pork chops $1.99 lb
Ken's Salad Dressing $.99 (limit 3) use 05-08 SS to get it free!!!!
Hy-Vee cottage cheese $1.28 24oz
Kraft Mac & Cheese $.59 each
Driscoll's red Raspberrries $1.48 6oz
Hy-Vee 2 day sale June 2ed and 3rd
pork chops $1.99 lb
Ken's Salad Dressing $.99 (limit 3) use 05-08 SS to get it free!!!!
Hy-Vee cottage cheese $1.28 24oz
Kraft Mac & Cheese $.59 each
Driscoll's red Raspberrries $1.48 6oz
10 Secrets for Healthier Grocery Shopping
Not only do we want to get the deal we want to to be healty, hope this helps you think about what your buying. It gave me a lot to think about!
1. Look for short ingredient lists
When you find a packaged food in the supermarket with a long list of ingredients on the label, just set it back on the shelf and look for a simpler version of the food. (We're talking here about the "Ingredients" part of the label. "Nutrition Facts" is another part, and more about that later.) The alarming truth is, many of those ingredients are various kinds of sugars and chemical additives, and they're not put there for you — they're there to benefit the company that processes the food. They "enhance" the looks, taste, or shelf life — which is all about marketing and shipping and not at all about your health. Most additives aren't known to be harmful (although the health effects of some are still open to question), but they aren't about nutrition or taste as nature intended taste to be. In fact, one of their main purposes is to make up for a lack of those things. So check the list of ingredients every time. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, says that almost always, the shorter the better.
2. Think twice about "no cholesterol" claims
Cholesterol is a fat that occurs only in animal products (meat, fish, eggs, milk, and butter, for instance). So why do some plant-derived products claim in large letters that they contain no cholesterol? Because the food companies know that people care about their cholesterol levels, and they know that most people probably have forgotten or never knew that plants don't contain any. Some of the offenders are cereal, bread, cookies, salad dressings, and, especially, oils and margarine. Oils are obviously fats, so the makers think you'll be reassured to see that there's no cholesterol in the corn oil, safflower oil, or olive oil. Next time you see the claim, just say to yourself, "Duh! It's a plant product! Of course it doesn't contain cholesterol."
3. Learn what "organic" really means
There's considerable confusion about the use of the word "organic" on food labels, just as there is about almost everything having to do with labeling. For starters, the organic label is earned through a certification process, and it means the producer adhered to a strict set of rules and procedures.
• For organic fruits and vegetables, U.S. Department of Agriculture rules — and virtually identical regulations in Canada — say that they must be grown without any of these things: genetically modified seeds, fertilizers made from chemicals or sewage sludge, chemical pesticides or herbicides, and irradiation. Growers are also required to keep records and present them upon demand by accredited inspectors. Foods may also be labeled "100 percent organic," "organic" (95 to 99 percent organic), "made with organic ingredients" (74 to 94 percent organic), or, for organic content of lesser amount, the specific organic ingredients may be listed.
• On meat, the organic seal means the animals may be fed only certified organic feed and no by-products of other animals. The animals can't be given hormones or antibiotics. They must be allowed access to the outdoors and treated humanely.
All organic farms must keep records and be inspected by accredited inspectors. There isn't enough organic food being produced to meet the demand for it, but its availability is increasing all the time. Many supermarkets now carry some organic food, and there is at least one chain (Whole Foods Market) that sells mostly organic. In addition, farmers' markets, health food stores, and individual farms are good sources of organic food.
4. Be suspicious of "natural" labels
The food labels "natural" and "organic" are pretty much interchangeable, right? That's exactly what food companies want you to think. But here's the truth: Use of "natural" on labels is a much more loosey-goosey affair than use of the term "organic." There's no single set of requirements for products claiming to be natural, but such labels are supposed to be accurate. If, for example, meat is claimed to be natural because the animal was not fed antibiotics or hormones, the label should say that and it should be true. Farmers or food companies that use the "natural" label are not subject to inspections as a condition of using the label. You just have to take their word for it.
5. Be wary of the serving size
Many "Nutrition Facts" labels are designed to make you think you're getting fewer calories than you really are. For example, labels list the nutrients on a per-serving basis. But be sure to check the "serving size" and "servings per container" lines. The candy bar that most people would eat all by themselves in a single sitting may say that it contains two servings. If you saw "100 calories" on the label, you must make a mental adjustment — you're actually eating two servings, so you're getting 200 calories.
6. Use a pocket calculator to compare items
A calculator is the best tool for helping you figure out what the food industry doesn't want you to know: the actual value of the nutrients in the food you're buying. For example, say you're trying to find out which breakfast cereal is more nutritious, General Mills' Multi Grain Cheerios or Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats (the whole-grain version). The Cheerios serving size is listed as one cup, but the Mini-Wheats serving is "about 24 biscuits." You can't really open the box in the store to see how that stacks up against the one cup, so the only way to compare unit to unit is to use grams, which are listed on both packages. The 59-gram Mini-Wheats serving is almost twice the size of the 29-gram Cheerios, so you have to cut in half the nutrients listed on the Mini-Wheats label. Gram for gram, their nutrients are very similar: roughly the same calories, fiber, carbs, protein, and fat. Even the amount of sugars is about the same, despite the fact that the Cheerios box proclaims the contents to be "lightly sweetened" and the Mini-Wheats have frosting! This might come as a surprise to a lot of nutritional gatekeepers.
7. Get the "whole" story
Marketers know that nutrition-conscious shoppers are interested in whole grains these days. Don't be deceived into buying a product that's labeled "wheat bread," however. What you really want is "whole wheat" or "whole grain" bread
8. Don't confuse cereal hype with facts
If you want a healthy breakfast cereal, not one that just claims to be, ignore the large-type claims on the package and go right to the labels. Look for a short list of ingredients. Look for a whole grain as the first ingredient. Look for one that has no sugar. (You can always add sugar yourself if necessary.) Then look at the per-serving nutrients on the nutrition label. Look for a cereal with a lot of fiber in each serving. Highly sweetened cereals, when fed regularly to young children, condition their taste for sugar at an early age, forming habits that are hard to break. Nutrition professor Marion Nestle says that most breakfast cereals are now processed and sugared to such a degree that "they might as well be cookies — low-fat cookies."
9. Don't get soaked for watery foods
Water is the magic ingredient in prepared foods, and if it's first on the list of ingredients, that's a clue that there's a long list of additives to follow to give that water some taste and texture. You might not be surprised to see water at the top of the list of ingredients in soups. After all, soup does take a lot of water. It's more surprising to find it so prominent in SpaghettiOs. Many, many salad dressings contain more water than anything else, and since oil and water don't mix, it takes a bunch of additives to hold everything together. Water is cheap, so the food industry likes it.
10. Scan the can for MSG
Check out the ingredient list on the labels of prepared foods — on soups, for example. Keep reading, because it's pretty far down on a long list (although if there is no MSG, that's usually prominently mentioned at the top). MSG (monosodium glutamate) is sometimes listed under its own name but often under other names, among them hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, and sodium caseinate. MSG is a synthetic version of the substance umami, as it is known in Japan, which occurs naturally in some foods, including Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and mushrooms. MSG, widely used in Asian cooking, went out of favor when it became associated with headaches and other unpleasant symptoms. Now many Asian restaurants proudly advertise "No MSG" on their menus, but the food industry still sneaks it in as a flavor enhancer. So if you're concerned about MSG, look for it under all of its names.
1. Look for short ingredient lists
When you find a packaged food in the supermarket with a long list of ingredients on the label, just set it back on the shelf and look for a simpler version of the food. (We're talking here about the "Ingredients" part of the label. "Nutrition Facts" is another part, and more about that later.) The alarming truth is, many of those ingredients are various kinds of sugars and chemical additives, and they're not put there for you — they're there to benefit the company that processes the food. They "enhance" the looks, taste, or shelf life — which is all about marketing and shipping and not at all about your health. Most additives aren't known to be harmful (although the health effects of some are still open to question), but they aren't about nutrition or taste as nature intended taste to be. In fact, one of their main purposes is to make up for a lack of those things. So check the list of ingredients every time. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, says that almost always, the shorter the better.
2. Think twice about "no cholesterol" claims
Cholesterol is a fat that occurs only in animal products (meat, fish, eggs, milk, and butter, for instance). So why do some plant-derived products claim in large letters that they contain no cholesterol? Because the food companies know that people care about their cholesterol levels, and they know that most people probably have forgotten or never knew that plants don't contain any. Some of the offenders are cereal, bread, cookies, salad dressings, and, especially, oils and margarine. Oils are obviously fats, so the makers think you'll be reassured to see that there's no cholesterol in the corn oil, safflower oil, or olive oil. Next time you see the claim, just say to yourself, "Duh! It's a plant product! Of course it doesn't contain cholesterol."
3. Learn what "organic" really means
There's considerable confusion about the use of the word "organic" on food labels, just as there is about almost everything having to do with labeling. For starters, the organic label is earned through a certification process, and it means the producer adhered to a strict set of rules and procedures.
• For organic fruits and vegetables, U.S. Department of Agriculture rules — and virtually identical regulations in Canada — say that they must be grown without any of these things: genetically modified seeds, fertilizers made from chemicals or sewage sludge, chemical pesticides or herbicides, and irradiation. Growers are also required to keep records and present them upon demand by accredited inspectors. Foods may also be labeled "100 percent organic," "organic" (95 to 99 percent organic), "made with organic ingredients" (74 to 94 percent organic), or, for organic content of lesser amount, the specific organic ingredients may be listed.
• On meat, the organic seal means the animals may be fed only certified organic feed and no by-products of other animals. The animals can't be given hormones or antibiotics. They must be allowed access to the outdoors and treated humanely.
All organic farms must keep records and be inspected by accredited inspectors. There isn't enough organic food being produced to meet the demand for it, but its availability is increasing all the time. Many supermarkets now carry some organic food, and there is at least one chain (Whole Foods Market) that sells mostly organic. In addition, farmers' markets, health food stores, and individual farms are good sources of organic food.
4. Be suspicious of "natural" labels
The food labels "natural" and "organic" are pretty much interchangeable, right? That's exactly what food companies want you to think. But here's the truth: Use of "natural" on labels is a much more loosey-goosey affair than use of the term "organic." There's no single set of requirements for products claiming to be natural, but such labels are supposed to be accurate. If, for example, meat is claimed to be natural because the animal was not fed antibiotics or hormones, the label should say that and it should be true. Farmers or food companies that use the "natural" label are not subject to inspections as a condition of using the label. You just have to take their word for it.
5. Be wary of the serving size
Many "Nutrition Facts" labels are designed to make you think you're getting fewer calories than you really are. For example, labels list the nutrients on a per-serving basis. But be sure to check the "serving size" and "servings per container" lines. The candy bar that most people would eat all by themselves in a single sitting may say that it contains two servings. If you saw "100 calories" on the label, you must make a mental adjustment — you're actually eating two servings, so you're getting 200 calories.
6. Use a pocket calculator to compare items
A calculator is the best tool for helping you figure out what the food industry doesn't want you to know: the actual value of the nutrients in the food you're buying. For example, say you're trying to find out which breakfast cereal is more nutritious, General Mills' Multi Grain Cheerios or Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats (the whole-grain version). The Cheerios serving size is listed as one cup, but the Mini-Wheats serving is "about 24 biscuits." You can't really open the box in the store to see how that stacks up against the one cup, so the only way to compare unit to unit is to use grams, which are listed on both packages. The 59-gram Mini-Wheats serving is almost twice the size of the 29-gram Cheerios, so you have to cut in half the nutrients listed on the Mini-Wheats label. Gram for gram, their nutrients are very similar: roughly the same calories, fiber, carbs, protein, and fat. Even the amount of sugars is about the same, despite the fact that the Cheerios box proclaims the contents to be "lightly sweetened" and the Mini-Wheats have frosting! This might come as a surprise to a lot of nutritional gatekeepers.
7. Get the "whole" story
Marketers know that nutrition-conscious shoppers are interested in whole grains these days. Don't be deceived into buying a product that's labeled "wheat bread," however. What you really want is "whole wheat" or "whole grain" bread
8. Don't confuse cereal hype with facts
If you want a healthy breakfast cereal, not one that just claims to be, ignore the large-type claims on the package and go right to the labels. Look for a short list of ingredients. Look for a whole grain as the first ingredient. Look for one that has no sugar. (You can always add sugar yourself if necessary.) Then look at the per-serving nutrients on the nutrition label. Look for a cereal with a lot of fiber in each serving. Highly sweetened cereals, when fed regularly to young children, condition their taste for sugar at an early age, forming habits that are hard to break. Nutrition professor Marion Nestle says that most breakfast cereals are now processed and sugared to such a degree that "they might as well be cookies — low-fat cookies."
9. Don't get soaked for watery foods
Water is the magic ingredient in prepared foods, and if it's first on the list of ingredients, that's a clue that there's a long list of additives to follow to give that water some taste and texture. You might not be surprised to see water at the top of the list of ingredients in soups. After all, soup does take a lot of water. It's more surprising to find it so prominent in SpaghettiOs. Many, many salad dressings contain more water than anything else, and since oil and water don't mix, it takes a bunch of additives to hold everything together. Water is cheap, so the food industry likes it.
10. Scan the can for MSG
Check out the ingredient list on the labels of prepared foods — on soups, for example. Keep reading, because it's pretty far down on a long list (although if there is no MSG, that's usually prominently mentioned at the top). MSG (monosodium glutamate) is sometimes listed under its own name but often under other names, among them hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, and sodium caseinate. MSG is a synthetic version of the substance umami, as it is known in Japan, which occurs naturally in some foods, including Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and mushrooms. MSG, widely used in Asian cooking, went out of favor when it became associated with headaches and other unpleasant symptoms. Now many Asian restaurants proudly advertise "No MSG" on their menus, but the food industry still sneaks it in as a flavor enhancer. So if you're concerned about MSG, look for it under all of its names.
15 Foods You Should Never Buy Again
1. 'Gourmet' frozen vegetables.
Sure, you can buy an 8-ounce packet of peas in an herbed butter sauce, but why do so when you can make your own? Just cook the peas, add a pat of butter and sprinkle on some herbs that you already have on hand. The same thing goes for carrots with dill sauce and other gourmet veggies.
2. Microwave sandwiches.
When you buy a pre-made sandwich, you're really just paying for its elaborate packaging — plus a whole lot of salt, fat, and unnecessary additives. For the average cost of one of these babies ($2.50 to $3.00 per sandwich), you could make a bigger, better, and more nutritious version yourself
3. Premium frozen fruit bars.
At nearly $2 per bar, frozen 'all fruit' or 'fruit and juice' bars may not be rich in calories, but they are certainly rich in price. Make your own at home — and get the flavors you want. The only equipment you need is a blender, a plastic reusable ice-pop mold (on sale at discount stores for about 99 cents each), or small paper cups and pop sticks or wooden skewers.
To make four pops, just throw 2 cups cut-up fruit, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. You might wish to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water so the final mix is a thick slush. Pour into 4-ounce pop molds or paper cups, insert sticks, and freeze until solid
4. Boxed rice 'entree' or side-dish mixes.
These consist basically of rice, salt, and spices — yet they're priced way beyond the ingredients sold individually. Yes, there are a few flavorings included, but they're probably ones you have in your pantry already. Buy a bag of rice, measure out what you need, add your own herbs and other seasonings, and cook the rice according to package directions.
5. Energy or protein bars.
These calorie-laden bars are usually stacked at the checkout counter because they depend on impulse buyers who grab them, thinking they are more wholesome than a candy bar. Unfortunately, they can have very high fat and sugar contents and are often as caloric as a regular candy bar. They're also two to three times more expensive than a candy bar at $2 to $3 a bar. If you need a boost, a vitamin-rich piece of fruit, a yogurt, or a small handful of nuts is more satiating and less expensive!
6. Spice mixes.
Spice mixes like grill seasoning and rib rubs might seem like a good buy because they contain a lot of spices that you would have to buy individually. Well, check the label; we predict the first ingredient you will see on the package is salt, followed by the vague 'herbs and spices.' Look in your own pantry, and you'll probably be surprised to discover just how many herbs you already have on hand. Many cookbooks today include spice mix recipes, particularly grilling cookbooks. But the great thing about spice mixes is that you can improvise as much as you want. Make your own custom combos and save a fortune.
7. Powdered iced tea mixes or prepared flavored iced tea.
Powdered and gourmet iced teas are really a rip-off! It's much cheaper to make your own iced tea from actual (inexpensive) tea bags and keep a jug in the fridge. Plus, many mixes and preparations are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, along with artificial flavors. So make your own, and get creative! To make 32 ounces of iced tea, it usually takes 8 bags of black tea or 10 bags of herbal, green, or white tea. Most tea-bag boxes have recipes, so just follow along. If you like your tea sweet but want to keep calories down, skip the sugar and add fruit juice instead.
8. Bottled water.
Bottled water is a bad investment for so many reasons. It's expensive compared to what's coming out of the tap, its cost to the environment is high (it takes a lot of fossil fuel to produce and ship all those bottles), and it's not even better for your health than the stuff running down your drain!
Even taking into account the cost of filters, water from home is still much cheaper than bottled water, which can run up to $1 to $3 a pop.
If you have well water and it really does not taste good (even with help from a filter), or if you have a baby at home who is bottle-fed and needs to drink safe water, buy jugs of distilled or 'nursery' water at big discount stores. They usually cost between 79 cents and 99 cents for 1 gallon (as opposed to $1.50 for 8 ounces of 'designer' water). And you can reuse the jugs to store homemade iced tea, flavored waters, or, when their tops are cut off, all sorts of household odds and ends.
9. Salad kits.
Washed and bagged greens can be a time-saver, but they can cost three times as much as buying the same amount of a head of lettuce. Even more expensive are 'salad kits,' where you get some greens, a small bag of dressing, and a small bag of croutons. Skip these altogether. Make your own croutons by toasting cut-up stale bread you would otherwise toss, and try mixing your own salad dressing
10. Individual servings of anything.
The recent trend to package small quantities into 100-calorie snack packs is a way for food-makers to get more money from unsuspecting consumers. The price 'per unit' cost of these items is significantly more than if you had just bought one big box of cheese crackers or bag of chips. This is exactly what you should do. Buy the big box and then parcel out single servings and store them in small, reusable storage bags.
11. Trail mix.
We checked unit prices of those small bags of trail mix hanging in the candy aisle not that long ago and were shocked to find that they cost about $10 a pound! Make your own for much, much less with a 1-pound can of dry roasted peanuts, 1 cup of raisins, and a handful of almonds, dried fruit, and candy coated chocolate. The best part about making your own is that you only include the things you like! Keep the mixture in a plastic or glass container with a tight lid for up to 3 weeks.
12. 'Snack' or 'lunch' packs.
These 'all-inclusive' food trays might seem reasonably priced (from $2.50 to $4.00), but you're actually paying for the highly designed label, wrapper, and specially molded tray. They only contain a few crackers and small pieces of cheese and lunchmeat. The actual edible ingredients are worth just pennies and are filled with salt
13. Gourmet ice cream.
It's painful to watch someone actually pay $6 for a gallon of designer brand ice cream. Don't bother. There's usually at least one brand or other on sale, and you can easily dress up store brands with your own additives like chunky bits of chocolate or crushed cookie. If you do like the premium brands, wait for that 3-week sales cycle to kick in and stock up when your favorite flavor is half price.
14. Pre-formed meat patties.
Frozen burgers, beef or otherwise, are more expensive than buying the ground meat in bulk and making patties yourself. We timed it — it takes less than 10 seconds to form a flat circle and throw it on the grill! Also, there's some evidence that pre-formed meat patties might contain more e. coli than regular ground meat. In fact, most of the recent beef recalls have involved pre-made frozen beef patties. Fresh is definitely better!
15. Tomato-based pasta sauces.
A jar of spaghetti sauce typically runs $2 to $6. The equivalent amount of canned tomatoes is often under $1. Our suggestion: Make your own sauces from canned crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes — particularly in the summer, when they are plentiful, tasty, and cheap. The easiest method is to put crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh) into a skillet, stir in some wine or wine vinegar, a little sugar, your favorite herbs, and whatever chopped vegetables you like in your sauce — peppers, onions, mushrooms, even carrots — and let simmer for an hour. Adjust the flavorings and serve. Even better: Coat fresh tomatoes and the top of a cooking sheet with olive oil and roast the tomatoes for 20 to 30 minutes at 425˚F before making your stovetop sauce. Delicioso!
(For me this give me some thing to think about but some times its nice to have the convenients of these products.For 'Gourmet' frozen vegetables, its so easy to make your own and that way it cheeper and better for you. I'm not sure the spaghetti sauce is on-target. I can get a jar of spaghetti sauce (i.e. think "Ragu") for less than one dollar on sale . It contains more sauce than 1 can of tomato sauce (which can be $1 or more per can...can you believe that?!?!) , Don't get me wrong I have made my own sauce before and will do it again. I always keep a look out for can tomato's on sale. As for spice mixes I only buy them if I have a coupon for them and can get them cheep or free, that is the only way for it to be worth the money. Premium frozen fruit bars, I love the idea of making my own, that would be fun for the kids! Powdered iced tea mixes or prepared flavored iced tea might cost lots if you don't use a sale and a coupon, so I stock up when I can, I like to use this sort of stuff when I'm running around. )
Sure, you can buy an 8-ounce packet of peas in an herbed butter sauce, but why do so when you can make your own? Just cook the peas, add a pat of butter and sprinkle on some herbs that you already have on hand. The same thing goes for carrots with dill sauce and other gourmet veggies.
2. Microwave sandwiches.
When you buy a pre-made sandwich, you're really just paying for its elaborate packaging — plus a whole lot of salt, fat, and unnecessary additives. For the average cost of one of these babies ($2.50 to $3.00 per sandwich), you could make a bigger, better, and more nutritious version yourself
3. Premium frozen fruit bars.
At nearly $2 per bar, frozen 'all fruit' or 'fruit and juice' bars may not be rich in calories, but they are certainly rich in price. Make your own at home — and get the flavors you want. The only equipment you need is a blender, a plastic reusable ice-pop mold (on sale at discount stores for about 99 cents each), or small paper cups and pop sticks or wooden skewers.
To make four pops, just throw 2 cups cut-up fruit, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. You might wish to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water so the final mix is a thick slush. Pour into 4-ounce pop molds or paper cups, insert sticks, and freeze until solid
4. Boxed rice 'entree' or side-dish mixes.
These consist basically of rice, salt, and spices — yet they're priced way beyond the ingredients sold individually. Yes, there are a few flavorings included, but they're probably ones you have in your pantry already. Buy a bag of rice, measure out what you need, add your own herbs and other seasonings, and cook the rice according to package directions.
5. Energy or protein bars.
These calorie-laden bars are usually stacked at the checkout counter because they depend on impulse buyers who grab them, thinking they are more wholesome than a candy bar. Unfortunately, they can have very high fat and sugar contents and are often as caloric as a regular candy bar. They're also two to three times more expensive than a candy bar at $2 to $3 a bar. If you need a boost, a vitamin-rich piece of fruit, a yogurt, or a small handful of nuts is more satiating and less expensive!
6. Spice mixes.
Spice mixes like grill seasoning and rib rubs might seem like a good buy because they contain a lot of spices that you would have to buy individually. Well, check the label; we predict the first ingredient you will see on the package is salt, followed by the vague 'herbs and spices.' Look in your own pantry, and you'll probably be surprised to discover just how many herbs you already have on hand. Many cookbooks today include spice mix recipes, particularly grilling cookbooks. But the great thing about spice mixes is that you can improvise as much as you want. Make your own custom combos and save a fortune.
7. Powdered iced tea mixes or prepared flavored iced tea.
Powdered and gourmet iced teas are really a rip-off! It's much cheaper to make your own iced tea from actual (inexpensive) tea bags and keep a jug in the fridge. Plus, many mixes and preparations are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, along with artificial flavors. So make your own, and get creative! To make 32 ounces of iced tea, it usually takes 8 bags of black tea or 10 bags of herbal, green, or white tea. Most tea-bag boxes have recipes, so just follow along. If you like your tea sweet but want to keep calories down, skip the sugar and add fruit juice instead.
8. Bottled water.
Bottled water is a bad investment for so many reasons. It's expensive compared to what's coming out of the tap, its cost to the environment is high (it takes a lot of fossil fuel to produce and ship all those bottles), and it's not even better for your health than the stuff running down your drain!
Even taking into account the cost of filters, water from home is still much cheaper than bottled water, which can run up to $1 to $3 a pop.
If you have well water and it really does not taste good (even with help from a filter), or if you have a baby at home who is bottle-fed and needs to drink safe water, buy jugs of distilled or 'nursery' water at big discount stores. They usually cost between 79 cents and 99 cents for 1 gallon (as opposed to $1.50 for 8 ounces of 'designer' water). And you can reuse the jugs to store homemade iced tea, flavored waters, or, when their tops are cut off, all sorts of household odds and ends.
9. Salad kits.
Washed and bagged greens can be a time-saver, but they can cost three times as much as buying the same amount of a head of lettuce. Even more expensive are 'salad kits,' where you get some greens, a small bag of dressing, and a small bag of croutons. Skip these altogether. Make your own croutons by toasting cut-up stale bread you would otherwise toss, and try mixing your own salad dressing
10. Individual servings of anything.
The recent trend to package small quantities into 100-calorie snack packs is a way for food-makers to get more money from unsuspecting consumers. The price 'per unit' cost of these items is significantly more than if you had just bought one big box of cheese crackers or bag of chips. This is exactly what you should do. Buy the big box and then parcel out single servings and store them in small, reusable storage bags.
11. Trail mix.
We checked unit prices of those small bags of trail mix hanging in the candy aisle not that long ago and were shocked to find that they cost about $10 a pound! Make your own for much, much less with a 1-pound can of dry roasted peanuts, 1 cup of raisins, and a handful of almonds, dried fruit, and candy coated chocolate. The best part about making your own is that you only include the things you like! Keep the mixture in a plastic or glass container with a tight lid for up to 3 weeks.
12. 'Snack' or 'lunch' packs.
These 'all-inclusive' food trays might seem reasonably priced (from $2.50 to $4.00), but you're actually paying for the highly designed label, wrapper, and specially molded tray. They only contain a few crackers and small pieces of cheese and lunchmeat. The actual edible ingredients are worth just pennies and are filled with salt
13. Gourmet ice cream.
It's painful to watch someone actually pay $6 for a gallon of designer brand ice cream. Don't bother. There's usually at least one brand or other on sale, and you can easily dress up store brands with your own additives like chunky bits of chocolate or crushed cookie. If you do like the premium brands, wait for that 3-week sales cycle to kick in and stock up when your favorite flavor is half price.
14. Pre-formed meat patties.
Frozen burgers, beef or otherwise, are more expensive than buying the ground meat in bulk and making patties yourself. We timed it — it takes less than 10 seconds to form a flat circle and throw it on the grill! Also, there's some evidence that pre-formed meat patties might contain more e. coli than regular ground meat. In fact, most of the recent beef recalls have involved pre-made frozen beef patties. Fresh is definitely better!
15. Tomato-based pasta sauces.
A jar of spaghetti sauce typically runs $2 to $6. The equivalent amount of canned tomatoes is often under $1. Our suggestion: Make your own sauces from canned crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes — particularly in the summer, when they are plentiful, tasty, and cheap. The easiest method is to put crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh) into a skillet, stir in some wine or wine vinegar, a little sugar, your favorite herbs, and whatever chopped vegetables you like in your sauce — peppers, onions, mushrooms, even carrots — and let simmer for an hour. Adjust the flavorings and serve. Even better: Coat fresh tomatoes and the top of a cooking sheet with olive oil and roast the tomatoes for 20 to 30 minutes at 425˚F before making your stovetop sauce. Delicioso!
(For me this give me some thing to think about but some times its nice to have the convenients of these products.For 'Gourmet' frozen vegetables, its so easy to make your own and that way it cheeper and better for you. I'm not sure the spaghetti sauce is on-target. I can get a jar of spaghetti sauce (i.e. think "Ragu") for less than one dollar on sale . It contains more sauce than 1 can of tomato sauce (which can be $1 or more per can...can you believe that?!?!) , Don't get me wrong I have made my own sauce before and will do it again. I always keep a look out for can tomato's on sale. As for spice mixes I only buy them if I have a coupon for them and can get them cheep or free, that is the only way for it to be worth the money. Premium frozen fruit bars, I love the idea of making my own, that would be fun for the kids! Powdered iced tea mixes or prepared flavored iced tea might cost lots if you don't use a sale and a coupon, so I stock up when I can, I like to use this sort of stuff when I'm running around. )
Great Condiment Debate
You like to keep your peanut butter in the fridge. Your spouse says it’s fine on the shelf. Who’s right? Actually, you both are, as long as you plan to finish the jar within a few months. Put an end to the “Great Condiment Debate” with this handy list of storage and shelf life tips for your favorite dressings and spreads:
Ketchup Like many condiments, ketchup can be stored either in the refrigerator or on the shelf even after it’s been opened. If you don’t use it regularly, however, opt for the fridge. Unopened ketchup will last at least a year. Once opened, it should be used within a month if stored in the cabinet or within six months if stored in the refrigerator.
Mayonnaise Unopened mayonnaise stored in the pantry should ideally be used by the “Best By” date on the package (but in most cases will still be good for up to four months after that date). Mayo is made from eggs, so it must be refrigerated once it’s been opened. A jar will last up to three months in the refrigerator and should never be left on the counter for more than an hour or two.
Mustard One of the heartier condiments, unopened mustard can still be used after two years on the shelf. Once opened, a jar can be stored for up to two months in the cabinet and a full year in the fridge.
Peanut butter Unopened jars can be stored in the cabinet for up to nine months. Opened jars are fine for at least a month on the shelf, and considerably longer in the refrigerator.
Jams, jellies, and preserves Unless they’re homemade or the label instructs otherwise, unopened jars can be stored for at least a year on the shelf, though they will last longer and taste better if refrigerated. Once opened, they’ll last another year in the fridge.
Soy sauce When it comes to condiments, soy sauce goes the distance. An unopened bottle will last up to three years on the shelf, while an opened bottle can remain in the fridge for up to two years. (Opened soy sauce can be stored on the shelf for a short time, but it lasts far longer when refrigerated.)
Barbeque sauce BBQ sauce can remain in the cabinet for a year unopened. Once opened, bottles can be stored up to a month on the shelf and up to four months in the refrigerator.
Capers Unopened jars of capers packed in brine can be stored on the shelf for up to three years before opening, and up to a year in the refrigerator after opening.
Cocktail sauce Store unopened cocktail sauce in the pantry for up to a year and a half. Opened jars can remain on the shelf for up to a month, but will last four months or more in the refrigerator. (Note: Never dip seafood directly into the jar or pour sauce that has come in contact with seafood back into the jar.)
Vegetable oil sprays Handy spray cans of most varieties of oil will last up to two years in the pantry.
Salsa Bottled salsa will last up to 18 months on the shelf and up to a month in the refrigerator. If transferred to a freezer bag or air-tight container, it can be frozen for another two months. Fresh salsa should be opened within two weeks or frozen for up to two months. Once opened, eat it or freeze it within a week (ditto for homemade).
Sources: StillTasty.com, WebMD.com
Ketchup Like many condiments, ketchup can be stored either in the refrigerator or on the shelf even after it’s been opened. If you don’t use it regularly, however, opt for the fridge. Unopened ketchup will last at least a year. Once opened, it should be used within a month if stored in the cabinet or within six months if stored in the refrigerator.
Mayonnaise Unopened mayonnaise stored in the pantry should ideally be used by the “Best By” date on the package (but in most cases will still be good for up to four months after that date). Mayo is made from eggs, so it must be refrigerated once it’s been opened. A jar will last up to three months in the refrigerator and should never be left on the counter for more than an hour or two.
Mustard One of the heartier condiments, unopened mustard can still be used after two years on the shelf. Once opened, a jar can be stored for up to two months in the cabinet and a full year in the fridge.
Peanut butter Unopened jars can be stored in the cabinet for up to nine months. Opened jars are fine for at least a month on the shelf, and considerably longer in the refrigerator.
Jams, jellies, and preserves Unless they’re homemade or the label instructs otherwise, unopened jars can be stored for at least a year on the shelf, though they will last longer and taste better if refrigerated. Once opened, they’ll last another year in the fridge.
Soy sauce When it comes to condiments, soy sauce goes the distance. An unopened bottle will last up to three years on the shelf, while an opened bottle can remain in the fridge for up to two years. (Opened soy sauce can be stored on the shelf for a short time, but it lasts far longer when refrigerated.)
Barbeque sauce BBQ sauce can remain in the cabinet for a year unopened. Once opened, bottles can be stored up to a month on the shelf and up to four months in the refrigerator.
Capers Unopened jars of capers packed in brine can be stored on the shelf for up to three years before opening, and up to a year in the refrigerator after opening.
Cocktail sauce Store unopened cocktail sauce in the pantry for up to a year and a half. Opened jars can remain on the shelf for up to a month, but will last four months or more in the refrigerator. (Note: Never dip seafood directly into the jar or pour sauce that has come in contact with seafood back into the jar.)
Vegetable oil sprays Handy spray cans of most varieties of oil will last up to two years in the pantry.
Salsa Bottled salsa will last up to 18 months on the shelf and up to a month in the refrigerator. If transferred to a freezer bag or air-tight container, it can be frozen for another two months. Fresh salsa should be opened within two weeks or frozen for up to two months. Once opened, eat it or freeze it within a week (ditto for homemade).
Sources: StillTasty.com, WebMD.com