Tips To Stretch Your Food Dollar

Families everywhere are feeling the pinch of rising food costs. From milk to eggs to meat, prices continue to rise.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices climbed 4 percent in 2007, which was the biggest annual increase since 1990. Worse still, food prices are projected to rise by as much as 5.5 percent in 2008.

Here are some helpful tips to buy more with less:

• It’s an oldie but a goodie- don’t shop hungry. Your wallet will thank you.

• Plan trips and shop from a list so you’re less inclined to impulse spend.

• Be opportunistic. Look for manager’s specials and mark-downs within the store. Stock up on nonperishables that are on sale.

• Take fewer trips to the grocery store and you’ll spend less money. It’s a fact.

• Try “extreme value” food outlets-such as Grocery Outlet, which has over 130 locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. These outlets purchase overstocks and closeouts directly from manufacturers, resulting in prices often up to 50 percent cheaper than conventional retailers’. (For locations-visit www.groceryoutlets.com)

• Beans are ridiculously inexpensive and an excellent source of protein. For ½ cup of cooked beans, you get 7 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber and 12 percent of the RDA for iron.

• Eggs and canned tuna are two other nutritious, inexpensive sources of protein.

• Single servings are expensive and waste packaging. Buy items such as yogurt and soup in large containers.

• Stretch ground meat by mixing it with cooked rice and barley or vegetables such as beans, carrots and squash.

• Get help from the experts. Grocery Outlet has a new booklet, “Feeding Your Family on $3 a Day,” which outlines a menu and shopping list to feed your family for $3 per person per day.

Healthy Chicken-Broccoli Stir-Fry

Serves 6 for just $1.35 per person

½ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. minced ginger

1½ tsp. cornstarch

2½ lbs. chicken tenders

1½ tbsp. vegetable oil

12 oz. broccoli florets

1 lg. onion, chopped

Mix first 4 ingredients with ¼ cup water in bowl, add chicken and marinate for 10 minutes or longer. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Heat oil in skillet, then add chicken. Stir-fry until brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add broccoli and onion to hot skillet. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add ¼ cup water, cover and steam for 3 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp. While broccoli is steaming, boil the marinade for at least one minute and set aside. Return chicken to skillet and add marinade. Heat through, stirring constantly.

Don’t shop hungry. Your wallet will thank you.