Cardinal Rules

New to the world of foodie-dom? Then let me share some useful tips that I have learned which will help you save money, delight your taste buds, and eat healthily! One caveat: I still have a lot to learn about being a foodie, so these "rules" are subject to adaptation!

1. Read Grocery Store Ads
The best way to avoid spending a lot of money at the grocery store is to look at several ads before you go and plan your upcoming meals based on sale items. Once you build up a good repertoire of recipes, you'll be able to adapt easily to whatever is the cheapest!

2. Plan Ahead

Along the lines of reading ads, I highly recommend planning a couple of meals before just heading out to buy whatever suits you. There is no greater tragedy in foodland than opening up the refrigerator to a moldering heap of produce. Be aware of what you buy, and be creative enough to use as much of it as possible before it goes bad! As a single grad student, I know first-hand that it can be rough to use up produce before it all dies, but it is definitely possible if you are careful.

3. Commit to Fresh Food
To avoid the risk of the above-mentioned moldering heaps, some people opt for frozen foods. While I'm not going to launch into a harangue about fresh vs. frozen food, I will say that nothing beats fresh produce for both taste and nutrition. There are some things (like corn and peas) that I almost always buy frozen, but if you follow the above advice about grocery ads, then switching to fresh produce won't be too hard on your pocketbook. The real trick with fresh food, however, is not the cost--it's knowing what to do with it! But, well, isn't that what this blog is for?!

Beyond switching to fresh produce--step away from the boxed and pre-packaged items! I don't even like to buy pre-made spaghetti sauce or taco seasoning (it's much more interesting to experiment with making it yourself)--although I draw the line at pasta and plain tomato sauce...

4. Buy Whole Grains
And speaking of the pasta, unless you are brave (which I most definitely am not) and like to make it yourself (which I most definitely do not), I would recommend always opting for the whole grain variety. Not only are whole grains much better for you [insert convincing medical data here] but they honestly taste a lot better. Further, when it comes to pasta, whole wheat holds its shape better if you accidentally overcook it...

As for traditional sliced bread, make sure that you look at the ingredients carefully--if it doesn't say "whole wheat flour," then it isn't a whole grain! Don't let the caramel coloring fool you--it's a façade. Personally, I always spring for varieties of honey whole wheat--it tastes fantastic as french toast, sandwiches, and even  make-shift garlic bread!