Some Simple Food Ideas

When I posted my first post I came quickly to the realization that discussing money with people I don't even know does not come easily. However, considering the fact that I've spent such a good deal of time trying to make sense of it and make it work for me, I do consider myself to have experience. But talking about food comes easy. So here goes.

The point of my family's Potato January is to use whatever you have and hunker down with it when you reach a period of time when all you want to do is survive it. In my case, we had a bag of potatoes -- good nutrition, and something we still enjoy. Put together whatever combinations of food you happen to have on hand -- even if they don't seem to go together. You might be surprised at the interesting flavor combinations. Peanut butter can be a good and inexpensive staple -- a 'Healthy Elvis' sandwich of toasted bread, peanut butter and sliced banana makes a good lunch that will stay with you for a few hours.

Learning how to shop for my children was a tricky thing. We didn't even have pre-sweetened cereal except on their birthdays. As a result, they have great teeth and no cavities. However, I received my share of complaints during the interim. We also ate yogurt sundaes instead of ice cream -- vanilla yogurt with toppings of oats, nuts, seeds, raisens and whatever fruit we might have. That provided a fun dessert that had some nutrition.

It can be difficult to rework your children's demands and wishes when it comes to preparing food for them. Cutting out junk food (on our budget, it just wasn't feasible most of the time) and substituting fruit and veggies, cheese and nuts, can be tricky, but rewarding when your children have lots of energy, stay a healthy weight, and don't have mood swings triggered by sweets and chocolate.