Food
Good Food on
a Tight Budget
A
healthy shopping guide for low-income households:
“Good Food on a Tight Budget” has been written by
The Environmental Working Group, a not-for-profit
organization that marshals the power of information to pro-
tect human health and the environment; in collaboration
with Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, an organiza-
tion that teaches families at risk of hunger how to get more
food for their money and better nourishment from those
foods.
The guide contains lists of “best buys” that pack the most
nutrition for the lowest cost in each food group. These
include bananas, watermelons, broccoli, raisins, romaine
lettuce, barley, tuna, lentils/beans, eggs, turkey and cottage
cheese. Price was the primary concern for the group’s
choices but experts then screened out foods that contain a
lot of chemicals, like pesticides, or whose production cre-
ates greenhouse gases. Your food choice is one of the most
powerful choices that you make every day that affects your
environment. Some of the guide's top tips include buying
grains in bulk, cooking dried beans to save money, mixing
your own cooking sprays and substituting yogurt for cream
in recipes. Researchers based the weekly plan on the gov-
ernment's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
budget of $5 to $6 a day. Healthy food is affordable, but it's
definitely a different style of eating, It's a back-to-basics
style of eating. There's not a lot of room for extras. It's chal-
lenging
Barley Stew
Serves 4
1 cup barley or brown rice
2-1/2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oil
4 oz ground turkey or
ground, bone-in, or cubed
goat
1 cup cooked or 1 can
pinto or black beans, no salt
added
3 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
2 medium carrots
2 zucchinis or chayotes
1/2 pound of okra, or
other vegetable
4 cups fresh or frozen
dark greens
2 cans diced tomatoes, no
salt added
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a colander, rinse barley under cold water.
2. In a medium pot over high heat, bring barley or rice,
water and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to low and
cover. Cook until tender and water is absorbed, about 30-40
minutes. Set aside.
3. Peel, rinse and dice onions. Peel and mince garlic.
4. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add
chopped onions, garlic, carrots and other veggies to pot.
Mix well. Cook until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.
5. If using turkey, add ground turkey. Cook until turkey is
cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
6. Add tomatoes and their juices. Add rinsed and drained
beans. Bring to a simmer.
7. Add spices. Stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat.
Cook at a low simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Skip this step if you are not using goat. Otherwise, add
goat and cook over low heat until goat is tender—at least an
hour.
9. Add cooked barley or rice to the mixture. Stir to com-
bine. Add more water, if needed. Cook over low heat to
blend flavors, about 5–10 minutes more.
10. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Tip
Make a big pot ahead of time and refrigerate for a quick
and sustaining dinner throughout the week. You can double
the recipe and freeze half – but don’t double the cayenne
pepper unless you like it very spicy.
For more healthy and environmental recipes download
the free booklet “Good Food on a Tight from
http://ewg.org/goodfood/
Page 8 The Portland Skanner September 5, 2012