Poor mamas: How well do you guys really eat?? - Page 7

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by Sol_Solved

Serenetabbie, sure! I can start a thread somewhere with recipes. Since you just mentioned spinach, DH's favorite spinach curry is also super simple: I put a Tbsp of oil in a skillet, a few mustard seeds (they're a staple for us, but I imagine you could just use some garlic and onions for a twist, or replace with cumin seeds or poppy seeds or anything), and just add a package of thawed frozen spinach (usually $0.90 at QFC here) with all the liquid and let it cook, once it's done, I wait until it's not too hot and add two Tbsp of lime juice and mix well. The lime juice goes really well with spinach, and it's a very fast recipe.

I will have to try this. Sounds nummy!

[cjr]

I go back and forth between organics and not. I organize a food coop where I get all of my organic bulk grains/dried beans/rice. It's super cheap. Through the coop I have access to a lot of organic/natural products. It's almost half the cost of buying it at the HFS, but it's still expensive. I prefer to buy organic grains, dried beans and corn. Just because of all the issues concerning genetics and special hibred seeds.

I have not worried too much about milk. I was a fanatic, but in Canada we don't have hormones in our milk or that other stuff. Yes, the cows are treated really bad but my family requests milk so I buy it for them. I don't drink it myself. I make my own yoghurt and other fermented dairy products.

Beef I have an issue with. I prefer to buy bison than beef. Organic beef is so expensive, but I can buy bison at costco for a very affordable price. It is super good for you. The local bison farms treat bison very differently than beef so that makes feel better.

Produce is a matter of cost. If it costs not too much more I will go organic. I won't pay $5 for one bell pepper though.

I am in the catagory of not poor. We have never known what it is like not to have food to eat. I don't like spending/wasting money on food and that is why I am as frugal as I am when it comes to food buying.

My heart goes out to everyone on these boards who do have to worry about feeding their families. I do know there are a lot of families who feel eating healthy is not possible on a small budget and don't even try. These are the same families who buy potato chips instead of an actual potato, soda instead of tea, pop tarts/sugary cereal instead of oatmeal. That bugs me.

[Genesisjoy]

We are poor, for sure, and we spend almost all of out $ on good quaulity organic fair trade food, first because it is a huge investment in yours and your families health, which will probley save you money in the long run, and your life for that matter and second because it is important to support good people and good companies, it is important to know who you are giving your money to. etc.

[Krystal323]

holy moly this thread took off

first off, it's been a good read, and i do think i'll try that lentil recipe, thx!

2nd, yeah okay, that water vs. soda example in my OP was goofy, bc i am a dork and didn't rly think about how much a gallon vs. 2 liters IS.

which brings me to my 3rd point--WHY didn't that occur to me at first? i think, because for most of my life i haven't been poor, so i "didn't have to care" about the cost of soda vs. water or pretty much the price of anything else in the grocery store. :

when i first got married, that was the first time in living memory that i coudln't just throw whatever i felt like into the grocery cart. the irony is, we actually did have a decent amount of money for food then, but it was so much less than what i was accustomed to, so i felt poor.

i started this thread because we had been in a major low point for awhile--dp was out of work, and then they screwed up our foodstamps. so all of a sudden we were having to try to eat on a LOT less $$ than we were used to, which i didn't think was enough to begin with!

well, the feeling i get from reading all these posts, is that there are many degrees of poor-ness, and i think past a certain point, you're not able to care about organic this or free-range that because you are having to care about getting ENOUGH to eat. that's where we were last month, and i am so glad to say that we're not anymore. but of course there will always be people for whom survival-mode-living is the norm, and then there will be people who feel "poor" because they can't afford organic, and a thousand variations in between. so i think it also comes down to, how are we defining *poor*?

there's being poor but frugal (aka "having priorities" ), there's poor because of misallocation of resources, there's also poor because of not having any resources. and then, for how long have you been rock-bottom poor? how empty is your pantry? do you have stuff to cook with? are you ill/physically hampered from doing things like cooking or shopping or driving? what if you have no car? all these kinds of things affect how well you can eat....

this thread has given me a lot of cool resources--and hopefully i can use my time and hone my talents so that we can eat better on less $$--because that's a good skill to have even if you're rich! thx guys

[serenetabbie]

I am so glad you were able to keep up with the whole thread and get some good ideas from it

My gramma says that being frugal is how you become rich I am waiting for that to happen here though

[hippiemum21580]

I do buy organic, all natural foods but for two reasons, one my eldest has behavioral issues that are helped with dieta nd two, I am blessed to have food stamps right now so I can afford it. So, I am very thankful for that adn when I do eat, it is 90% healthy. But it balances out for me anyway as I rarely get to eat an actual meal with the lil ones!

[BlueStateMama]

We're on a really restricted budget/cash crunch currently. I've brought our grocery bill WAAAAY down recently. And I won't buy processed junk. Here's what's working for us:

before any shopping trip I scan the grocery store circulars on line and do my meal planning based on that - like a big pack of chicken breasts was on sale and I bought it, portioned it up, and froze for future dinners

things like diced canned tomatoes and black beans often go on sale for prices like 10 cans for a dollar - I stock up on staples like that

keeping a written inventory of the pantry and freezer reminds me of ingredients we have hand (and prevents buying duplicates)

I stretch one meal into two - roast chicken dinner one night and then I make stock from it the next day and we have a hearty soup the following night

I buy fruits and veggies in season and on sales - pears are cheap right now, and melon - green beans just went on sale and so did broccoli...I buy produce based on what's cheapest. Potatoes are really inexpensive and filling.

we drink mostly water

I don't buy individual containers of things like yogurt, I buy a large container of plain organic and kids eat that with fruit cut up in it and honey - I also make our own frozen pops in the freezer from smoothies or diluted juice - no HFCS that way

After every shopping trip I scan our receipt and see what my more expensive items were and try to think of substitutions or ways to do without


Just what's been working here

[Brees_Mama]

We eat CHEAP! I make out a menu for 2wks then get the groceries for it when DH gets paid. Examples of things we eat:

-ground turkey chili
-potato soup
-lots of cornbread
-rice/chicken dishes
-pinto beans and cornbread
-cheap desserts like peach cobbler or pudding w/whipped cream
-spaghetti
-crock pot dishes

I'm anything but an organic momma We just cannot afford it. However, my family is fed and happy and thats what matters I've came a long way....I used to serve hamburger helper for dinner (nothing wrong w that but it can be expensive) and we would eat out alot.

Before you go groc shopping or make your menu~write down everything you have in your pantry and freezer/fridge. See what things you can make using that stuff then write out your menu (cheap b'fast, lunch, dinner) and what things you need to buy for it.

Always have on hand: baking powder, baking soda, salt/pepper, flour, sugar, cornmeal, ketchup, weiners, maple syrup, canned beans and veggies, rice, dry pasta,bread, ground beef/turkey (buy this when its near expiration and freeze it) dry milk, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, beef/chicken buillon cubes,tomato sauce and a big thing of frozen tator tots.

Drinks: 100count tea bags, koolaid mixes, coffee, water w.lemon juice mixed in (yumm!)

http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipelist.htm
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/recipes.htm
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/...ead.php?t=9445 $5 meals!

^^^^^^^ good sites.

[sleepnrain]

I love this thread. THANK YOU to all the people who posted such wonderful ideas! I'm bookmarking and will refer to this often.

And good thoughts to everyone going through hard times. Thinking of you!