[JenB77]

Plan for a garden this spring if you have the room for it, do some canning and freeze some for the winter

[jiffypop]

In addition to these great tips above, I've also discovered that unusual veggies like kohlrabi, celery root, and jicama offer a lot of possibilities for very little $$$. I've been grating combinations of these with carrots, onions, perhaps a little cabbage or beets, and making cole slaw out of it. I thought it would taste weird, but it's DELICIOUS - and tastes incredibly good on a sandwich. or even just wrapped with some sliced deli meat.

Also save all those scraps and peelings for either stock or for soup. Tough broccoli ends can be turned into really good soup with a little onion and chicken broth or water plus seasonings. so can carrots, celery root, tomatoes, and all kinds of veggies. Get out your handy blender/stick blender/potato masher to turn it into something thick and luscious.

you can add all kinds of stuff to soup. even topping some of these soups with some plain yogurt for added protein and mouthfeel. Oh. did you know that most 'cream' soups are made with a small amount of roux mixed with milk? neither did i. it was a nice surprise.

in fact i'm going to be making a carrot and red lentil soup tomorrow - it has cumin and another 'warm' spice or two, and it sounds DELISH.

[jiffypop]

In addition to these great tips above, I've also discovered that unusual veggies like kohlrabi, celery root, and jicama offer a lot of possibilities for very little $$$. I've been grating combinations of these with carrots, onions, perhaps a little cabbage or beets, and making cole slaw out of it. I thought it would taste weird, but it's DELICIOUS - and tastes incredibly good on a sandwich. or even just wrapped with some sliced deli meat.

Also save all those scraps and peelings for either stock or for soup. Tough broccoli ends can be turned into really good soup with a little onion and chicken broth or water plus seasonings. so can carrots, celery root, tomatoes, and all kinds of veggies. Get out your handy blender/stick blender/potato masher to turn it into something thick and luscious.

you can add all kinds of stuff to soup. even topping some of these soups with some plain yogurt for added protein and mouthfeel. Oh. did you know that most 'cream' soups are made with a small amount of roux mixed with milk? neither did i. it was a nice surprise.

in fact i'm going to be making a carrot and red lentil soup tomorrow - it has cumin and another 'warm' spice or two, and it sounds DELISH.

[MsMatic]

Lots of good tips in this thread!!
Eating healthy isn't all that expensive.
It might seem that way only because the unhealthy food is so cheap.
But at the end of the day you can't put a price on your health.
Can't expect to look like a million bucks if you eat off the dollar menu. lol

[pizzamonster]

I try sticking with seasonal vegetables to save money. I also check the big stores for discounts regularly (usually each week). This way my expenses for food are not that much higher - but then i was eating fast food all day last year, so my expenses were quite high.