Grocery bills are rising every month, with no sign of stopping.
“I like finding bright spots, but finding bright spots right now is hard. We’re going through tough times,” said agricultural economist Zoe Plakias, an assistant professor at Ohio State University.
“Prices in all areas are higher,” she said. “At the beginning of the year, I could have said, if pork or beef is expensive, you could buy chicken. But now chicken has gone up, in part probably because people have given up on beef or pork. It’s a bit of a mole.
Year-on-year, food prices have risen around 10%, with more hits likely to come later in the year.
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“The 2022 forecast range for certain categories, such as meats (including hot dogs and deli meats), poultry, eggs, dairy, fats and oils, and grains and baked goods , is now revised upwards to double digits,” Plakias said. “It is very difficult at the moment to grasp everything that is happening. And that’s on top of the inflation we’ve had for the past two years.
Food prices: Why do groceries cost so much?
The causes of food inflation are multiple. See the article : Sonoma County is celebrating the grand opening of Mitote Food Park in Roseland. More recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted oil and gas prices, which have only slowly begun to decline.
Fuel is used in both agricultural production and transportation, so it affects grocery prices.
Additionally, supply chain issues still impact food production.
“I always like to remind people that even though you as a food processor can access all the ingredients you need, there might be a part you need for your assembly line or your cutting meat or whatever, gets stuck in a container somewhere. These supply chain issues can crop up in ways that we might not think of right away,” Plakias said.
Additionally, “bird flu in the United States and elsewhere is also impacting poultry and egg supplies, and contributing to higher prices,” she said.
Saving money on food: This website can help
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Ohio Department of Employment and Family have created a website that is useful for everyone, whether a family whether or not they receive government assistance.
The Celebrationyourplate. See the article : Ohio State and Cardiff Met universities contribute to food safety partnership.org website offers easy, healthy, and budget-friendly recipes, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
“It’s designed for people who need to boost their food budget,” said Jenny Lobb, an educator at Ohio State University Extension in Franklin County.
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“All of the recipes on the website are designed to be inexpensive and fairly easy, with no fancy equipment required. They feature fruits and vegetables. They’re healthy and inexpensive, and we like to think they’re tasty and appealing. »
The website offers tips for grocery shopping, cooking and gardening, and includes hundreds of meal and snack recipes, including 5-way Cincy Chili, after-school hummus, flour banana broken oats, black bean soup, broccoli salad and more.
Lobb also recommends local shopping this time of year.
Summer produce provides a healthy, affordable option
“We are in the middle of peak harvest season here in Ohio. See the article : How to handle laundry day according to your lifestyle. It’s a good time to look for what’s available and what’s on sale in the fresh produce section or at the farmer’s market,” she said.
“Many central Ohio farmers markets have programs where you can use your SNAP benefit and double your food dollars. I always try to get farm fresh corn. I’ll even freeze it to use. all year round because it’s tastier than frozen corn from the grocery store.
For those interested in preparing or storing local produce, the Ohio Extension Service’s “Ohioline” offers dozens of fact sheets on preparing and storing foods such as green vegetables or tomatoes, as well as recipes for salsa or sauerkraut; and information on saving money with coupons or storing food in the refrigerator.
On the other hand, says Lobb, fresh isn’t always necessarily the way to go.
“Fresh, frozen, canned, it all counts. Research the best ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. Often in the winter, frozen or canned foods can actually be more nutritious because these foods are picked at their peak of freshness and stored immediately. “
Consider a meatless meal
Lobb also recommends those looking to save money consider an occasional meatless meal.
“You don’t have to go completely vegetarian. But if you’re looking to save money, maybe choose a few days a week to cook a meal with an inexpensive protein like beans.
Tricia Wheeler, owner of The Seasoned Farmhouse, a Clintonville cooking school, also thought about how to help cooks save money. When she took time off from teaching during the pandemic, she developed the “Peaceful Dinners” book and system, which gives cooks menus to go with them all week on a single shopping list, with a time 30 minutes of prep time for each meal and no wasted food.
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“I’ve taught cooking classes at The Seasoned Farmhouse in Columbus for the past 11 years and always envisioned creating a system for people to make dinnertime easier. I just never had the long period of time I needed to do it until my 40s,” Wheeler said.
“The system is that you have a menu for the week and you use whatever ingredients you buy,” she said. “I think a lot of people wander aimlessly around the grocery store and don’t know what to buy. People said to me, “I buy all these ingredients and I don’t know how to use them. I waste food. I spend too much on my grocery bills and I come home and I don’t know what to do.
The menus are rich in vegetables and often use ingredients cooked in advance and used more than once. A typical week, for example, uses brown rice cooked ahead of time for fried rice and Mexican stuffed peppers.
“The goal was to have good recipes,” Wheeler said. “And to give people peace around the table.”
Resources: www.celebrateyourplate.com, www.peacefuldinners.com, benefits.ohio.gov
10 tips for lowering your grocery bill
For suggestions on how to save money on groceries, we turned to Tricia Wheeler, owner of The Seasoned Farmhouse, a Clintonville cooking school. Wheeler offers these tips:
• Know what ingredients you have on hand and create weekly menus and shopping lists around these items before you shop.
• When a favorite ingredient you use often is on sale, stock up!
• Vegetarian cooking is cheaper and has good health benefits: don’t eat meat often anymore.
• When fruits and vegetables are on sale, they are often in season – buy them.
• Eggs are a great protein and economical: Omelets make a fantastic dinner with a salad.
• Stock your freezer with things you love to eat: frozen foods cost less and stay fresh longer. Chef’s Tip: Thaw frozen vegetables in a colander, toss them with olive oil and roast them at 425 degrees on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes.
• Do more when you cook in the evening, so you have leftovers for lunch the next day.
• Prepare your snacks: popcorn, dips with fresh vegetables and homemade salsa.
• Cook a grain, skillet of greens and beans once a week, and you’ll have great staples for a variety of meals.
• Improve your cooking skills and never waste anything.
MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS
It’s an easy and delicious way to have a Mexican meal without flour or corn tortillas, and it can be made vegetarian by omitting the ground chicken.
Recipe courtesy of Tricia Wheeler of Peaceful Dinners.
1 tablespoon olive oil for the peppers and 1 tablespoon olive oil for the chicken
1 block (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, grated, 1 cup reserved for garnish
Optional garnishes: sliced jalapeno, cilantro, diced avocado, salsa
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Cut the peppers in half horizontally, remove the seeds and brush with olive oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet or in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the peppers cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chicken and onion, stirring only once. Cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir in black beans, cumin and salt. Stir in cooked rice. Leave to cool for five minutes, stir in the cheese.
Top peppers with rice mixture, top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Top peppers with sour cream and optional ingredients.
5-WAY CINCY CHILI
Recipe courtesy of Celebrate Your Plate
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef (85% or less)
1 (15 ounces) no salt added crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounces) sodium-reduced beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) no salt added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
Before you begin, wash your hands, surfaces, can tops, and utensils.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. While the pasta is boiling, start the next step. Drain and reserve the pasta.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, cocoa powder, chili powder, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring and breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to bring contents to a quick simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until chili thickens, about 15 minutes.
Stir the beans into the sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute longer. Serve chili over pasta and garnish with grated cheese.
BROCCOLI SALAD
Recipe courtesy of Celebrate Your Plate
3 cups raw broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked ham, chicken or turkey (optional)
Before you start, wash your hands, surfaces, utensils and vegetables.
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, carrot, celery, raisins, onion and meat.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the vegetable mixture and toss well to combine.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving
SUMMER SALSA
Recipe courtesy of Celebrate Your Plate
4 garlic cloves, minced OR 1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Before you start, wash your hands, surfaces, vegetables and utensils.
If using a jalapeno, put on latex gloves and scoop out the jalapeno seeds and cut them into small dice. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands with soap and water after handling the pepper.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld.
