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Cook at Home and Save
Breaking bread without breaking the bank
How often do you eat out? If you’re like most Americans, it can be 4 to 5 times a week.* And all that eating out adds up!
Cooking at home saves money AND gives you more control over how healthy you’re eating. Here are a few tips to make the transition from dining out to eating in—a smooth one.
Shop with a plan
When you go to the grocery store, try to shop for the entire week. To do this, you’ll have to plan ahead. Find a few recipes that use similar ingredients so you won’t end up throwing away food that has spoiled. It’s also a good idea to buy a few simple meals, like frozen dinners, soups, or sandwiches, in case you don’t feel like cooking.
Use these helpful resources to plan a weekly shopping list and menu:
Before shopping, check out our Local Savings page for coupons in your area.
Make more with less
Lots of great 3- to 5-ingredient recipes are available. A quick web search will give you plenty of ideas! Here’s one to get you started:
Mexican Chicken
- 1 ½ lb boneless chicken breast, chopped into pieces
- 1 16-oz. jar of salsa
- 1 cup whole grain instant brown rice
- 1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Start cooking rice according to directions. Cook chicken in a large skillet. When almost cooked through, add jar of salsa and stir in cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese.
Embrace the slow cooker
For those especially busy days, get a head start on cooking. Just throw a few simple ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, and come home later to dinner that’s ready to eat. Stews and soups are just the beginning. Nowadays, you can cook almost anything in a slow cooker, including barbeque chicken, pulled pork, and more.
Make it a team effort
Cooking meals every night can seem like a big task—especially when it’s left up to one person. Make sure you share cooking duties with partners and kids. Kids can do a lot in the kitchen, including mixing sauce, cleaning vegetables, or rolling dough. Eating dinner together at home is a great way to bond. The act of making dinner together can bring you closer too!
By cutting back on dining out, you can save a lot of money each week. And by eating more healthy meals at home, you can cut calories along with spending. Get started today!
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*http://www.ucsdnutritionlink.org/articles/archives/fastfood.pdf
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