Best Frugal Food Ingredientsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 02 Feb 2009 06:56 AM
Potatoes Potatoes are so versatile and inexpensive. You can usually save when you purchase them in bulk, at least 10 pounds at a time. Keep them in a cool dark place for the best results. Potatoes can serve as a full meal with the addition of some topping. They can be made into potato salad, mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, stews and soup. You can even substitute potatoes for cream in chowders. Eggs Where else can you get a versatile protein for about 16 cents. Not only can they be used as meals in themselves (breakfast of course, but also quiche and fritattas), but also used to bind other ingredients. Use them in homemade baked goods to save even more. And, don't forget eggs salad, too. If you catch a good sale on eggs, stock up, beat the eggs and freeze. Rice We rely a lot on brown rice in our house, so much so that I buy organic rice by the 25-pound bag. Not only can rice serve as a size dish or part of your main meal, but it also can be used to stretch out other ingredients, such as with meatloaf. Freeze uncooked brown rice to extend the shelf life. It is a healthy addition to your diet, especially when combined with beans. White rice is a little less expensive, but for the difference in nutrition, choose brown rice. Would you like me to share more of my picks for the best frugal food ingredients? Check back again! Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right. Favorite Deal Websites: Related Articles: How to Turn Leftovers into New Meals Frugal Homemade Seasoning Recipes Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments MegfromAllAboutAppearances (330) 02 Feb 2009 07:54 AMSad to say, my rice and potato days are over :( Stupid high-GI carbs! Eggs are good, though! But watch the potatos, bread, rice, etc.  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 02 Feb 2009 08:01 AMFor me, complex carbs, such as brown rice are a healthy part of our diet as is whole wheat bread, but I can completely understand about avoiding the "white" foods. MegfromAllAboutAppearances (330) 14 Feb 2009 09:48 AMComplex carbs are definitely healthier than "white" foods in several ways, but they have almost the same effect insulin-wise. I was shocked to find that out, too, as I was eating a good bit of brown rice and grainy whole wheat bread thinking that it was healthy. So, you still don't want to overdo it -- especially if there's any family history of insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, obesity, etc. etc. etc. Mary Ann Romans (26876) 15 Feb 2009 05:39 AMThanks so much for the insight! Do you know what the glycemic index is for these foods? MegfromAllAboutAppearances (330) 17 Feb 2009 04:31 PMIt can vary a little depending on the way you cook things or even how a vegetable was grown, but the database here: http://www.glycemicindex.com/, can give you a good idea about the GI of various foods. Mary Ann Romans (26876) 18 Feb 2009 05:47 AMThanks so much, Meg. That is a valuable tool! Do you know if there is any benefit to choosing raw sugar over processed sugar? MegfromAllAboutAppearances (330) 18 Feb 2009 02:38 PMThere may be some small amounts of added nutrients, but I think it's rather negligible. The main reasons I've heard for people choosing raw sugar is 1. the taste, 2. to lessen the environmental impact, and 3. it's ok for vegetarians and vegans (bone char may be used in processing sugar). Community Tags frugal ingredients, frugal food, frugal recipes, saving money Discuss this article
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