Frugal Fooding!

So I've been pretty busy with work lately and I haven't had the time to update this as much as I would like... but! I'm still riding my bike, still cooking, and still making stuff up and calling it cuisine. Lately I've been focused on thrifty eating, which means no eating out, no wasted food, and most importantly- no pre-packaged food.

Pre-packaged food is a tough one. I mean, as we speak I'm cooking a tortilla soup from a mix I got a world market... but it's also the end of the week and I have nothing in my fridge, so I'd rather eat a six month old soup mix than go buy take out. So... I guess what I'm saying is everything in moderation? Or something like that.

Which brings me to the actual intention of this post... frugal fooding! The economy is tough out there right now, but I don't think one has to sacrifice delicious and healthy food while maintaining a budget. I've recently took a pay cut in order to make a progression in my career (Oh, modern economics, how I hate you) and found myself having to rethink how I buy foods. Here's what I did:

1) Find someone with a home garden. I've never known someone with a home garden who wasn't thrilled to be able to give away spare those tomatoes, zucchini, citrus, etc that they had in abundance. They don't want to see it go to waste, so ask around! I've managed to live this summer off of free tomatoes and swiss chard- working them into nearly every meal. (Plus, ahem- swiss chard is one of those power foods along with kale and spinach, but hasn't taken off in the health crowd yet. Be a chard hipster!)

2) Shop where it's cheaper. Obviously, Whole Foods is right out. I used to like to go there for a few minor über-health foods like kelp noodles and passionfruit yogurt. Not anymore! I've since scouted out korean supermarkets that carry shirataki noodles and kimchee for a fraction of the price. Check out your local Japanese markets, Mexican markets- I've fallen in love with these places, it's hard to want to go to a national chain grocery store. (Except Trader Joe's. I freakin' love that place!)

3) Eat at home. Duh. If you really need a pizza- buy one frozen and add your own toppings to it. Less fat, salt, and money! Don't forget to bring your lunch to work either! I pack my swiss chard salad (tandoori chicken, fruit, tomatoes, swiss chard with a drizzle of olive oil) while I'm cooking my breakfast and it doesn't cut into precious morning time at all. Plan dinner to have leftovers so you don't have to cook every day either.

So that's been my summer! Next up- from frugal food recipes!