A recent question posted to “Ask Tiffany”

Great stuff from a brilliant mind for change in the way we think about food. Look forward to your teachings.

How can we teach people that, contrary to popular belief, eating and living well is cheaper than the drive thru, and that visiting the market once a week actually saves money? -Dave Folmer

Tiffany Answers:

Well Dave I ask people sometimes, what price would they be willing to pay for a healthy body and a healthy bank account?? The American lifestyle as we know it is based on speed, convenience, and price. Unfortunately hidden costs = the price of bad health. For those of us who experience this and choose to learn from it, find ourselves in an exciting, yet unfamiliar place. Learning to provide for yourself the way your body requires allows us to listen more to what our bodies are actually telling us. Most diets with lack of planning and structure are filled with processed foods, refined sugars, and fatty meats that our body hates, yet becomes addicted to. These diets consist of many fast food drive thrus that involve spending any where between $5.-7.00 dollars easily, per visit. Oh, and that’s if your not ordering it “Super Sized” or driving thru for Breakfast and/or Dinner!  On the other hand, a trip to the farmers market or local grocer (preferably one that offers bulk foods and often has sales) can run you about $50.00 (per single person/per week) which is the equivalent of $5.-7.00 per day, and more than likely you’ll have a stocked refrigerator for breakfast and dinner. 

For penny-wise beginners, learning to eat and prepare more meals at home can seem time consuming and difficult at first, especially if they don’t cook that much. In which case, it is wise to start off by researching recipes that are easy to prepare, cost affective and in some cases freezable. I always recommend purchasing dried bulk ingredients such as rice, beans, granola, oats, fruit, and quinoa; an excellent source of protein. Fruits and vegetables that are “In-Season” are usually less costly due to the volume produced during that time of year. Homemade stews, soups, and marinated proteins can be prepared in advance and in large amounts. A favorite of mine for instance, is a recipe I invented with what I thought was a bare pantry. I like to call it “Harvest Berry Stew”. Cheap and easy to prepare, this one-dish magic is made of Garlic, Ginger, Onion, Carrots, Celery, canned Tomatoes, dried Wheat Berries, dried Cannelloni Beans and fresh Parsley. The maximum cost of $5.00 is a delicious deal and when finished, feeds up to 10 people! Recipes like this have a long shelf life as well as the ability to freeze well if needed.

Eating and living well can be a challenge and its one that requires self discipline. Nevertheless, with every good habit, brings a sense of balance. And in this case, the bank account balance. If your looking for healthy food on a small budget, then stick to what our mother earth has given us! Fruits, vegetables and other whole foods are the basic building blocks of a nutritious diet, and they’re much cheaper than processed foods.

“Harvest Berry Stew”, give a try for yourself!!
Ingredients:
16 oz. Dried Wheat Berries
12 oz. Dried Cannelloni Beans (soak over night or you may purchase canned beans)
2 ea. Celery Stalks
1 lg. White Onion
4 ea. Carrots
4 ea. Garlic Cloves
1 ea. One inch pc. Ginger Root
4 tbs. Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
6 c. Vegetable or Chicken Stock (may use bouillon to cut on cost)
1 can Crushed Tomatoes, 15oz.
2 tbs. Whole Fennel Seed
2ea. Bay Leaves
1tbs. Salt
Add Pepper and Fresh Parsley to taste.

Directions:

Grab a big sauce pot, or what I like to call a “Spaghetti Pot” and place it on the largest burner your stove gives you. To it, add 2 tbs. of Olive Oil and begin with the Garlic by pressing down on each clove using the flat of your knife to break them. Chop them until fairly minced and then add them to the pot. Following that, peel the Ginger Root by using the edge of a teaspoon. Scrape it until the inner root is clean. Grate the Ginger Root using a cheese grater (or something similar ) into the pot. Next, roughly chop the White Onion, Celery, Carrots and add them to the mix. Now turn on the heat!! Med-High temperature and stirring frequently. As vegetables begin to cook add 1 tbs. Salt, 2 tsp. of whole Fennel Seed, 2 Bay leaves, and grind some good Pepper corns into the mix. When vegetables become translucent, add crushed Tomatoes, Wheat Berries, Cannelloni Beans and 6 Cups of Vegetable or Chicken Stock (may substitute water). Reduce heat to Low and simmer until the Beans and Berries are tender. Allow 20-25 minutes.
*Note: If the liquid evaporates too quickly, make sure your burner is on low/simmer, add 2 cups of stock or water or cover the pot.

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