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MoneyWi$e: Making Healthy Choices as Food Prices Rise · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Welcome to MoneyWi$e on Talking FACS, where we share research-based information
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  to help you improve your financial future.
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  I'm your host, Dr. NicHole Huff, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
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  for Family Finance and Resource Management.
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  Today, we're talking about something on everyone's mind, how to eat healthy
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  when food prices keep climbing.
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  And joining us today is Anna Cason. Anna, welcome.
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  Thank you so much. Yeah, well, tell us a little bit more about your role with Extension.
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  Yeah, I would be happy to. So I am in a role housed at the Polk-Dalton Clinic,
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  which is here in Lexington, and I will be providing nutrition education to our
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  clients that we see here.
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  Well, Anna, families everywhere are feeling the pressure of higher food costs.
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  So what challenges are you hearing
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  from the people you work with about how to eat healthy on a budget?
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  Yes, absolutely. This is talk of the town, it feels like.
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  One of the biggest things I hear is that people feel like eating healthy automatically
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  means spending more money.
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  And when budgets are tight, it can be overwhelming, especially all of the process
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  that goes into planning and preparing meals and then thinking about purchasing,
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  making lists, all of the different steps.
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  But the good news is that eating well doesn't have to be expensive,
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  and it's really about making some small and consistent choices.
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  So before we dive into maybe strategies to help with making those choices,
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  talk to us first about the five food groups.
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  So as a starting point, you know, why is understanding those food groups so
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  helpful, especially when money is tight?
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  Yeah, it gives us a simple framework. So thinking about meals,
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  thinking about snacks, it can be overwhelming.
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  But if we can break it down and follow some simple steps, it can make it a little
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  more approachable and a little more attainable over the long term.
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  So when we're thinking about meals, if we can try and pair at least two to three food groups together,
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  thinking about things like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy,
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  and that proteins food group, we end up with meals that are more balanced,
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  more satisfying, and that will keep you full for longer.
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  So, reminder, we don't have to be perfect, but it's about making those meals
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  that work for you in whatever setting, whatever lifestyle you are fulfilling.
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  Okay, so let's talk more about making those meals. For families trying to plan
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  balanced meals without overspending, what are some simple tips they can take?
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  So, let's start by choosing foods that give you the most nutrition for your
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  dollar, And that can be foods that are in the canned aisle, that can be frozen options,
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  that may include picking some of the plant-based protein options more often,
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  or even buying some items like grains in bulk.
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  These small, simple choices can really add up over time, both financially and nutritionally.
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  So many families are changing the way they're shopping for food and for meals
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  just based on some of the rising costs and busy schedules.
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  So I know a lot of families rely on convenience stores for food on the go when they're busy.
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  What are some healthier, more affordable options people can find at a convenience
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  store that aren't chips and candy and soda?
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  Yeah, absolutely. So convenience stores are what they are called.
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  They are convenient, and they can have some great choices.
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  So while the chips, the candy, the sodas,
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  they may be more in your face whenever you enter the store,
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  there are some of those more nutritious options that can be available in maybe
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  it has a refrigerated section, like with the drinks, or some of these convenience
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  stores that are attached to gas stations have the refrigerated sections for
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  snacks and foods right up front.
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  So in those areas, we could find things like yogurts, cheese or string cheese,
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  and then even hard-cooked eggs.
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  But then if maybe those refrigerated sections aren't available,
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  if we do some digging in the aisles, we can also find some of these nutritious
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  whole grain options like some of those granola bars or popcorn as a snack.
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  And then again, we may be able to find some fresh produce available,
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  especially some shelf-stable options like apples and oranges or bananas.
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  But then even if that's not available, if we can't find it in the convenience
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  store that is convenient for us, we could also look for some other fruit options
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  like applesauce cups or even dried fruits that are going to be nutritious and
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  are a little more shelf stable.
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  So they're likely going to be available in those aisles.
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  So it sounds like there could be quite a few healthy options at convenience
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  stores. We just have to look for them.
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  We have to be intentional when we are browsing.
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  Yeah, so that is absolutely correct. And there can be some almost clues on these
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  packages that can help us identify,
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  one, some nutritious options, but also identifying some more financially available options for us.
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  So if we could look at store brand items versus those name brand items,
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  they are often more affordable than those name brand choices.
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  And then in terms of the nutritious aspect, some packages are going to have
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  labels highlighted on the front that are going to say low sodium,
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  or they may say no added sugar.
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  And we may see some labels or graphics that represent whole grain choices.
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  So those are some quick clues that you're grabbing a more nutritious,
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  more nutrient dense choice.
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  And if we pair up the store brand items with some of these more nutritious options
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  we're also getting that more nutrition as we're saving a dollar or two,
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  I like that. So using labels to gather choices, especially with packaged items.
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  And so that is a good tip, looking for words like low sodium,
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  no added sugar or whole grain, especially when you're in a hurry and labels
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  can sometimes be confusing.
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  Okay, so let's shift to fast food.
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  So your fast food stores, so like convenience stores, they are quick options for people on the go.
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  And even the price of those are climbing.
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  And so, you know, many families do rely on fast food options during busy weeks.
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  But what are some ways to make smarter choices at fast food restaurants in terms
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  of our health without necessarily spending more money.
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  Yep, and we get it. It is more convenient if the meal, especially a warm meal, is prepared for you.
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  You can pick it up and then you can either eat it on the go if you're running
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  from place to place or if you're heading home, it's late at night,
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  you could get dinner on your way home.
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  So kind of like the label items, whenever we're shopping at a convenience store
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  or even just a grocery store,
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  if we're looking for those label clues, some of the
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  menu items can have some of those clues that
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  we could lean towards for those more nutritious options so
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  if we're looking at a menu we could choose grilled options instead
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  of fried that's going to help to cut down on the saturated fats that is one
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  of those nutrients that we want to be mindful of it'll cut down on it in the
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  food item and it may not be represented on the menu so we may have to ask if
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  it's an option instead of assuming that it can't be grilled instead of fried,
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  we just take that next step whenever we are ordering and ask if we could get it grilled instead.
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  And then for simple things like if we're eating a chicken sandwich or a burger,
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  we could think about bulking it up with some of those more nutritious options
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  like vegetables. So maybe we add lettuce and tomato.
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  We could also look for whole grain buns or wraps.
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  And then lastly, the portion sizes for fast food are.
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  Rather large. Sometimes we could split it, especially some of those deals, those meal deals.
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  Maybe we could split it with someone else to cut down on that.
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  And we could think about getting a side salad or something so that we're increasing
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  the nutrients that we're having with it and being mindful of portions.
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  But we could also also consider getting kids meals that are going to be the
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  smaller portions anyways. They're still going to be relatively satisfying.
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  And a lot of apple slices or a fruit cup as a side option, maybe instead of those french fries.
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  And then also thinking about getting milk instead of a soda for a drink.
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  Speaking of drinks, we do want to be mindful of those sugary drinks like sodas
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  or any sugar-sweetened beverages like those coffees or sweet teas.
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  And especially be mindful of the sizes that we're getting and the available
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  refills that we can often get at fast food restaurants.
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  Yeah, I love your tip for adults even to consider ordering child-size portions.
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  This is something that I do and I have started doing because it does save on money.
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  But two, it's often just enough if I need food on the go. It's just enough to
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  give me fuel and give me energy to get through my workday.
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  But it also is typically half the price of an adult meal. And so I love that
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  I save money while also making just a smart choice in terms of portion control and whatnot.
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  So I think that's an excellent tip that people over, you know,
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  they don't think about often that, hey, an adult can typically,
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  especially at a fast food restaurant where there are not age limitations that
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  they can order from the child's menu. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
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  Okay, so we know that grocery stores are going to probably offer us the most
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  control over the food choices that we make and over our budgets.
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  And so what are some simple tips that you can recommend for families when you're
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  shopping at a grocery store to save money and eat well?
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  Yeah, absolutely. So I kind of touched on this at the beginning very briefly,
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  but we could think about some other options that are available for some of those nutrient-dense foods.
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  So thinking about fruits and vegetables, we can find fresh ones likely available
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  at a grocery store, but they may not look the best.
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  They may not be the most flavorful if they're not in season.
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  And thinking about how likely they are to go bad if we're unable to eat them
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  before they do go bad, then we don't want to just waste that money and we don't
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  want to just waste that food.
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  So thinking about other forms of these fruits and vegetables like frozen and
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  canned items, which are one, gonna be more shelf-stable so we could get them
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  this week and maybe we don't eat them this week, maybe we don't eat them next week.
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  If they're stored properly, they'll still stay just as safe and they are often
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  more affordable than those fresh items.
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  When we are thinking about some of those, we do want to be mindful.
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  So if we're choosing a canned fruit item, we just want to make sure that it
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  is packed in water or fruit juice rather than in the syrup.
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  Some of those label cues come into play here.
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  Again, it may say no sugar added or it likely says packed in 100% fruit juice.
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  Same thing with those canned veggies. We want to think about low sodium options.
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  So with those canned veggies, we could look at those label clues for the low
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  sodium logo on it, or we could look at the nutrition facts label,
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  which is going to kind of be like our table of contents into that food.
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  And then for frozen options, again, being mindful of the sodium content,
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  especially with some of those frozen veggies that are going to come with sauces
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  or seasoned already. They may,
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  includes some salt to increase the sodium, and just naturally with frozen items
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  used as a preservative, it may include more sodium in there.
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  But some of these frozen items are, one, just as nutritious as fresh,
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  and they're going to be great for maybe some meals that we're putting together
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  like stir fries or soups, pastas, and even making creamy smoothies.
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  And then the last thing, thinking about proteins.
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  Plant-based proteins are another huge budget helper.
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  So thinking about those beans, peas, and lentils, also nuts and nut butters,
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  and then any sort of seeds as well.
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  They can increase a little bit of protein as well as the other vitamins and
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  nutrients, and they're going to be affordable and full of that protein in addition to the fiber.
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  When we consider buying things in bulk, especially grains, how can that help families save money?
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  Yep, so that grains portion is one of those other food groups that I didn't
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  just touch on, but they're going to be just is important.
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  It's going to include that fiber that we just mentioned. So grains like rice,
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  oats, and pasta can stretch meals.
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  They can help keep costs down, and they can be used in a lot of dishes.
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  We can pair them with vegetables and plant-based proteins, and we can think
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  of a variety of different filling and low-cost meals.
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  Right, because you mentioned that stretching meals or cooking once and eating
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  twice can help us save money and reduce food waste.
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  But what does that look like in practice?
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  It can be as simple as making extra rice or cooking extra chicken or preparing
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  more beans that we're not going to use for this meal that we're preparing right now,
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  but we're going to store it in the refrigerator and then we can use it tomorrow
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  or the next day, turning that into another meal.
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  So for example, maybe tonight we're prepping rice and beans and maybe we're
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  just eating that on its own.
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  And then maybe tomorrow we are making burrito bowls and we're going to use that also.
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  And then maybe if we prepare enough, the next day we're making a taco soup where
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  we're going to incorporate the rice and beans as well.
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  So not only are we saving time by prepping once and then cutting down on the
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  preparation for the next couple of days,
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  we can also reduce waste for preparing in bulk and prepping out for the meals
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  that are coming in the next couple of days. We know that we're not going to
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  just waste any leftovers.
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  And we could also save a buck in the long run.
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  You know, consumers will often waste so much money when food is wasted.
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  And so anytime we are putting something into the trash, whether that's from
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  our pantry or our refrigerator or freezer or leftovers, we are essentially putting
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  our cash right into the trash.
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  And so to be to be mindful of how to reduce waste because that stretches our food budgets.
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  Yeah, absolutely. And some people don't like eating the same meal as leftovers.
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  So if that's the case, we just think about how we can reframe it or use components
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  of that meal for different meals altogether.
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  I love that tip. All right, so for families who feel like healthy eating has
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  to be perfect, what would you tell them?
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  Healthy eating is all about patterns, not perfection.
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  We can make those simple steps like choosing grilled over fried when we can,
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  adding a fruit or vegetable when possible, and then using those canned and frozen options often.
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  We can realize that small changes really do add up.
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  All right, so as we wrap up today, what are, you know, one or two top takeaways
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  you want listeners to remember.
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  We want to think of leaning on those plant-based proteins that I mentioned,
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  like those beans, peas, lentils, nuts and nut butters, and seeds.
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  We also want to think about buying and keeping both grains on hand,
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  and then thinking about where we can use those frozen and canned produce options.
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  Lastly, make use of all the places that you shop, and try and plan ahead when
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  we can, whether that's convenience stores, fast food restaurants,
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  or grocery stores. Well, Anna, thank you so much for sharing practical and encouraging tips.
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  You know, things like we don't have to be perfect. We have to make small,
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  consistent choices. And that's where we see changes both in our health, but also our budgets.
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  So where can listeners go for more information? They can always visit their
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  local county extension office for resources, a variety of recipes,
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  and then guidance tailored to their community specifically.
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  Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me.
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  If you are just tuning in, you are listening to Money Wise on Talking Facts,
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  presented by Family and Consumer Sciences Extension in the Martin-Gatton College
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