Going Meatless One Day Each Week Benefits Budget, Health

If your grocery bill seems to increase with every shopping trip, it’s not your imagination.  A trip to the supermarket costs about 4% more than it has in the past.  This has many looking for ways to save on food costs. A simple way to save 5%—no coupon clipping required—is to go meatless one night a week.

The most recent estimates from the USDA put food costs at nearly $1,000 a month for a family of four. However, going meatless one night a week can save a bundle—$50 a month.  Before deciding that your family will never go for even one meatless meal, consider the benefits for your budget and your health.

Going meatless does not mean sacrificing protein. Protein, essential to a healthy diet, comes from both animal and plant sources. In fact, some nonmeat protein sources included in MyPlate, the government’s newest effort to encourage a healthy diet, are beans and peas, soy products, nuts and  seeds.  These foods supply many nutrients, including protein, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6), vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Among the many options for a meatless meal are beans and peas.  Choose from black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, and navy or pinto beans.  You might choose processed soy products such as tofu, or nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts.  Peanut butter is also a protein source, as are seeds like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower.

Replace meat one day each week with plant-based protein sources and your family could reap the health benefits of reduced intake of saturated fat, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This easy change will also increase the amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber consumed.

One meatless evening meal each week will make your wallet healthier as well.  Meat products are the most costly items in the grocery store. Going meatless just one day per week reduces meat consumption about 15% and grocery bills about 5% per week.  The most recent monthly food cost estimates from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion put a family of four spending up to $998 per month on a “moderate” cost plan. Going meatless only one night each week can save nearly $600 per year.

Here are some meatless main dish ideas:

Slow Cooker New Orleans Red Beans
Super Stir Fry
Winter Black Bean Soup
Cheesy Pasta with Summer Veggies
Tortellini Tuscan Stew
Strawberry Spinach Salad

Slow Cooker Class Offered

Has your slow cooker been banished to the back of the cabinet? If you’re short on time and budget-conscious, slow cookers are a great tool to get dinner on the table without the drive-thru. They essentially do the cooking while you are away. Imagine putting the ingredients in the slow cooker, leaving for work, and coming home to a great smelling, mouth-watering dinner.

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the Garland County Extension Homemakers Council will be offering a single-session class to help you beef up your slow cooker skills. Set for January 26^th at 10:30 am, the class will feature recipe demonstrations and slow cooker tips to help you get the most from this small appliance. You’ll learn to prepare healthy, low-cost recipes and enjoy a lunch sampling the dishes prepared.

The class will be held at the EHC Building located on the Garland County Fairgrounds. Fee for the class is $6 and includes lunch. Space is limited, so register before the January 19^th deadline by contacting the Garland County Extension Service at 623-6841, emailing Lwashburn@uaex.edu or visit the Extension office located at 236 Woodbine in Hot Springs.

Slow Cooker Suppers

Wondering what’s for dinner? Without a plan its easy to divert to the drive-thru for dinner when headed home from work. Your slow cooker is a great tool to answer the “what’s for dinner” question. This recipes was used recently at a foods program for diabetics. It’s healthy AND delicious. And I promise, it is easy to prepare.

Tortellini Tuscan Stew 1 (2-lb) butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks 1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 large yellow squash, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 large onion, diced 1 large red bell pepper, diced 4 ounces thin green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth 2 tsp dried oregano 1-1/2 tsp chopped garlic 3/4 tsp salt 1 package (9 ounces) fresh cheese tortellini 1 bag (5-ounce) baby spinach 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach and Parmesan cheese, in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or on low 6 hours.Uncover. Turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover and continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender.Uncover. Gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover and cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender.