/frugal eating

[Guest guest]

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

--- In , heather coy <hjillcoy@y...>

wrote:

> i agree with the last sentiment about poorer people. my financial

situation is about to change to one where i will probably be forced

to put more grain back into my diet. it's really unfortunate but

it's too expensive to eat meat daily for our family. on an off topic

note if any one has recipes for good ways to stretch the meat (like

good stir-fries or stews, etc) i would like some.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Hi ,

Some random ideas off the top of my hand. I find frugal living

aesthetically appealing independent of financial exigency, although

for me it doesn't override the value of pricier items like fresh

oysters.

1. find a local small butcher shop. get free carcasses and eat the

brains (replaces fish as an omega-3 source) and bone marrow (use as a

replacement for butter). then make **stews** with the rest, not just

stock. instead of tossing the meat that comes off the bone, as is

customary in stock-making, simply use it as a free source of soft,

slow-cooked meat and add some veggies for hearty wonderful stews.

you can get a ton of meat this way, probably as much as you'd need

for your family. deer season is best because then you're getting

wild meat, the healthiest, but if you're lucky enough to find a place

that processes grass-fed farm animals and doesn't use everything,

then you've got it made. also, getting organs (even if you have to

pay for them) means you get plenty of nutrition for your family even

if you are filling out meals with lower nutrient-density foods like

grains and legumes. a lot of fat is thrown away by butchers too when

steaks are trimmed, but of course stick with grass-fed. pig

stomachs, which are in little demand, are very substantial meat

sources that are interchangeable with muscle meats in terms of

nutrition and flavor. a diet based on organs, carcasses, bulk whole

grains/legumes, and veggies could be fantastically healthy and very

cheap. even if you have to travel a few hours once in a while, there

should be a suitable small, friendly butcher shop out there that can

be a life-saver for your family.

2. forage for wild foods. plant foods are the most accessible, and

there's tons of literature on this out there. you can get a large

percentage of your veggies this way, and they will be more nutritious

than anything you can buy. growing your own veggies is another money-

saver that's probably too obvious to even mention, but it fits in

with the general principle of " don't buy veggies from stores " .

here there is a significant time/money tradeoff...

3. as someone already mentioned... eggs!

4. almonds from Indian grocery stores are quite inexpensive.

legumes, including peanuts and lentils, are cheapest there too. all

can be sprouted easily, and sprouted almonds are a heavenly pleasure.

5. sea veggies are cheapest in bulk and a little goes a long way.

about as much nutritional bang for your buck of anything you can buy.

try <http://www.alcasoft.com/seaweed/>. i would think of them as a

crucial item, not a luxury.

6. spice seeds are generally cheapest at indian shops. beyond

offering great flavor, they can have significant food value. korean

shops are probably cheapest for sesame seeds though. even if you

have to drive to an urban area once a year for these things, it's

worth it and they keep well.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania