{"id":54,"date":"2008-07-07T03:38:29","date_gmt":"2008-07-07T03:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/?p=54"},"modified":"2008-07-07T03:38:29","modified_gmt":"2008-07-07T03:38:29","slug":"convenience-foods-are-costly-but-can-you-make-dinner-without-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/convenience-foods-are-costly-but-can-you-make-dinner-without-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Convenience Foods Are Costly, But Can You Make Dinner without Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

My last grocery bill got me thinking. <\/span>There was a $2.49 line item for a box of instant brown rice. (I always keep a box on hand in case I forget or am unable to make my weekly pot of rice.) <\/span>Putting it away, it was such a lightweight, especially compared to the bulk bag of organic brown rice I had also gotten. <\/span>I ran some numbers to see just how much I pay for the privilege of convenience: <\/span><\/p>\n

$2.49 buys me<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 box of instant brown rice = 6 cups of cooked rice (enough for about 2 meals)<\/p>\n

OR<\/p>\n

2 1\/2 lbs. of bulk brown rice = 20 cups of cooked rice (enough for 6+ meals)<\/p>\n

That’s a pretty dramatic difference, and likely as not, the same ratio applies to most other packaged foods in the store. <\/span>So why are convenience foods like instant rice flying off the shelves when we\u2019re all being squeezed by high grocery prices? <\/span>Simple: <\/span>because they\u2019re so darn convenient<\/em>! <\/span>Who\u2019s got time to cook from scratch? <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s the rub. <\/span>It would be nice to save some money at the grocery store, and cutting back on convenience foods is an obvious target, but how can we possibly assemble decent dinners without a convenience crutch? <\/span>Here are three strategies that work for me: <\/span>Strategic Substitution, Stretching and Simplifying<\/p>\n

Strategic<\/em> Substitution<\/h3>\n

Strategic<\/em> is the key here, i.e., where can significant price savings be had for little or no extra time? <\/span>If you\u2019re hankering for something like tamales or sushi or ravioli, making your own probably doesn\u2019t make sense. <\/span>But things like rice, beans, meatballs, fish sticks and chicken nuggets are all so easy, why should you pay someone else to make them? <\/span><\/p>\n

Rice is perfect example. <\/span>The preparation time is identical: <\/span>Mix water, rice and salt in a pan and <\/span>put it on the stove to cook. <\/span>The only difference is the cooking time: <\/span>You can\u2019t wait until 10 minutes before dinner to cook regular brown rice. <\/span>Instead, get in the habit of making a pot of at the beginning of each week. <\/span>Then it\u2019s just a microwave away from being ready. <\/span>(In case you don\u2019t use it up, just freeze it.) <\/span><\/p>\n

How To<\/strong> But what if you don\u2019t know how to cook rice except from a box? <\/span>Or beans, fish sticks, chicken nuggets or meatballs? <\/span>Jump to these links: <\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • How to Cook Rice<\/li>\n
  • How to Cook Dried Beans<\/li>\n
  • How to Make Fish Sticks<\/li>\n
  • How to Make Chicken Nuggets<\/li>\n
  • How to Make Basic Meatballs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    More Numbers<\/strong> <\/span>Here are some more numbers to justify cooking outside of boxes: <\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Dried Beans:<\/em> <\/span>$1.00 of dried beans produces the same amount as $6.00 worth of canned beans. <\/span>Think of the additional savings if those beans serve as a protein substitute for meat!<\/li>\n
    • Breaded Fish Fillets<\/em>: <\/span>Gorton\u2019s Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks are <\/span>$7.49. <\/span>A 10-minute substitute, using the same kind of fish, costs $3.08, less than half. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      More Good News<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Healthier <\/span>Cooking lower on the convenience chain not only saves money. <\/span>It results in meals built from real, straight-from-the-earth foods, without gratuitous additions for fat, salt, sugar, colorings, preservatives and flavors.<\/li>\n
      • Tastier <\/span>Better yet, those real foods taste a whole lot better than cheap, mass-produced factory-made foods.<\/li>\n
      • Kinder to the Planet <\/span>And the icing on the cake: <\/span>look at all the packaging that\u2019s avoided, the dyes and inks that aren\u2019t being used, and the energy that isn\u2019t being devoted to shipping frozen foods around the country. <\/span>Hooray! <\/span> <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ready for more strategies? <\/span>Read on. . .<\/p>\n

        Stretching<\/h3>\n

        Sometimes our hand reaches for packaged foods at the store because we\u2019re not too comfortable in the kitchen. <\/span>The thought of making something completely from scratch sounds impossible. <\/span>So buy a convenience \u201cstarter\u201d but stretch it, and while you\u2019re at it, use healthy \u201cstretchers.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Soups are a great example. <\/span>Imagine Foods and Pacific Foods both make pureed soups in large, 1 quart sizes, which are just about half the per-ounce cost of smaller canned soups to begin with. <\/span>With great flavor and a healthful vegetable base, they are a perfect backdrop for all sorts of easy and equally wholesome \u201cstretchers.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \n

        Remember the pot of brown rice I suggested cooking and keeping on hand? <\/span>It makes an easy and inexpensive addition to any soup. <\/span>Ditto the dried beans you\u2019ll want to start cooking once a week to have on hand. <\/span>Leftover chicken would also taste good in practically any soup.<\/p>\n

        \n

        Now bring in some vegetables. <\/span>Chard is an easy to prepare, fast cooking and usually pretty cheap option, as are broccoli (be sure to use the stalks, too), spinach and zucchini. <\/span>Red peppers and snowy white cauliflower are great for color. <\/span>Frozen vegetables are especially good in winter or when you\u2019re particularly short on time: <\/span>chopped spinach, peas, corn and diced green beans.<\/p>\n

        \n

        Let color be your guide when deciding on combinations. <\/span>Imagine golden butternut soup, for instance, with kale and white beans, or deep green broccoli soup with rice and cauliflower florets. <\/span>You get the picture. . .<\/p>\n

        \n

        In the end, enjoy an easy meal had inexpensively and without sacrificing great flavor or health.<\/p>\n

        \n

        Simplify<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n

        No doubt time is a another big reason we keep gobbling up packaged foods despite their price tags. <\/span>While picking out my box of instant rice, a hurried mom grabbed a box of scalloped potatoes off the shelf next to mine then darted off for the next aisle.<\/p>\n

        \n

        She was right in thinking there wasn\u2019t time to make the traditional bubbly baked potato dish. <\/span>But a box isn\u2019t her only option. <\/span>\u201cSimplify\u201d and more alternatives present themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n

        <\/span>In the same amount of time that it takes to make a packaged potato mix, you could simply scrub and microwave potatoes and top them with grated cheese for a tastier and fresher alternative. <\/span>For just 5 extra minutes–and half the cost–you could make another simpler option: the microwaved Cheesy Potato Casserole recipe below. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n

        Betty Crocker\u2019s Scalloped Potatoes (including added milk and butter) = $2.70<\/p>\n

        Homemade Cheesy Potato Casserole: <\/span> <\/span>= $1.39<\/p>\n

        \n

        Here\u2019s the Recipe: <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n

        Cheesy Potato Casserole<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • 1 \u00bd lbs. potatoes (about 6 sm-med)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Scrub and puncture several times with a fork to prevent them from exploding. <\/span>Microwave three minutes, turn each potato and microwave another 3 minutes. <\/span>Repeat this process until potatoes are soft when squeezed. <\/span><\/p>\n

          While potatoes cook, combine sauce ingredients in a small, microwavable bowl or Pyrex measuring cup:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • 2 oz. cheddar cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup)<\/li>\n
          • 2 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream<\/li>\n
          • 1-2 tsp. stoneground mustard, more or less to taste<\/li>\n
          • 2 Tbsp. milk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            When potatoes are done, microwave sauce 20 seconds, then whisk to combine. <\/span>Repeat this process 2-3 times, until sauce is smooth. <\/span>Avoid overcooking or sauce will become stringy.<\/p>\n

            Assemble the casserole: <\/span>Butter a 9\u201d x 5\u201d loaf pan. <\/span>Slice potatoes about \u00bc\u201d thick. <\/span>Lay half of slices in the loaf pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with half of the cheese sauce. <\/span>Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce. <\/span>Eat immediately or, to better meld flavors, microwave entire casserole 30 to 60 seconds.<\/p>\n

            ______________________<\/p>\n

            We\u2019d all like to think of ourselves as highly intelligent beings, but we\u2019ve been hoodwinked by food marketers. <\/span>We\u2019ve been hoodwinked into believing we\u2019re too busy or stupid to make anything on our own. <\/span>Of course marketers want us to believe that. <\/span>It\u2019s the only way we\u2019ll buy inferior-tasting convenient foods. <\/span><\/p>\n

            \n

            So stop believing the marketers. <\/span>With just a bit of courage and willingness to try, we can do this food thing on our own. <\/span>Not only will we save money and end up with better\u2013tasting and more wholesome food, it\u2019s very likely we\u2019ll find that being self-reliant is pretty rewarding. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            With grocery prices rising dramatically, convenience foods are an obvious cost-cutting target. But how can we make everyday meals without the convenience of ready-made and packaged foods? Three tricks of the trade: Strategic Substitution, Stretching and Simplifying. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,20,7,22],"tags":[110,129,148,417,508],"class_list":["post-54","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-cooking-basics","category-recipes","category-getting-marketing-wise","category-healthy-cooking-money-savers","tag-cheesy-potato-casserole","tag-convenience-foods","tag-cost-comparisons","tag-packaged-foods","tag-saving-money-at-the-grocery-store","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}