Cooking on a Budget: Frugal Meals Means Cooking CheapFrugal Grocery ShoppingCooking on a budget is easy. Budget foods are usually foods that are whole and natural. Ounce for ounce convenience foods always cost more than whole foods. When you do your own cooking, you will find that the food you make tends to taste better too. If you like to cook and experience with different foods, then this will be a snap for you. Let’s take a look at some cooking ideas using whole, natural foods. Cooking on a Budget With Brown RiceBrown rice should be a staple food in everyone’s kitchen pantry. Basmati brown rice, and long grain brown rice are both excellent choices to use for casseroles, croquettes, and stir-fry dishes.Stir-Fry dishes are simple, tasty and healthy. All you do is quickly sauté your favorite veggies, maybe a bell pepper, celery and onion, for five minutes. Add about 1/8 cup soy sauce and 3-cups of cooked brown rice. The meals you can make with brown rice are endless.
Cooking On A Budget With MilletMany people think millet is for the birds. If that’s true, then the birds are healthier than people. Millet has been used for centuries as a staple food to the Hunza’s.The Hunza’s are known for their longevity and excellent health. Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous, and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid forming food, so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available. Millet is also easy to prepare and can be used as breakfast cereal, casseroles, vegetables dishes, and soups. Here is a place that sells organic millet and other whole grains. http://www.homegrownharvest.com/millet.html
Cooking on a Budget With Whole Grain PastaWho doesn’t like spaghetti? Whole-wheat noodles are a bit grainier than semolina noodles, but have more vitamins, minerals and fiber content than white pasta. When first trying whole-wheat pasta it will be a totally different experience.Eating whole-wheat pasta may take some time getting used to, but you will get used to it eventually. At first, it might be a good idea to use half of the white pasta mixed with the whole-wheat, until your family gets used to it. Americans have had their taste buds jaded by eating so many unnatural food products that when eating something whole, they don’t like it. But believe me, overtime you simply get used to it. Some children have a hard time eating whole-wheat bread because they have only had the white, tasteless stuff. Why am I saying all this? It is best to start your children out eating the whole foods when they are young. And when they get older they won’t be so picky.
Cooking on a Budget With BeansThere are so many different varieties of beans and legumes that the possibilities are endless. Beans and legumes are an economical and healthy choice. Most beans and legumes are packed with fiber, and have an abundance of protein and other nutritious vitamins and minerals.Many meat eaters think that vegetarians don’t get enough vitamins in their diet, but beans have more protein than many types of meat. A secret to making great tasting bean dishes is to cook the onions and garlic first in the pot, and than add the beans with water and cook. Or, after the beans are cooked, sauté onion and garlic and add to the dish then add spices according to what kind of flavor you want. Never add salt to beans until they are fully cooked or they will remain hard. Beans and legumes can be prepared to taste like Mexican, American, Indian, Caribbean, or African food. It’s up to you and what your taste buds are in the mood for. Source: http://chetday.com/millet.html
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