My Frugal Foodie Manifesto or Putting My Money Where My Mouth is

So, apparently we're in the middle of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. People are loosing their jobs, their retirement and obviously their minds. Fear is such a great motivating factor for human beings that we will do the most unbelievable things in its wake. I'm not trying to belittle the situation but when my father-in-law starts lecturing to his kids about how he could feed us for a short time but not everyone for a long time then I feel like things have gotten a little out of hand. Being prepared for an emergency is one thing but these are not the end of days, people. I believe in having a substantial food pantry in my own home for the same reasons my father-in-law does: I want to be able to feed myself and family in the event of catastrophe or financial hardship. But we also do it because it makes financial sense. Food is not a place to economize in the family budget. Cheaper food means less quality which means less health and I am not in the business of compromising my family's health so that we can have a few extra dollars a month for what, going to the movies, or buying more clothes? What else is there if you don't have your health? Eating is to me one of life's greatest and most simple pleasures. It is a glorious thing to take the stuffs of nature, create magic in the kitchen and serve it at a sturdy table graced with family and friends. Roast chicken, buttered squash, homemade bread, fluffy rice, red bartlett pears, dark chocolate and a glass of full-bodied red wine. A spread worthy of saying grace, a meal to honor my family and the time we spend around our small table. It sounds expensive and labor intensive. I understand the feelings behind people's reasoning to buy "convenience" foods. They are too busy to spend 2 hours in the kitchen. I ask then, what is worthy of those 2 hours? TV, driving the carpool, that second job to pay for all the evenings spent eating out? Nonsense.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

So I thought I'd write a short manifesto on stretching the food dollar since Lord knows we are raising a family of four on a single income.

1) Let me repeat this again: Food is not a place to economize in the family budget.
Middle class Americans spend only 9.9% of their disposable income (what is that anyway? who has money to throw away?) on food compared to the German and French rates of 14-17%, almost double the expenditure. We put our money and our time into what we value most and if we're always looking for the cheapest meat, milk and meal we will continue to get the garbage of the industrialization of our food systems that have brought us E.coli in our meat and spinach, growth hormones in our milk, (not to mention the melamine in Chinese milk), high fructose corn syrup, pesticide laden fruits and vegetables, oh, and did I mention the overabundance of cheap fats and sugars that has made diet related illnesses the #1 cause of death for Americans.

2) Invest in a freezer
Find the space. They aren't that expensive to run and a brand new upright will cost around $400 the expense of which will be returned to you in the first year alone. (If you save $8/ week you'll pay for your freezer)

A freezer will allow you to buy in bulk (viva la Costco) and shop the sales, the easiest ways to economize on meats and other items. Don't know what to do with those fruit trees in the back yard? Put it up in your freezer and enjoy nutritious, summer ripened fruit all winter long. Can't believe that whole chickens are on sale for $.69 lb? Buy a shopping cart full of them and enjoy that favorite roast chicken recipe for six months. For the more adventurous consider buying your beef from a local rancher. Local meat is often higher in lean muscle and has less fat which means it tastes better and is better for you. The best is if you can find someone who finishes their cattle on grass, the animal's natural diet, instead of the towering corn wastelands of American subsidized beef. Cows aren't meant to eat corn, which makes their stomachs distend to the dangerous point of making them extremely sick, hence all the antibiotics in their feed. We are being fed sick animals. There are drugs in the feed so they can keep the poor beasts alive long enough to slaughter and maximize the profit. Yuck. Buying from a smaller local rancher enables you to skip out on this bogus operation and protect your family from the high levels of fat and disease present in this kind of meat. Find a friend, go in halfsies, or two or three. You get the idea.

3) Read your Junk Mail
I know, I know. This sucks, but you need to become a student of the ways supermarkets cycle their inventory and sales. You need to know if chicken on sale for $.69 lb is a good deal or not. The easiest way to do this is study those annoying junk mail circulars from the grocery store so you know when chicken is on sale and if it's worthy of buying.

4)Meet your Farmers: Get down to the farmer's market or join a CSA
I know you're already down there on Saturday mornings sipping your latte and watching the old guy on the fiddle while the dogs sniff at the cash in his case. Eat in season, eat it fresh, and eat organic. The food was picked ripe, that morning, at the height of its taste and nutritional value. The food didn't have to be transported from Chile, using oil imported from some other economy that pollutes the fresh air you're trying to enjoy while the kids chase that sniffer dog. It's a win win. Most farmers practice sustainable, organic practices even if they aren't certified. Sure it's a little more expensive (not always) but remember, we're not going to be cheap on the stuff that matters here.

Since I have small children my favorite way to opt into the local food economy is by joining a CSA. (Less hassle) Community Supported Agriculture is the farmer's way of actually making a living off the food they grow. Instead of earning only 20 cents per dollar spent on their product they are able to take home the maximum allowable profit. The producers and middlemen are cut out. In exchange for your subscription up front in the spring when farmers are in need of the most cash to get seed and fertilizers, you receive a weekly "box" of fresh picked, in season veg, fruit, herbs and sometimes flowers. Most often you'll be given things you would never think of buying for yourself (kohlrabi anyone?) thereby expanding your palate and nutritional repertoire. You are putting your faith in the farmer and supporting them regardless of the kind of growing season that year, tying yourself to both your local food producers and the land. It feels pretty dang good. Trust me. I'll never forget shaking the hand of the man and woman who were growing my food and saying, "Thanks. The fennel was to die for."

5) Participate in local food buying clubs/co-ops
Search them out. They're on the rise. Simple economy of scale. The more people who buy in, the better the price. Check out ours in Salt Lake. The bread from Stone Ground is legendary, fair-trade coffee is quite nice and there is a nice selection of meats, fruits, veg and grains. Ours is powered by volunteers so there is another opportunity for you to get involved in the local food chain.

6) Learn how to cook
It had to be said didn't it? All of these steps necessitate you knowing your way around the kitchen. The whole foods your body requires can't become consumable unless you become somewhat skilled in the art of transformation known as cooking. (That raw chicken breast and dirty potato on your plate don't look too appetizing do they?) Don't be intimidated. Take a class at Sur la Table. Visit your local library and sample the wonderful cookbooks, invest in those you love. Your kids will have the yummiest kitchen on the block. You'll become a celebrity and heaven have mercy on your fridge when your son starts bringing home his teenage friends.

7) Learn to menu plan
Having a realistic plan makes the entire package come together. You can cut back on impulse buys at the store since you only buy what you need with your well thought out list in hand. I make a simple chart at the beginning of the week with meals that I'd like to make. I check the recipes quickly for any ingredients I don't have on hand and base my shopping list on that. I save time and effort during the week knowing the answer to the eternal question, "What's for dinner?" I never get halfway through a recipe only to find out I don't have any lemon juice, I can shop the sales (this is key), and I'm able to vary my family's diet more since I can plan ahead.

8) And Finally, Grow your own
There is no cheaper and more satisfying way to feed the family than to have a family garden. Kids learn about where food comes from in a direct way: how it's grown, what it takes to make a juicy tomato, what it doesn't take. The food is right out your doorstep, it's fresh, and you know exactly where it's been. Not to mention all the great exercise and sunshine you'll get this summer by tending your monster squash plants. (Note to Amanda: Plant less squash). You'd be surprised where you can fit in a few plants. You don't have a big backyard you say? Ask your apartment manager if you can turn that wasteland of a parking strip out front into your own edible oasis. Search out your local community garden programs. The plots are often free in exchange for a harvest donation to the needy or can be rented for a small fee. Once you've gone this far you might even be converted to the land of food preservation. Yes, we're talking canning, drying, pickling, freezing. The land of our Grandmothers. It feels good, doesn't it?