Be proactive with expected rising food costs

Tammy Roberts, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist

It is no secret that the summer of 2012 is one for the record books because of the heat and drought. One of the ways we will continue to feel the “heat” from this summer is the increase in the cost of some of our favorite foods. Since we expect food costs to rise, we can start habits now to save food dollars.

In 2013, the foods in which we will see the highest cost increases include beef, pork, eggs and dairy products. “These are not the foods that we can easily just eliminate from the menu” said Tammy Roberts from University of Missouri Extension. “But there are ways to stretch your food dollar so you can still enjoy all of your favorite foods.”

The first thing we can do is be sure that we eat all of the food we purchase. That may sound like a ridiculous statement but according to a University of Arizona study households throw away about $600 worth of food in a year.

“To make sure you won’t be throwing food away, plan for the use of leftovers” said Roberts. That can mean having a “potluck” night to clean out the refrigerator or it can mean packaging leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day. Keep a plastic container in the freezer to add leftover vegetables. When it gets full, you are very close to having vegetable soup.

Compare the costs of brands of food. The store brand will usually cost less and be perfectly acceptable in quality. Don’t be afraid to stock up on non-perishable foods when they are on sale. If you can use it, the economy size is often (but not always) a better price per serving.

Plan on going to the store no more than once per week. If you plan meals around store ads, make a list and shop wisely you can save time and money. According to the Food Marketing Institute, we spend $2.17 every minute we are in the supermarket so just being organized and sticking to your list helps to save money. While making your list, check your refrigerator and cabinets for ingredients you already have on hand making sure to only buy what you need.

We can’t make the cost of food go down but we can shop wisely and manage the food we have on hand to get the best value for our food dollars.