Comments on: How Do You Get More of the Good Stuff for Less?

By: Jeff S.

Jeff S. — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:17:41 +0000

I recently purchased 5 pound bag of Organic Carrots at Whole Foods which cost only $3.99. It’s such a terrific bargain when these carrots are purchased in bulk.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:35:25 +0000

As a young professional living on my own, I value the time I am able to spend in the kitchen, preparing healthy meals for myself to enjoy throughout the week.

My standby strategy (and tip) for single working professionals is to cook a meal for 4-6, then enjoy the leftovers as brown-bag lunches. Many of the ingredients I use to do this come from the bulk section of Whole Foods. The beans and legumes are of particular value–especially if you sprout them!

When a bean or pea is sprouted, its nutritional value increases substantially. Better yet, for those watching their weight, sprouting decreases the calories in the beans, as sprouting “takes” energy. And even better yet, 1 cup of dried beans yields approx. 3-4 cups of sprouts, so you’re getting even more bang for your buck.

In the Whole Foods bulk section, the mung beans, adzuki beans, and garbanzo beans are all prime candidates for sprouting. Directions are as follows: soak the beans in water overnight (or 24 hours for the garbanzos), drain and rinse them, line a strainer with a damp cheesecloth or thin towel, then place the beans inside, and cover with towel folds. Dampen the towel/beans 2-3 times a day, and in a few days, you’ll have lovely sprouts.

I use the sprouts in sandwiches, salads, curries, and veggie burgers. I also lightly saute the mung bean sprouts and eat them as a snack. One cup of sprouts has only about 30 calories.

I hope this tip helps others looking for ways to save AND eat as healthfully as possible.

By: shannon nelson

shannon nelson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:15:28 +0000

I was recently dianosed with Gluten intoloerance. That’s a huge life change and a really daunting task, especially in the current economic climate. I have found my local Whole Foods store to be a great ally in my new way of life. Not only do they offer the best prices on gluten-free foods, but they’re full of money saving tips about how to plan and cook ahead so I can eat without fuss during my busy work week! So I’m entirely grateful.

One tip I have found to be really helpful is about dealing with my pasta fix. (Well for me now, it’s rice pasta). I have learned to buy tomatoes when they’re delicious and on sale, then I slice them and dry them out in my oven at a very low setting (like 200F). When the slices are dry and crisp, I stick them in my food processor and gring into a powder. Now I have fresh delcious tomato taste to mix with my favorite olive oil and seasonings for an impromptu sauce when I’m out of fresh tomatoes and cant run to the store. Very Yummy!

I’m still getting the hang of this gluten-free life, but one thing’s for sure: Whole Foods has become my new life partner!

By: Emily G.

Emily G. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:58:42 +0000

A very inexpensive meal to make is spaghetti, but make it even less expensive by making the sauce yourself! Saute garlic, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms in a dot of olive oil. Add diced tomatoes and a can of plain tomato sauce. Season with pepper, oregano, and any other herbs and spices you love. It’s great to make in large portions and freeze for later use. Using fresh, organic produce gives it so much more flavor than canned sauce.

By: LC MacQueen

LC MacQueen — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:28:16 +0000

Save money and calories, and cut down on packaging, by straining yogurt yourself for Greek-style yogurt, sour-cream substitute, or yogurt cheese. You’ll need a large punch bowl, a large colander, cheesecloth, and a 64-ounce container of plain low-fat yogurt. (I recommend a brand like Nancy’s, because it separates easily.) Line the colander with cheesecloth and spoon the yogurt into the colander. Place the colander into the punch bowl so that the sides of the bowl support the handles of the colander. There should be a couple of inches of clearance between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl, to catch the liquid that will strain through the cheesecloth. Cover the colander and refrigerate colander/punch bowl for an hour. Drain the liquid from the bowl and return to refrigerator. Repeat in a couple of hours, then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, you’ll have creamy Greek-style yogurt that you can eat plain, or flavor with diced apricots or peaches, agave nectar, or a teaspoon of your favorite unsweetened fruit spread. Allowing the yogurt to strain for the remainder of the day produces yogurt cheese, a healthful, low-fat substitute for cream cheese in all kinds of recipes. One of my favorites: Mix strained yogurt with chunky salsa and refried black beans, and serve with sesame blue-corn chips. Yummmmy! You can also “extend” dips, such as hummous or guacamole, by mixing 3 parts dip with 1 part strained yogurt.

By: Clare MacQueen

Clare MacQueen — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:18:06 +0000

Save money and calories, and cut down on packaging, by straining yogurt yourself for Greek-style yogurt, sour-cream substitute, or yogurt cheese. You’ll need a large punch bowl, a large colander, cheesecloth, and a 32-ounce container of plain low-fat yogurt. (I recommend a brand like Nancy’s, because it separates easily.) Line the colander with cheesecloth and spoon the yogurt into the colander. Place the colander into the punch bowl so that the sides of the bowl support the handles of the colander. There should be a couple of inches of clearance between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl, to catch the liquid that will strain through the cheesecloth. Cover the colander and refrigerate colander/punch bowl for an hour. Drain the liquid from the bowl and return to refrigerator. Repeat in a couple of hours, then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, you’ll have creamy Greek-style yogurt that you can eat plain, or flavor with diced apricots or peaches, agave nectar, or a teaspoon of your favorite unsweetened fruit spread. Allowing the yogurt to strain for the remainder of the day produces yogurt cheese, a healthful, low-fat substitute for cream cheese in all kinds of recipes. One of my favorites: Mix strained yogurt with chunky salsa and refried black beans, and serve with sesame blue-corn chips. You can also “extend” dips, such as hummous or guacamole, by mixing 3 parts dip with 1 part strained yogurt.

By: Renee Petro

Renee Petro — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:29:39 +0000

Here are some tips for how our family will have healthy and fun snacks for the game that will score praise without tackling our money.

Dips and healthy dipping options.

The kids love to make a sweet dip by mixing: vanilla yogurt with small amounts of vanilla, honey, maple syrup and raisins. Sweet dip for pretzels or your own pita chips (small pieces of pita bread cooked at 350 degrees for 8 minutes in oven). Tastes great with cut up fruit and carrot or celery sticks.

It’s fun to make your own guaccamole (moderate spice level): mix two mashed advocados with cut-up red or green peppers, one small red onion, three tablespoons of fresh minced garlic, pinch of chille paste, four teaspoons of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice and one jar tomato paste (or cut up some tomatoes).

To dip…we make sweet potato or regular potato chips baked with olive oil and sea salt and black pepper in the oven (10 minutes for 350 degrees).

By: Linda Mason

Linda Mason — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:41:22 +0000

We love Chinese soups, but the closest gluten free restaurant is over an hour away. To satisfy the craving, I boil cleaned chopped leeks (3-4) in a large pot of water. I add chicken buillon cubes and a little salt/pepper.
Tastes like wonton soup broth and the added benefit is it also helps in weight loss if you drink daily for lunch.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:26:22 +0000

Drink more water. I used to drink milk or juice with every meal and snack. But my husband usually drinks water, and I realized that the cost of my beverages really did add up to a lot over the course of a year or even a month. So I decided to try to drink water at one meal each day (it’s a good weight-loss idea too, while you’re at it). It was easy to get used to, and now that I’m buying less milk and juice I can pay the extra money for organic milk without spending any more than I used to.

By: Lyn

Lyn — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:14:34 +0000

Feeling the pinch and not able to eat out at restaurants much? Sometimes my husband and I instead of eating out go to Whole Foods to buy snack foods that we both enjoy. Some of these items might be: feta cheese, salami, crackers, olives, hummus, maybe a beverage or small dessert item. We take the items home with no cooking involved. For less than a meal out for both of us, we have a nice treat.