Cooking to Save Money and Prevent Waste

Cooking to Save Money and Prevent Waste



This afternoon, the Prime 50 Club took a “Cooking for One” seminar at Platte Valley Bank in Platte City, MO.  Karen Elliott, with the University of Missouri Extension Office in Kansas City, came to the bank to show our Prime 50 Club how to cook smaller meals in a safer and money saving way.  Karen Elliott is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist with years of experience in cooking and food preparation.

Karen spoke about how shopping with a friend and then splitting a loaf of bread or head of lettuce can save money and prevent waste. Then, go to the salad bar to get the right amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. That way, you only pay for what you want. You can do the same with meat. The grocer's butcher can cut it to the size that you want at no additional cost.

Another way to cook great meals and save money is to freeze what you do not eat. When you buy a lot of one thing, like hamburger meat, only cook what you need and stick the rest in the freezer. Just remember, when you stick leftovers or extra groceries in the freezer, make sure they are either in the original containers, or put them in “freezer” bags or containers. Not all plastic storage bags and containers are safe for freezers. If you do not use a freezer bag or container, your food will still be safe, it just may have freezer burn, lose flavor, and lose nutrients more quickly.

Did you know that canned food can be just as nutritious as fresh food? Yes, it actually can be! Who knew?
The reason: When food is canned it usually comes straight off farmers’ trucks and canned or frozen within a half hour of delivery. Fresh food stays partially exposed and can travel for hours or days before arriving at your grocery store.  Then, they sit on the shelf for more time. The longer food is exposed, the more flavor and nutrients it losses.

Also, after you cook a hot meal, do not let it sit out to cool. To prevent bacteria from growing, let your food cool in the fridge by placing it on a pot holder on a shelf.   To prevent bread from getting moldy, store the bread, in the bag, in the refrigerator and it can last up to four times as long.

To learn more about these great tips more neat ideas for nutrition and health, please visit http://extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=5