feedback for "Recession Nutrition"

1. Thanks so much for the tips!  I'm not so sure about feeding my whole family smoothies for dinner (maybe for breakfast or a healthy snack), but the rest of the advice is really great.  I'd like to add that investing in a crock-pot can also be great if you're a busy mom.  You can get one for $10 or so at Target and then you can just toss some meat and vegetables in and let it cook for a few hours and have a delicious cheap and healthy dinner.  Stews are great for using recession-friendly staples.
   
   I loved the recipe component.  Looking forward to trying these out with my youngsters. 
   

   posted by : KitchenistaMama on 4/20/2009 at 1:35 PM Flag For Abuse

2. I'm really disappointed by this. I read a much better article about the cheapest, most nutrient dense foods, such as eggs, broccoli and bananas. It also talked about replacing meats with vegetarian protein such as beans.
   

   posted by : Brooke Johnson on 4/20/2009 at 11:06 PM Flag For Abuse

3. Also: shop in ethnic markets.  I can't believe how much cheaper meat, rice, and veggies are at our local asian market.

   posted by : KnittyTzu on 4/21/2009 at 12:08 AM Flag For Abuse

4. thanks for the article.  two comments:  why low fat cheese for kids?  cut out junk food and soda, which are the things that make kids fat, and leave the natural foods in like the natural peanut butter, as you mentioned, and cheese, milk, yogurt, sour cream etc.  latest research shows that full fat, natural foods don't cause heart disease or obesity, it's the processed crap that does, and, of course, eating too much.
   
   see michael pollan's book "in defense of food" for more info.
   
   also, if you are having a potato for dinner, you need the full fat in the cheese for it to be a satisfying meal.  we need to take calories into consideration.  my hunch is that even with full fat yogurt, a smoothie isn't going to provide enough calories and everyone will be hungry a few hours later.  especially a full grown man.  unless you are eating a lot of it and the price of a a 32 oz container of stoneyfield yogurt is $4 or so. 
   
   i am also wondering about the meat issue.  chicken on sale or at a place like costco is $3/lb.  for my family (me, husband, two small kids) $3 worth of chicken breasts with rice and beans or pasta and veggies is a meal with a little leftover and doesn't seem that much more money than an ommelette with 8 eggs, veggies and toast, right? or tofu and veggies and rice. 
   
   
   

   posted by : sabrina on 4/21/2009 at 11:09 AM Flag For Abuse

5. That's a really good point about low-fat substitutes, Sabrina.  I've never understood paying more for food with less nutritional value, especially during a recession.  Besides, our grandparents ate real cheese, eggs, full-fat dairy, etc. and didn't have anything close to the obesity problem subsequent generations have.

   posted by : KnittyTzu on 4/21/2009 at 12:50 PM Flag For Abuse

6. sorry but, ew. no. i am not feeding my family smoothies or bacon oatmeal for dinner.

   posted by : kayas mama on 4/21/2009 at 4:19 PM Flag For Abuse

7. sabrina - I agree agree with you about the cheese. Also, low fat versions of higher fat cheese are often very expensive.  It's certainly not a budget food in my neck of the woods.

   posted by : JJ on 4/21/2009 at 4:50 PM Flag For Abuse

8. I enjoyed the article, however I wanted to point out that it is definitely not okay to skip the tip on take-out food. 8-10% of the total should be added for gratuity. As a former food service worker, I was frequently stiffed when preparing to-go orders - which require almost as much work (not to mention time taken away from other customers) as a table dining in. Most restaurant servers make between $2 and $4 an hour, which is used to pay taxes on the tips they're supposed to receive. Their income is heavily comprised of tips (it's not uncommon for a server to receive a paycheck for $0.00). So, even if you don't leave a tip, the server will have to pay taxes on the tip you should've left them.
   

   posted by : Aarika on 4/21/2009 at 9:21 PM Flag For Abuse

9. Very useful information and great. Now I prefer to my family members to have bacon oatmeal for food.
   
   

   posted by : acaiberry on 4/28/2009 at 1:57 PM Flag For Abuse

10. I agree that you can save money by getting To-go food instead of eating in (less extras & drink costs can add up) but Aarika is correct DON'T stiff the server on tip. I do generally tip less when getting take out but don't skip it all together.  The server does put the order together & does have to pay taxes on tips (even on to-go orders). 
    
    Children under 5yrs old are not supposed to have reduced fat dairy products.  Watch the ammounts of cheese you add if fat content or calories are a concern.  You don't need as much cheese to get the cheesey flavor if you use a stronger flavoured cheese like cheddar.  
    
    I feel it is better to teach kids about correct portions of foods rather than teaching them to use artificially altered foods (usually sugar or chemicals are added to replace the fat). 

    posted by : heather detering on 6/2/2009 at 1:27 PM Flag For Abuse