ECONOMY EATING

Judged by world standards New Zealanders eat very well. It’s been estimated that we eat 72% more than is necessary for good health. With food prices constantly rising the weekly Supermarket cost is a big drain on our overall expenditure. The fact is that many families are eating the profits and wondering why there is no surplus left from their income.

Feeding a family can be either a haphazard affair or a managerial operation. With so many solo parents and wives working there is precious little time for them to set aside for planning well balanced, low-cost meals. The tendency is to opt for fast foods, pre-cooked, or easy-to-prepare meals.

Eating habits can become a very personal affair with different members of the family demanding different diets to the extent where the cook is stretched to the limit trying to keep pace with individual idiosyncrasies. I firmly believe that consistency in eating nutritious, satisfying meals can not only bring good health but also to trim the budget at the same time. Most foods need an acquired taste and if it is served up long enough with no alternatives permitted it will eventually be enjoyed.

Why not turn over a new leaf this year. Become a home executive with managerial skills in housekeeping, learning new ways to cut food costs, so that you can have a greater purchasing power for more permanent items. Just a few hints to get you going but I hope you leave me for cold eventually.

PLANNING: Perhaps the most important hour you set aside once a week is to plan your menus for the ensuing seven days. This should preferably be completed the day before you go shopping. Jot down your seven main meal menus then write out a shopping list to provide the necessary ingredients.

SHOPPING LIST: Also keep a continuous shopping list and add items as soon as they run low. You will save on emergency trips to the store to buy single items.

SUPERMARKET BUYING: Stick to your list and don’t be tempted buy unnecessary goodies. Don’t rush your shopping or shop when you’re hungry. Try to do the weekly shopping yourself. You’ll soon become an expert, quick to spot seasonal bargains in vegetables, meat, fish and fruit. Whenever possible, buy the exact amount required for the recipes. This minimizes leftovers.

RECIPES: Scan cookbooks for wholesome low-cost recipes – go easy on the meat – be lavish on rice, pastas, coleslaw and salads of all descriptions. You can’t beat a breakfast of muesli. It tastes like cardboard and needs plenty of chewing to get the juices going but it provides plenty of bulk to fill the corners until lunchtime. You can then economize on the toasts, jams, honey etc..

BECOME AN EXPERT: You have the potential – all you need is to schedule enough prime time each week to accomplish that task. But learn to develop an inquiring mind that will enable you to ferret out the shortcuts and best ideas.