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<\/a>Good day to you<\/span><\/p>\nHere in the Northeast we are in the midst of\u00a0a season transitioning from springish (snow\u00a0covering green bulbs)\u00a0to rightful spring.\u00a0 With such I tend to take to going with the flow and recognizing the larger entity at work in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n On Saturday, April 2nd at the Ramsdell Library I held the Table Talk #3 on Food Shopping on a Budget & Kitchen Prep Tips.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n It was nice to have us all around the table as some ate their brown bag lunch, others sipped on their tea and we spoke on health.<\/span><\/p>\n Participants shared some challenges they have faced\u00a0to healthy\u00a0food shopping on a budget such as how to save feeding a family with different dietary\u00a0preferences\u00a0in one meal.\u00a0 Others\u00a0spoke\u00a0of\u00a0their need to find\u00a0prepared foods that are quick and healthy for the grab and go dinners and\u00a0what ways they can\u00a0maximize these foods availability.<\/span><\/p>\n Reviewing the Food Shopping on A Budget Tips handout<\/strong>, I provided\u00a0 some suggestions\u00a0on ways to approach a supermarket\u00a0with your\u00a0food shopping list.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n When shopping do an aisle check<\/strong>– Top shelf, lower shelf and avoid eye level.\u00a0 Eye level is usually where supermarkets will put their most expensive goods.\u00a0 They do this figuring you are not likely to want to squat down or raise up your eyes to the top shelf in your quick trip to the supermarket.\u00a0 But these shelves can often save you with cheaper products.<\/span><\/p>\n Ingredients check-<\/strong> The first 3 items listed on a packaged container are in the highest quantity.\u00a0 So when you are shopping and deciding between two packaged turn to the label.\u00a0 If the item being sold is meant to serve you and your family with what you intended choose it, otherwise you are wasting your money.<\/span><\/p>\n Shelf Stabilized last-<\/strong> If shopping for health is your goal and you want to make your purchases count, take the time to choose wisely.\u00a0 Fill your basket or shopping cart with what counts first and then make room for the other products.\u00a0 Natural, whole grains and produce are a good place to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Participants learned time-saving\u00a0kitchen tips and easy preparation methods to creating a meal .\u00a0\u00a0 Leftover breads can be easily added to a casserole to create some heartiness or a soup for texture.\u00a0 Rice\u00a0is a versatile food and can be reused in a number of ways, as pudding for a snack or a morning porridge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Suggestions were made on extending the life of bulk purchases.\u00a0 Storing herbs and spices\u00a0away from heat and buying them in small quantities to save on excess and\u00a0avoid rancidity.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I also recommended some good resources to learn more about the food industry and how to shop for healthy choices.\u00a0 One was the Michael Pollan\u00a0book and DVD\u00a0<\/strong>In Defense of Food<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span> <\/em>Pollan gives some great tips that complement a healthy diet.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n For example when you are shopping think of the produce aisle as the “quiet foods” that are often overlooked because they are not shouting out with lots of media around them.\u00a0 He also recommends avoiding excess sugars that are found in products that you wouldn’t necessarily think of like ketchup and bread.<\/span><\/p>\n