Stretch Your Fruit & Vegetable Budget
Did you know that September is national Fruits and Vegetables Month? Make half your plate fruits and vegetables each meal. It’s one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself and your family! Here are the top ten favorite tips from K-State Research and Extension for saving money while getting the maximum benefits from fruits and vegetables.
Get a Food Spending Plan. Find out what is a reasonable amount to spend in order to feed your family healthy meals, using an easy (and free!) calculator online, at www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/fooddollar
Cook enough for several meals and freeze leftovers. Place enough food for one meal in a freezer container. Thaw in the refrigerator for a no-hassle meal in the future, on a day when you don’t have time to cook.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season, when they are lower in price and taste better. To know which foods are in season during each month, visit the website, www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/downloads/Get_Smart_Shopping.pdf
Minimize waste, by buying only the amounts your family will eat.
Enjoy the comforts of home more often. Eating at restaurants increases the amount you spend on food, and often includes limited options for fruit and vegetable choices. Include fruits and veggies in quick meals that you prepare and enjoy at home. For delicious low-cost recipes to make in 30 minutes, visit the website, http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov
Make homemade soup for a healthy and tasty way to use vegetables. Make a big batch and freeze leftovers in lunch-size containers.
Canned fruits and vegetables can be stored for a long time. Choose canned vegetables that have no added salt and fruit that is canned in 100% fruit juice.
To make many fresh fruits and vegetables last longer, store them in the refrigerator soon after getting home from your shopping trip.
Clearly label your foods in the freezer and refrigerator with the contents and date. Use within a safe time frame.
Buy frozen fruits and vegetables in large bags, to stretch your budget. Avoid those with added sugar, salt or sauce.
Source: Erin Henry and Mary Meck Higgins, “Dining on a Dime,” September 2011, K-State Research and Extension
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postFriday Food Safety Mythbusters #2
FOOD SAFETY MYTH- Locally grown, organic foods will never give me food poisoning.
FOOD SAFETY FACTS
FACT- Any food,whether organic or conventional, could become unsafe with illness-causing foodborne bacteria at any point during the chain from the farm to the table. Consumers in their homes can take action to keep their families safe. That is why it is important to reduce your risk of food-borne illness, no matter what the foods involved, by practicing these four steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
For more information about home food handling for September Food Safety Month, check out the fightbac.org website from the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Watch for more food safety myths and facts next Friday!
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Make Cooking Quick and Less Costly with “Money-Saving Mixes”
Cooking at home rather than eating out is a healthier and less-expensive option. Using mixes can make cooking quick and easy, but you’ll save even more money if you make the mixes yourself.
Join Linda Beech for the Extension program “Money-Saving Mixes” on Friday, September 9 at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds. There is no cost for this grant-funded program. Bring a lunch if desired, beverages will be provided.
This program will examine the advantages and disadvantages of making your own mixes, considerations for labeling and storing prepared mixes and pointers for maintaining mix freshness and quality. Participants will work together to prepare a money-saving mix and calculate the cost savings over buying a similar commercial product. Everyone will take home mix recipes, instructions and a sample of a homemade mix to try.
A minimum enrollment is required to hold this class, so pre-registration is a must. Call the Extension Office at 620-272-3670 or email lbeech@ksu.edu by September 6 to save your spot.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Friday Food Safety Mythbusters #1
FOOD SAFETY MYTH- Plastic or glass cutting boards don’t hold harmful bacteria on their surfaces like wooden cutting boards do.
FOOD SAFETY FACTS
FACT: Any type of cutting board can hold harmful bacteria on its surface. Regardless of the type of cutting board you use, it should be washed and sanitized after each use.
Solid plastic, tempered glass, sealed granite, and hardwood cutting boards are dishwasher safe. However, wood laminates don’t hold up well in the dishwasher. Once cutting boards of any type become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, they should be replaced.
For more information about home food handling for September Food Safety Month, check out the fightbac.org website from the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Watch for more food safety myths and facts next Friday!
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Knowledge at Noon begins 23rd year
The 23rd year of Extension noon-hour programs begins on September 1 with a series of eight monthly topics.
Extension Knowledge at Noon programs are held on the first Thursday of each month at the Finney County Public Library, 605 E. Walnut in Garden City, KS. Each program begins at 12:05 p.m. and ends at 12:55 p.m. Bring a lunch if you wish, coffee and iced tea are provided.
2011-2012 Extension Knowledge at Noon programs
- September 1, 2011- “Putting MyPlate on the Table”
- October 6, 2011- “Boo, Gobble Gobble, Ho Ho, Happy New Year!”
- November 3, 2011- “Holiday Breads”
- December 1, 2011- “Selection and Care of Fine Jewely”
- January 5, 2012- “Penny-Pinching Pointers for Frugal Families”
- February 2, 2012- “New Foods in the Produce Department”
- March 1, 2012- “The Celiac Attack: Control It With a Gluten-Free Diet”
- April 5, 2012- “Vegetable Gardening For Succes in SW Kansas”