Here are a few more tips on how to use the healthy ingredients you buy.

Baking with healthy substitutes:

• replace oil with apple sauce
• use dry (powdered) milk to replace no more than 1/4 cup of sugar
• work in whole wheat or ground flax seed with white flour in recipes
• use dark chocolate (60% cacao or more) in cookies (these are available as generic)

Meats

• buy in large quantities and prepare it by creating convenient frozen sections
• cut up chicken fingers and nuggets and freeze separately in a zip lock
• slice larger chicken breasts in half and freeze separately
• buy cheaper (non-individually packaged) meats and split them up at home.

Beans

• buy the dried beans, which are cheaper and have less sodium
• cook them all day in a crock pot so they'll be ready for dinner

Healthi'er' Soups:
Canned soups have a lot of sodium but they are so easy to cook with and seem to be a staple in most people's pantries.  For a long time we had trouble balancing the price of canned soup which kept sneaking up on us, and healthy eating concerns. Finally the best of both worlds happened:generic low sodium soups!

Here is an interesting article on canned soups.

Cooking with Oil

Baking and Grilling mean less opportunity for oily foods. But sometimes you need to cook something in oil, then what? Use healthier oils such as extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil. Also, don't drench your food to fry it, just use enough oil to keep the food from sticking.

How you cook your food is just as important as the types of food you eat. A potato can be healthy, but if you turn it into a deep fried french fry you've counteracted much of the benefit. Keep your cooking methods in mind when you buy your food and know what you'll do with it when you get it home.

Similar Posts:

• How to Eat Well on a Budget - Part 4
• How to Eat Well on a Budget - Part 2
• How to Eat Well on a Budget - Part 1
• Winter Backpacking Food = Microwavable Sandwiches!
• Wrap It Up - Mountain House Wraps
• So What is the Best Camping Food of All Time?
• Tapas - The Fancy Word for "Appetizer"

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