Eating Your Wage

By: Katherine Trapani, Senior Nutrition and Dietetics Major

College life requires a lot out of us. We have to meet deadlines, make big decisions, devote ourselves to our studies and somehow purchase and prepare foods that are (hopefully) healthy and within our budget...

College requires us to act our age and our wage.

While I can't help you on the "acting your age" part, I can definitely provide some tips and strategies to have both an affordable and a nutritious food supply in your apartment, mini-fridge or book bag (because that's what Pennsylvanians call it).

I am quite experienced with shopping on a budget. This isn't a resume, so I won't (try to) brag or anything...but I have sacrificed my own dollars and time to figure it out on my own. Today, I can promise you...

IT IS NOT A MYTH, YOU CAN EAT HEALTHY ON A LIMITED BUDGET.

(It's about to get intimate.) My food budget each week is $60. That's $8.60 per day. Though that's my budget, I usually spend less than that at about $45-50. Want to know something else?

MY BUDGET ALLOWS FOR THE 2015-2020 DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS INCLUDING SOME SWEETS.

Hallelujah. I impress myself sometimes.

Now I have the honor of sharing my experience and knowledge with my fellow Cobbers! Take a little scroll and check out some tips and strategies to get the biggest bang for your buck while purchasing and storing your weekly groceries.

Consider having these nutritious, inexpensive options in your shopping cart:

  • Generic brands--check the unit price and compare to name-brand food items to make the cheaper purchase; try them out and see if the possible taste difference is worth the cost
  • Bulk items--consider buying in large quantities non-perishable foods or staple foods such as dairy products, 100% whole wheat bread or eggs
  • Frozen fruits and vegetables--they're just as nutritious as fresh produce, but are usually cheaper!
  • Canned beans--drain into a strainer and rinse for 30 seconds to wash off the majority of sodium for a quick, fiber-packed protein
  • Iron-fortified cereals--an inexpensive food choice that offers most vitamins and minerals such as Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, Raisin Bran or Oat Bran Flakes
  • Skim milk--has 0% fat and is cheaper than whole, 2% and 1% milks
  • Brown rice, sweet potatoes and bananas--nutritious standbys that are filling and can be eaten as side dishes to a meal
  • Whole wheat pastas--these can actually be cheaper in their unit price compared to ramen noodles and contain more dietary fiber
  • Fresh, unprepared meats--consider buying value packs of chicken, fish or beef which have no added-sodium if you have enough room in your refrigerator or freezer to safely store it
  • Eggs--the incredible, edible egg is the best source of protein with an average cost of just $0.09 per egg!
  • Peanut butter--when eaten in 2 tablespoon servings, peanut butter is an inexpensive, quick serving of protein and minerals

"But Katie, I buy these foods and I still don't manage to have enough food or end up not using all of it--what am I doing wrong?"

I got you, dear.

Stretching your budget and making healthful food choices may require more than just purchasing the right ingredients! Here are a couple strategies to stretch your budget at the store and in the kitchen:

1. Use what you already have in the kitchen

I love Pinterest. And I know you do too. But choosing trendy recipes willy-nilly that include crazy ingredients you may not know how to use in other dishes is going to make it difficult for you to stay within your food budget.

You can maximize the use of foods you already have and reduce food costs by remembering this:

Make recipes that adapt to your ingredients rather than adapting your ingredients to the recipes.

This method of cooking includes choosing versatile food items as the majority of your groceries. For example, skinless chicken breasts, whole wheat pasta, canned diced tomatoes or plain non-fat yogurt are food items that can be used in multiple ways for various courses. Select healthful foods you would be willing to eat and keep them on hand as staples to include in your meals throughout the week.

You can find recipes for specific food ingredients by simply searching the ingredient on a recipe website, such as USDA's Mixing Bowl. Try searching chicken breast, yogurt, or other foods you have on hand to find the perfect recipe for you!

2. Be prepared when you go to the grocery store

  • Taking a quick scan of your food on-hand before leaving for the grocery store can prevent you from buying extra food that may spoil before you are able to eat it. Seeing what you already have can also make sure you have a variety of food types in your kitchen. Take notice to the food groups in your house: Is there an adequate amount of grains for the week? Dairy? Fruits? Vegetables? Protein? Oils? Think of the ChooseMyPlate model or visit the website to learn how many servings of each food group you should get in a day.
  • Make a grocery list and try going to the grocery store with a full stomach. By making a list and not being hungry, you will be less likely to make "impulse buys" (unplanned purchases) and choose more healthful food choices.

To learn how to use your new budgeting skills to make healthy food choices as an athlete, visit Athlete's Max Performance Diet or Key Strategies on Improving Soccer Performance

References

United States Department of Agriculture. (2017). What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl. Retrieved from: https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/search/solr-results

United States Department of Agriculture. (2017). What is My Plate? Retrieved from: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlate

United States Department of Health and Human Services and United States Department of Agriculture. (2016). 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Eighth Edition. Key elements. Retrieved from: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/