Teaching students to cook on a budget

[pdsavage]

Go to hillbillyhousewife.com
great site for all the penny pinching shopping,even has a shopping list and recipes...

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70dollarmenu.htm

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
The biggest thing would be to teach them to stear clear of buying prepackeged and processed foods. They seem to cost very little, but they actually have next to no nourishment in them, and they leave you hungry and craving more.
Show them how getting set up with a bread machine can save them literally hundreds of dollars over the years.
They are so very easy to use. All you do is dump in the ingredients according to the recipe, close the lid, set the right buttons, and go on your way!

Also, making use of certain bulk items, like grains, beans, pasta, flour and bulk family style meats for the freezer. Also bulk boxes of small canned goods, like corn and tomato sauce.
Show them how easy it is to make bone broths (rather then MSG laced boullian and bases) and soups from scratch, rather then relying on nasty canned ones.
A little time spent putting together a pantry that will feed you for three months if need be, will go along ways to making life easier in the long run.
And you cannot overlook shopping local. Farmers markets and such.

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

Teach them to price by unit and always know their prices when they shop (particularly when shopping at Costco et al).

Bulk is not always cheaper than packaged and the bigger package is not always cheaper than the equivelant in smaller packages. They should be able to break down the cost by unit (be it pounds, ounces etc).

Beware false economy. Buying the bigger package is not a better deal if one uses it in the same time as one would use a smaller package.

 

[the lemon tree]

PASTA! Super cheap (like $.99 for a pound sometimes) and oh do boys love their carbs . Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my personal favorites and it's quick to make. The ingredients are very accessible and for the most part affordable-like garlic, eggs, cream, bacon, and parsley if you want to go *wild*. A simple grilled chicken breast (though the thighs and drumsticks are much cheaper) is a good complement.

Or just get storebought spaghetti sauce and add some ground beef or turkey to add extra protein. You can make gallons of it and it freezes beautifully.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Y'all are AWESOME! These are great tips!

I currently have a pot of red beans cooking. I told them I would make them lunch to nosh on while we are discussing cooking on a budget. I'll bring in a crockpot to keep it warm (there wasn't time to cook them in the crockpot before class). A couple of the kids are bringing in rice cookers. The whole meal for 9+ of us will end up costing a grand total of about $3.

These kids pretty much eat every meal out. That's what I'm trying to break them of. It is too expensive to eat that way and really unhealthy (as they eat fast food). My goal is to:
A: open their eyes to how much yummier the food is
B: Show them how easy it is to cook
C: Give them the skills they need to create a food budget and grocery list
D: Start them off with a few basic recipes

I will acompile your suggestions and go over them with the kids tomorrow. Thanks so much!! I'll let you know how the class goes.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

I know that it helps to pitch in together and get a membership to Sams or Costco and buy stuff in bulk, such as TP, laundry detergent, dish detergent, etc. You can find good prices on meats, as well, that can be frozen and used later in reasonable sized portions.

 

[ChickyLaura]

I think it's a good idea to get to know your local grocery stores. Since these guys will be busy working and just doing what young men do, they need to find a store that works with their budget. I shop at Aldi's. When I worked at Nestle, we sold Aldi's our evaporated milk with their label on it. I've never had a problem with the quality of their food and it's how I can afford to have my 15 year old son eat!!! If I bought the same stuff at Aldi's and then went shopping at Wegman's, I'm sure the price difference would be huge. (Although I do love the awesome selection and quality at Wegmans!!!)

Good luck with your presentation! It sounds like it'll be a lot of fun!

 

[math ace]

crock pots and bread machines can be purchased cheaply at thrift stores.

POTATOES - - CHEAP - - - microwave quickly, can be baked, mashed, etc.

MEAT - - buy it only when under a certain price per lb and freeze it. I decide what to cook by what is on sell !
I have been know to mix my marinade ahead of time and freeze the meat in it.

Recipes - - ASK AROUND for those quick and easy. Everybody has a favorite. My family love chicken quesidillas.

LEFTOVERS - - - learn how to use a meat twice. I grill chicken on Saturday.
Come Monday, I boil the leftovers and make chicken quesidillas or chicken and dumplings.

BREAD - - - No Lie - - make it with a bread machine and learn to make BISCUITS.
My family eats like royality on the weekend - - biscuits ( homemade ) and sausage gravy.
Entire meal for family of four is less than $5 and everybody ROLLLLLssss away from the table !

EGGS - - BEST BANG for your buck. QUICK and EASY. We have omeletts for dinner and breakfast.
My family loves ham and cheese omelets.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

A great time and money saver for me is to cook large portions of whatever I'm making. Then we can make several meals of it all in a row or freeze some for later. I usually have 2 main dishes going in the fridge for everyone to eat for lunches & dinners. That way you don't have to cook from scratch every night.

Frozen vegetables are inexpensive & still very healthy, and very easy to prepare. I'm trying to get the family in the habit of adding a handful to every dish they eat.

Most public libraries have a good selection of cookbooks you can borrow for free.

We love matzoh pizza! It tastes like thin-crust pizza. Put a few spoons of jarred spaghetti sauce on a matzo, top with grated mozzerella cheese & heat in the toaster oven or regular oven. Pair that with a salad & you've got a good balanced meal.

Chili is a great dish that many guys like to make & eat. It's also a great way to make meat go farther, and a good way to include beans & veggies in your meal. I always pair it with brown rice to make the meat go even farther.

Teach them a good date-night meal they can easily make to impress their girl/boyfriends. Nothing garlic-y or messy to eat, nothing that requires a lot of fuss to prepare, but something that is wholesome & delicious. Maybe some kind of broiled fish, rice pilaf, steamed veggies, & a simple dessert like baked pears.

I wish you & your students great success!