Your Basic Kitchen Shelf - PART I

"Basic Kitchen Shelf" for young people starting out on their own with a shoestring budget, senior citizens living on a limited budget, people with little food storage space and families with a tight food budget.

Below is a list of basic items to be kept on hand. Once you have established your basic shelf, you will be able to make many delicious, easy meals and never have the problem "what is in the house for dinner?"
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Root vegetables such as potatoes, onions and carrots are Basic Shelf ingredients which keep better in the refrigerator.

Margarine should be refrigerated.

All other ingredients should be stored in tightly sealed jars or plastic containers in a cool, clean, dry place.

Points To Keep In Mind When Planning.

1. You don't have to buy everything at once.

2. Buy only the amounts you know you have space to store.

3. Keep your Basic Shelf well stocked so you don't run out of important ingredients.

4. Don't buy foods you know you won't use.

5. Be open. Try new foods like lentils and kidney beans.

6. Store your Basic Shelf ingredients in tightly sealed containers to keep out insects and other pests.

7. Coffee cans can be used to store cereals, rice and flour. Plastic containers from margarine and ice cream are also good for storing these foods.

8. Food can be stored in other rooms if you don't have enough room in the kitchen. You can keep a box of Basic Shelf ingredients in a closet or under a bed.

Grain Products

1. Rice - white, brown
2. Pasta - elbow macaroni, spaghetti. lasagna, egg noodles
3. Bread Crumbs

Vegetables & Fruit

1. Onions, Carrots, Potatoes
2. Canned Vegetables - corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, peas, etc.
3. Canned Vegetable Soups - Tomato, Mushroom, Etc.
4. Tomato Paste
5. Canned Fruit - Peaches, Pineapple, Fruit Cocktail, etc.

Meat Alternatives ...... coming soon with PART - II

Smart Shopping Strategies to Fight Rising Food Prices

In 2004, a gallon of milk was $1.63;
In 2008 it is nearly $3, and more if you buy organic milk!!!!

You want to feed your family healthy foods, but it can appear that purchasing less-healthful, prepared and packaged foods can save you money.

Don't fall into this marketing trap! Keep the goal on price-per-nutritional-calorie rather than paying for empty calories designed just to fill you up without any nutritional benefits.

Try these three strategies for making your food dollar go farther while eating healthily with whole foods.

1. Go to the bulk bins. Packaged and processed foods include the price of the wrapping, which then adds to our landfills. Buy rice, quinoa, couscous, pastas and other grains in the bulk food bins and store in airtight containers. While you're in that section, consider adding some of the just-add-water, great-for-a-healthy-meal-or-snack options: a refried bean mix for burrito night (typically a low-sodium, low-saturated fat and vegetarian offering), dried hummus powder and even dehydrated split pea soup.

2. Use frozen versions of out-of season vegetables. When green beans have to be shipped in from South America and look a little jet-weary, think instead of the bag of vegetables that were flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness and won't go bad before you get to use them. When cooked properly, frozen vegitables can be as appealing as fresh, and don't contain any extra additives or preservatives.

3. Purchase meats in bulk and freeze in individual portions. Look in the warehouse stores for bags of frozen fish fillets. Watch for sales on chicken, then clean and separate pieces for freezing in zip-top baggies.
One of the major advantages of buying in bulk and freezing portions is that you'll always have healthy food on-hand for a nutritious meal with very little effort. The one-pot meal below, for example, is just about as easy as it gets -- you can even just toss in your individual frozen servings without thawing!

Check our money saving recipes at www.internationalcookingportal.com

by eDiet.com