Meal Planning and Recipe Modification: Creating Healthy Meals on a Budget, Slides of Cooking Basics

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Meal Planning &

Recipe Modification

MEAL PLANNING GOAL

 You will learn how to prepare healthy meals for your family within your food budget.  Meal Planning – Plan, Purchase, & Prepare  Creating Healthy Meal Plans within a Budget

 How often do you plan meals for your

family?

 When do you plan them?

 Do you plan your meals and then shop?

 Have you ever gone into your kitchen with

a plan of preparing a meal with the food that is on hand?

Why Plan Meals?

• Makes it easy to serve healthy meals with less stress
• Saves money on groceries
• Saves time at the grocery store
• Saves time when preparing meals

Plan

• Planning helps you serve

nutritious meals, saves money and time at the grocery store

• Make sure you think about

MyPlate when you are planning meals.

Plan

• Plan meals and snacks for the week according

to an established budget.

• http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/ page/what-you-should-spend
• Make a list of meals that are your family’s

favorites. Find quick and easy recipes online.

• Include meals that will “stretch” expensive food items (stews, casseroles, stir-fried dishes).

How to create a meal plan:

• Step 1: Make a meal plan for dinner
  • Pick a day to start with that is not very busy.
  • Pick one of your family’s favorite main dishes and write it down.
  • Add foods to this meal to make it complete. Add fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, etc.
  • Try to include a food from each of the 5 food groups.

How to create a meal plan:

• Step 2: Make a meal plan for breakfast
  • Breakfast is important. It gives our bodies energy and nutrients that help us start the day.
  • Try to create a breakfast that includes food from 3 of the 5 food groups.
• Step 3: Make a plan for lunch.
  • Plan to use leftovers in your lunch meal plan.
• Step 4: Plan snacks.
  • Snacks are important, especially for children.

Purchase

 Buy groceries when you are not hungry and when you are not too rushed.  Stick to the grocery list and stay out of the aisles that don’t contain items on your list.  But, be flexible if the price is right!

Purchase – Compare & Contrast

• Locate the “Unit Price” on the shelf directly below the product
• Use it to compare different brands and different sizes of the same brand to determine which is more economical - OurGroceries app

Purchase – Buy in Bulk

• It is almost always cheaper to buy

foods in bulk

• Smart choices are family packs

of chicken, beef, or fish, and larger bags of potatoes and frozen vegetables

• Before you shop, remember to

check if you have enough freezer space

Purchase – Convenience Costs

• Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut vegetables, instant rice, or oatmeal will cost more than if you were to make them from scratch
• Take the time to prepare your own – and save

Purchase – Easy on Your Wallet

• Certain foods are typically low-cost options year-round
• Try beans for a less expensive protein food
• For vegetables, buy carrots, greens, or potatoes
• As for fruits, apples and bananas are good choices.