PANAMA CITY — Getting back into the school and work routine this week doesn’t have to mean breaking New Year’s healthy resolutions or your budget for quick meals.
But coming up with meals to cook that are healthy, cheap, easy and taste good can be a challenge.
On Friday, I stopped by the Bay County Extension Office, 2728 E. 14th St. in Panama City, and borrowed a copy of Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service’s cookbook “Eat Right for Less: Nutrition on a Budget,” a project of the Indiana Nutrition Education Programs and Purdue University Cooperative Extension.
While planning my grocery list for this week, I scanned the Main Dishes section for Kid Friendly recipes my 8-year-old son might eat.
“Usually when we talk about saving money, planning is extremely important,” said Marjorie Moore, Bay County Extension director and Family and Consumer Sciences agent at UF/IFAS Extension. “Plan your meals. Once you plan, take an inventory of what is on hand and compile a shopping list, or you are more likely to spend more.”
Not sticking with the shopping list also can be costly, especially if you go on an empty stomach, which my husband did on Saturday.
“Eat before you go,” Moore added.
I already had everything I needed on hand for the cookbook’s recipe for Rosemary Lemon Chicken Breasts, except chicken. A 5-pack of bone-in chicken breasts cost us $10.68 at Walmart.
“Plan meals based on My Plate. Half should consist of fruits and vegetables, proteins make a fourth, and another fourth of grains,” Moore said.
My Plate guidelines also recommend a small side of dairy. For more on the guidelines, including recipes and Sample 2-Week Menus for eating on a budget, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.
“Meat can be seafood, leaner-type fish and poultry, of course, with white meat having less fat. Lean meats like beef that have tougher cuts usually have less fat, and ground beef should be mostly 90 percent lean,” Moore said. “Even ground turkey, you have to be careful with the fat content.”
According to “Eat Right,” freezing ground beef in its original packaging is OK for up to two weeks: “If you plan to store it longer, remove it from the original package and wrap it in freezer paper, aluminum foil, or a zip-top freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.”
A slow cooker can do wonders for tough meat, which is often cheaper, and a healthy option in a pot full of vegetables.
“Eat Right for Less” has a recipe for Juicy Pot Roast With Vegetables that calls for 1 3-pound boneless beef rump roast. But it also calls for carrots, which my son doesn’t eat unless they’re swimming in broccoli cheese soup.
White meat chicken can be dry, but according to the cookbook, “the skin helps keep the meat juicy and moist while it cooks.”
On Sunday, I went ahead and made all five servings of the Rosemary Lemon Chicken Breasts, preparing three in one baking dish and two in another. I sliced a fresh Meyer lemon, a gift from a friend, then tucked two thin slices under the skin of all five and still had a few slices left over for iced tea. Large sprigs of fresh rosemary from our backyard garden under the skin also made for a nice presentation.
“If you grow your own herbs, it will probably be cheaper and taste better, too,” Moore said.
One baked chicken breast was enough for me to split with my son.
“It’s not just good; it’s awesome,” he said. “It has a lot of flavor, and it’s white” — which is significant because he usually prefers dark meat chicken.
We served it with steamed broccoli, a side of spinach fettuccine with Parmesan, and salad.
As my son was taking his plate to the kitchen counter, I asked him if he really liked the chicken. His response — “I cleaned my plate.”
We still have three leftover pieces for another meal, recipe or sandwiches.
Herbs add a lot of flavor to dishes, but if you don’t grow your own, buying them can add up. Moore suggests buying two or three different herbs to use in many different recipes.
“Basil goes good in a lot of things, and thyme is another one,” she said. “Oregano goes with a lot of Italian and meat dishes. Use it on pizza and pasta dishes.”
Though most of our meals at home center on meat, I know that’s not always the best option.
“You don’t always need to buy meat,” Moore explained. “Find other low-cost protein sources. Dry beans and beans can be mixed with some type of grain. We just had black-eyed peas for New Year’s. Mix it with rice, and it’s a pretty good protein source. Add a green vegetable to the meal. Soup recipes are good, especially while it’s cold. Sometimes for a starch, you can add a noodle. There are Crock Pot recipes that are healthy. You could even do a vegetable soup in your pot. Look for fruits and vegetables in season for best cost.”
Winter selections include beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, kale, leeks, lemons, onions, oranges, potatoes, turnips and, of course, winter squash.
“If you can’t get fresh, look at frozen. Stores do a lot of good sales on frozen,” Moore said. “And you can buy canned without added salt.”
Store brands also help cut cost. If you need more meal inspiration, check out what is on sale at grocery stores for the week. Pair it with a coupon for more savings. (But don’t buy something you wouldn’t normally buy just because you have a coupon for it.)
For more ideas and upcoming classes, visit http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu, or contact Moore at the Bay County Extension Office, 784-6105 or mreem@ufl.edu.
Rosemary Lemon Chicken Breasts
- 5 bone-in chicken breast halves with skin (about 6 ounces each)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 thin lemon slices
- 5 (3-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried, crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13-by-9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Using your fingers, pull skin away from chicken without removing skin. Rub salt and garlic powder on chicken breasts under the skin. For each breast half, tuck two lemon slices between skin and chicken; add a sprig of rosemary on top of lemon slices. Pull skin over lemon and rosemary to cover as much of chicken as possible.
Place chicken breasts in prepared baking dish. Spray tops of chicken breasts with butter-flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with pepper. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes or until thickest parts of chicken breasts are done.
Makes 5 servings.
Nutrition Facts per Serving: 205 calories, 6.7 grams Total Fat; 1.8 grams Saturated Fat; 0.7 grams Carbohydrates; 34.6 grams Protein; 93 milligrams Cholesterol; 0.2 grams Fiber; 199 milligrams Sodium
Source: “Eat Right For Less: Nutrition on a Budget”