Food
Good Food on a
Tight Budget
H
ealth experts* have chosen these ingredients based
on an in-depth review of government surveys and
tests for nearly 1,200 foods.
Grains
Don’t be fooled. Read the label. Make sure the word
“whole” is the very first ingredient listed. “Multi-grain”
isn’t enough. Just because it looks brown, doesn’t mean it’s
whole grain.
Start kids off right with whole grains, not white bread and
white pasta. If they’re not used to whole grains, mix them
in gradually.
Buy in bulk and stock up during sales. Packets cost more
and are often loaded with salt and sugar. Buy brown rice in
bulk and mix with white rice if needed to lower cost. Buy
whole grain bread on sale and save in the freezer.
Middle Eastern salad
Bulgur and parsley are nutrition superstars and great
buys. This delicious salad made with both makes a fantas-
tic lunch and a yummy leftover.
Basic ingredients
1 ½ cups boiled water
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
Seasoning
juice from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons oil
¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne
pepper or paprika
Tasty toppings
¼ cup cooked garbanzo beans
¼ cup sliced almonds
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup mint leaves
Preparation:
1. Boil 1 ½ cups of water. Pour boiled water over bulgur
in a large bowl. Cover and set aside until soft and
chewy, about 30 minutes.
2. In a colander, drain excess liquid from bulgur mixture.
3. Add parsley, tomato and seasoning to bulgur and your
choice of toppings.
* recipe by EWG (www.ewg.org) a not-for-profit organi-
zation that marshals the power of information to protect
human health and the environment.
In collaboration with:
Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® teaches families
at risk of hunger how to get more food for their money and
better nourishment from those foods, as part of the No Kid
Hungry® campaign.
Page 8 The Portland Skanner October 31, 2012