bread. "It’s a simple five ingredient recipe that you can make to have on hand when you are in a hurry," said Roberts.

To make eleven cups of mix requires: 8 cups of flour (all purpose, whole wheat or a combination of the two), one-quarter cup plus one Tablespoon baking powder, two teaspoons salt, one cup nonfat dry milk powder and one and one-half cups shortening. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Sift to assure even distribution of the ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until the mix is the consistency of cornmeal.

The mix can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry location and stay fresh for several months. If you would like to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator or freezer. "If you use whole wheat flour, Missouri Mix must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer because there is more fat in whole wheat flour and it can become rancid at room temperature," said Roberts.

     Mix two cups of Missouri Mix with one-half to two-thirds cups of water. Use just enough water to make soft, non-sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 times. Roll or pat out dough to one-half inch thickness. Cut out with a biscuit cutter and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

      Use two cups of Missouri Mix, one-quarter cup sugar, one egg, beaten, one cup of water. Stir sugar into the mix. In a separate bowl, mix the water and egg. Add the liquid to dry ingredients and stir for 15 strokes or just until blended. A few lumps are okay. Bake in well-greased muffin tin at 400 degrees for 20 minutes for 10 to 12 medium muffins. For a variation, you can add three-fourths cup peeled, diced apples, one-quarter teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg for apple muffins.

To use Missouri Mix in your home recipes, use one and one-half cups of Missouri Mix for each cup of flour in the recipe. Leave out the leavening, salt, milk and fat in the recipe because they are already included in the mix.

It may seem hard to feed a family on a budget but it can be done with planning and perseverance according to Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

For starters, Roberts says to be sure and use store advertisements to plan weekly menus. “This really does help to get the best value. If chicken breasts are on sale, plan on having grilled chicken, chicken enchiladas and a chicken with pasta dish during the week,” said Roberts. A person might even want to purchase an extra package to put in the freezer. Chicken can actually be stored 10 months in the freezer. "Planning weekly menus helps to assure you get a good variety of foods. Be sure to include the children in this process. They are more likely to eat what they have helped plan,” said Roberts.

Another cost savings idea is to shop only once per week. “You should only have to shop once a week if you make the grocery list from a planned menu. When you have to make several trips to the store, it’s hard not to pick up extras and that hurts the food budget,” said Roberts.

Going meatless and using a vegetable or dairy source of protein a few nights a week can also reduce the grocery bill. For example, beans are a great source of protein and fiber. One cup of pinto beans packs 14 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. Beans are also convenient.

“There are many recipes with a variety of options for add-ins. And don’t forget the cheese pizza. Very few youth or adults would balk at having pizza for dinner,” said Roberts.

Packing your own snacks can also save money. “Make your own snack mix and then put it in individual plastic bags. It may seem expensive to buy the ingredients but what you make will cost a fraction of the small package you have to purchase at the convenience store,” said Roberts.

Many fruits are a great grab and go snacks. Raisins, bananas, apples and oranges are all easy to take and run. Involve the children in your quest to stretch your food dollars. You may be able to plan a family trip to the movies with the money you’ve saved,” said Roberts.

Choose Nutritionally Fit School Lunches

 Whether your child buys lunch from the school lunch program or packs it from home, what he eats can make all the difference in school performance. “A nutritionally fit kid will be able to learn better than one who isn’t eating a well-balanced diet or getting physical activity,” says Glenda Kinder, University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health education specialist.

A nutritionally fit kid will have more energy, which results in better stamina, improved self-esteem and an enhanced ability to learn.  Studies have also shown that students who are physically active throughout the day also learn better. So what can parents do to insure that their child is a nutritionally fit kid?

Start the day with breakfast.  Approximately 48 percent of girls and 32 percent of boys don’t eat breakfast every day (35 percent to 40 percent of adults skip breakfast.)  Many who grab breakfast on the go are eating high fat / high sugar foods from convenience stores. Eat a well-balanced breakfast to avoid a mid-morning energy slump that makes learning difficult. A good breakfast can also help maintain normal body weight. 

Take another look at the school lunch. Recent reform efforts have resulted in school lunch improvements. While school lunch quality does vary from district to district, many programs are making efforts to provide a choice of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nonfat and low-fat dairy foods. An estimated 31 million students participate each school day in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in approximately 100,000 schools. According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, children who participate in the NSLP eat twice as many servings of vegetables at lunch as non-participants. To encourage your child to make healthy choices, keep the school’s menu posted on the refrigerator and talk about the best choices for the day. As a parent, advocate for better school meals in your district.

     If you pack a lunch for your child, be sure to shop wisely so the lunch box is full of healthy choices. There are countless convenience foods in the supermarket for a fast lunch, but shop carefully. Many of these individually packaged convenience foods are high in calories, fat and sodium. Use whole, fresh foods when possible. Choose items for balanced nutrition. Involve the child in making choices and preparing his lunch; he will be less likely to trade his food.

    Kinder offers these tips for packing healthy box lunches:
 m Vary the veggies; use low fat dips to encourage eating raw vegetables.

 m Emphasize fruits; eat for color – the brighter, more vivid the color, the more nutritious. Serve 100 percent juice but not more than a 4 oz. serving for elementary and middle school students; 8 oz. for high schoolers.

 mGo for whole grains; breads, cereals and crackers can all be whole-grain foods. Don’t sugar-coat it.

 m Use low-fat yogurt, cheese sticks and milk; they’re all great.

 m Choose lean protein foods. Don’t forget nuts, seeds and eggs are protein choices as well. Use the nutrition facts label and ingredients list to make good choices.

     Remember portion size matters. Lunch should provide about 1/3 of a child’s calorie needs. So serve portions appropriate for the age, size and activity level of your child to avoid problems with excess weight gain.

     Studies show that nutritionally fit kids do better in school, can concentrate better, are less likely to be tardy to class and are less likely to be overweight. Making sure your child is nutritionally fit is worth the effort. 

Freezing foods requires the right touch

Now is the best time to put some of the season’s harvest in your freezer for later use. “Freezing foods to preserve the quality does require proper handling,” said a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health education specialist.

“The secret to success is to freeze the right foods in the right containers, for the right length of time, at the right temperatures with the right handling,” said Glenda Kinder. She offered these tips for freezing foods:

r Choosing the right foods for freezing is an important factor because some foods do not freeze well. Foods that don’t freeze well are those with a dairy base of milk, cream, sour cream, cream cheese and yogurt. Items made with mayo-type dressings also do not work well.

r Store foods in freezer quality bags, wraps and rigid containers. Freezer quality bags are important because air doesn’t penetrate as with other plastic bags. Exhaust all the air from the freezing container to prevent freezer burn on the edges of food.

r Use a thermometer to determine the temperature in your appliance. Another indicator is whether a container of ice cream stays brick hard in the freezer. If not, your temperatures may be below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees F but not at 0 degrees F and food quality will suffer.

r Storing food for the right length of time is also critical. When something is in the freezer too long, the quality begins to deteriorate. Recommended freezing times for cooked hamburger is three months; casseroles, 3 months; pies, 8 months; and fruits and vegetables for 10 months.

    Proper handling of frozen foods is important for food safety. Thaw frozen perishable food safely in the refrigerator or thaw in the microwave to cook right away.

MU Extension guide, “Storing Food in the Freezer” (MP556), is available online at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/miscpubs/mp0556_01.htm.
 

Getting the best buy for your food dollars 
    by Cynthia Fauser
    University of Missouri Extension Nutrition and Health Education Specialist

    A makeover of your shopping habits could offset rising food costs. With a little planning, there is room for savings in the typical family food budget that can more than offset the current upswing in prices.

Here’s how to stretch your food dollars:

Before your next trip to the grocery store, look in your refrigerator. Households throw away 14 percent of the food they buy, which adds up to about $600 a year, according to a University of Arizona study. Fifteen percent of what is thrown away is unopened and within its expiration date.

RGo to the grocery store armed with a list. Shop alone and get in and out of the store quickly. This cuts down on impulse buying. For every minute in a supermarket, consumers spend $2.17, according to the Food Marketing Institute.

RTry store brands, which average 26 to 28 percent less than nationally advertised brands. A 2006 Consumer Reports test of 65 store-brand products found many of these products score at least as high in quality as national brands.

R   Take a calculator to compare unit prices. While sometimes economical, bulk buying is more expensive about 25 percent of the time. Toilet paper, frozen orange juice and canned tuna frequently cost more in larger sizes.

R Learn the rotation of your store's loss-leader items. By knowing the pattern, you can stock up on each week’s special, especially staples like cereals, juice and paper towels.

R Don't let coupons entice you into buying products you would not ordinarily buy.

R   Reach up and bend down; bargain items are found on the top and bottom shelves.

R  Shop discount stores for non-food items like pet food, cleaning supplies and personal care items.

R  Be careful when choosing convenience foods. A few, like mashed potato flakes, are even cheaper than fresh-made, but many items like grab-and-go soups come at a high store markup.

R  Cut back on foods with no nutritional value. Consumers spend about 12 percent of their food dollar on foods like cookies, chips, donuts and soft drinks. Reserve these dollars for healthier fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

R  Shop the outer aisles of supermarkets, where you find vegetables, dairy products and meats. The inside aisles display processed foods and snacks.
 

Slow Cooker Wizardry

   The slow cooker is an economical appliance to use. "It takes less electricity than an oven and during the summer it won’t add heat to your kitchen like the oven would," according to Susan Mills-Gray. Nutrition and Health Specialist, University of Missouri Extension.  Here are some keys to efficient use of your slow cooker:

? To make clean up easier, spray liner with non stick spray prior to adding any food or liquid or use a cooking bag

? Crock pots work the best when they are ½ to ¾ full.  If you fill a pot to the brim, it can’t regulate the heating of the food correctly; likewise, less than ½ full causes food to overcook

? One hour on a high setting is equal to two hours on the low setting 

? A low setting is equal to 200 degrees F. and the high setting is equal to 300 degrees F.

?Each time you lift the crock lid you increase the needed cooking time by 20 minutes.  Check progress without lifting the lid if possible.  Spin the cover until the condensation falls off – this makes it much easier to see inside

? For food safety purposes you want to get the food inside the crockpot to 140 degrees as quickly as possible (this reduces the chance of bacterial contamination), so use High the first hour, then switch to Low to finish cooking

?Start with thawed foods.  Frozen foods take too long to get to 140 degrees.  The extreme temperature difference between the frozen food and the crock can cause breakage.  If you have to use a frozen cut of meat, add 1 cup of warm water to the pot first, then place the meat in the crock

?Soak dried beans overnight before cooking

?Dense veggies like potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables take the longest to cook, so place them on the bottom and cut the pieces no thicker than one inch 

? Tender veggies like tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and squash overcook easily – add the last two hours

?Anything high in fat cooks quickly – so meats are placed on top of vegetables

?Browning meats before adding to crock reduces fat and enhances flavor and color.   Fats melt with long cooking times and can add unpleasant flavor

?Fish and seafood cook quickly – add late in cooking

?Milk curdles over long cooking times – add sour cream or cream late in cooking

?Condensed cream soups are a good substitute for milk and they don’t break down over long cooking times

?Ground herbs and spices tend to lose their flavor -- so add late in cooking

?Cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce tend to become bitter after long cooking times – again add late in cooking

?If you have a removable liner, don’t store the food you’ve cooked in the crock pot in that same liner.  The removable liner is made from a thick insulated material; the food won’t cool down quickly enough to prevent bacterial growth

To convert a conventional oven recipe to the crock pot:
Cooking/Baking Times

Conventional Recipe                      Crockpot Low Setting    Crockpot High Setting

15-30 minutes                                   4-6 hours                            1.5 to 2 hours

30-45 minutes                                   6 -10 hours                         3-4 hours

45 minutes – 3 hours                         8 -18 hours                         4-6 hours

Money Management

Plug the Spending Leak in Your Wallet

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Evaluating the small purchases you make each day can be a key factor in accumulating wealth rather than living paycheck to paycheck. “The money that slips through our fingers in daily insignificant purchases can add up to big bucks over time,” said a University of Missouri Extension family financial education specialist.

To fund a major financial goal, first look at the small ways you are spending money, said Dr. Carole Bozworth. How much do you spend each week for fast food, bottled water, lottery tickets, ATM fees, magazines in the check-out lane of the grocery or the donut and coffee each time you fill your gas tank?

The easiest way to determine how much money is leaking out of your wallet is to track your spending. Start by charting all of your spending for a day. “Sometimes a week or longer is needed to be able to pinpoint those small spending patterns where money could be redirected to other financial priorities,” said Bozworth.

Once you have identified the spending leaks, think about whether you can stop that behavior. Can you give up the gourmet coffee on your way into work? Can you look up a telephone number to save the $1.50 it costs to dial 411?  When you do eat out, can you order water instead of coffee, tea or soda? 

“Sometimes it is not so much stopping a spending behavior as it is figuring out less expensive ways of having what you want,” said Bozworth. “For example, if you want to eat lunch at a local fast-food restaurant, pay cash so you are not paying interest on that double cheeseburger.” Choose a restaurant based on the coupons you clipped from the Sunday paper. Purchase an espresso maker and brew your own special coffee to enjoy on the drive into work. What about investing in a 12-pack of your favorite soda to keep at the workplace rather than buying one out of the machine every day? Where and how you shop for groceries can also make a big difference in your total food bill.

Another option is to consider cutting back rather than cutting out your frivolous spending. Enjoy that gourmet coffee once a week rather than every day. Cut back on eating out to once a week or once every two weeks. Buy one lottery ticket a week instead of every time you purchase gas. “Would you feel deprived if you lowered your cable subscription to the next lower level to save $10 to $20 a month?” asked Bozworth. 

Begin channeling this found money to savings. Have that amount automatically taken out of your paycheck and deposited directly into a savings account. If that is not possible, make the deposit to savings yourself at the same time you write your rent check or mortgage payment. When a reasonable amount has accumulated in your savings account, open an IRA or put the money into a certificate of deposit. Shop around for a savings vehicle that offers an annual percentage yield that outpaces inflation.

Stay on the non-spending path by setting a goal for what to do with the money that is no longer dripping away. If you are funding your IRA, the goal is obvious. What other goals have you considered out of reach? “Although difficult to believe, cutting back on small spending habits can translate into a down payment for a house, a large screen television, a more reliable car or that family vacation you never thought you could afford,” said Bozworth.

Home and Energy Savings

Invest Your Money in Energy Savings
     In these rough economic times, finding a safe and productive place to invest money seems nearly impossible. However, research done at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in 2001 showed that 10 common efficiency investments in a home and appliances could result in a 16 percent average annual return. That is better than the Dow Jones Industrial Average high performance of 14 percent from 1990 to 1997.

     So, what are these 10 measures and how do they perform?

1) Changing lights to new fluorescent lamps and fixtures averages a 41 percent return.

2) Sealing heating and cooling ducts averages a 41 percent return.

3) Upgrading to Energy Star when replacing a clothes washer averages a 37 percent return.

4) Upgrading to an Energy Star programmable thermostat has an average return of 30 percent.

5) Installing an R-12 water heater insulation jacket averages a 28 percent return.

6) Upgrading to Energy Star when replacing a refrigerator averages a 37 percent return, assuming that the old one is no longer used.

7) Upgrading to an Energy Star heat pump when replacing the furnace and air-conditioning system averages a return of 19 percent.

8) Upgrading to Energy Star when replacing a dishwasher results in an average return of 18 percent.

9) Weatherizing and sealing the home to limit air changes to less than 0.5 per hour averages of a 9 percent return.

10) Increasing wall and attic insulation to 1997 Department of Energy recommended levels have an average return of eight percent, representing the highest cost of nearly at $1,800.

     The Lawrence Berkley study used 1997 costs. In the 10 years since that study, fuel costs have increased and the cost of many of the energy efficiency technologies have dropped. That means a person can realize an even greater return on these investments now.

Key way to decrease your home's energy consumption? 
Barbara Buffaloe
Architectural Studies
College of Human Environmental Studies
University of Missouri-Columbia

Improving the energy efficiency of your home reduces the amount of energy you need to use to keep it warm or cool. The highest amount of home energy consumption is done by your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

• An easy, low-cost way to increase efficiency in your HVAC system is to clean or replace your furnace’s air filter on a monthly basis.
• Annual checkups of your HVAC system by a professional are also an easy way to maintain the appliance’s efficiency.
• A programmable thermostat has a moderate upfront cost but can save around $150 annually by automatically adjusting your thermostat to energy-saving temperatures while you are not home.
• Maintaining your system’s ductwork is an easy way to ensure overall efficiency.
• Updating these systems with Energy Star-rated appliances can have a significant initial cost that ends up saving you money on your utility bills.

Additional low-cost methods for reducing your home’s energy consumption:

• Cleaning refrigerator coils; removing frost from freezers
• Keep lights clean; shut off when not in use
• Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents
• Leave your South-facing windows’ curtains open in winter and closed in summer to collect or prevent solar heat gain.
• Installing insulators behind electrical outlets
• Re-leveling your blown-in attic insulation
• Insulating attic access door
• Setting ceiling fans in up-flow mode
• Insulating Water Heater and set its thermostat to 120°
• Weather-stripping around windows and doors

Additional moderate to significant upfront cost methods for saving energy include:

• Adding insulation to walls and ceiling
• Replacing / adding ventilation systems
• Replacing doors and windows with Energy Star-rated models

It can be helpful to do a home energy audit to determine your household’s current energy use.  For additional information please refer to the Missouri Families Housing Feature article on heading off your rising heating bills.

For more information see: http://missourifamilies.org/quick/housingqa/housingqa17.htm