Economical Family Food Plans

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32117, 13 October 1969, Page 2

Economical Family Food Plans

Budgeting is a science, but for the housewife who is trying to cut food costs while maintaining a balanced diet for her family it is worth the time and effort. Miss Patricia Ireland, home science adviser at the Department of Agriculture, has estimated minimum cost weekly food plan for a family of five at $15.88.

The plan is for husband and wife, one pre-school child, one child aged between five and nine years and another aged between 10 and 15.

815.88 At $18.95, Mist Ireland’s moderate-cost weekly food plan is:

Both food plane are based on the Department of Health’s recommendations for a normal balanced diet. Milk, a cheap and highly nutritious food, features in larger quantities than consumed in many New Zealand households. Most savings on food will be very small amounts on frequently used items. Miss Ireland says. Here are some of her suggestions for trimming the food bill. Use skim milk powder for sauces, milk puddings, flavoured milk desserts and baking. Buy the powder in a 51b tin. Reconstituted, it costs 2.5 to 3c a pint Cheese is cheaper if bought in 2 Jib packs. Buy cheese for the use intended, and keep the more expensive tasty cheese for baking and cooking purposes. The cost of fruit and vegetables can be reduced almost entirely by growing your own providing you have a suitable site and soil, and a good water supply, as well as time to spend. For an outlay of leu than $2O annually a family can be self-supporting in vegetables. This cost includes fertilisers and sprays. Try to produce 80 per cent of your vegetable needs.

Alternatively, substantial savings can be made by buying vegetables or fruit in bulk direct from the market The surplus can be frozen, or split up between neighbours and friends.

Choose your days for buying. Research has shown that vegetable prices are higher on Friday and Monday than any other week-days. Compare the cost per serving of fresh, canned, frozen or dried in both fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are our best source of vitamins. Some provide these nutrients in greater amounts than others. Some, such as swedes, carrots and cabbages offer real bargain. We should select these foods often. If you have to pay more than 17c a pound for oranges it would be cheaper to buy canned orange juice. For health purposes, butter consumption is best kept low. For cut lunches use a butter extender. Baking wHI increase your butter consumption and food costs. If you must bake use a combination of butter and margarine. Use cooking oils for frying. To cut bread costs, avoid pro-wrapped and sliced loaves. Consumer tests showed that in cold breakfast cereals the wheat-based cereals were the cheapest per ounce. Ricebased breakfasts were double the price of some of the wheat cereals. Extra processing, such as sugar coating, adds to the price. Avoid fancy packaging and remember that gimmicks to encourage children all add to the cost. Under Price Control Some of the items in sundries and extras are under price control, such as flour and sugar. Obviously this is the section where there can be careless spending at a high cost with a poor return nutritionally. With all processed foods you are paying extra for the processing involved.

According to nutritionists, biscuits and cakes are extras to be eaten only when all the essential foods, like milk, meat, eggs and vegetables and fruit, have been supplied each day. They are most expensive filling materials and should not feature on the shopping lists of people trying to reduce food costs. In between meals, eat bread and butter and milk-type beverages, such as cocoa.

Many of the supplies bought in a supermarket are not food items, yet when the housewife looks at the check lists she classes them all as

food. Deduct the cost of tobacco, cigarettes and sweets from the list to get a true estimate of food costs. Cleaning materials (soaps, detergents, polishes, bleach, toilet soaps, toothpaste, toilet paper) will cost from 75c to $1 a week for a family of five. 1

When shopping do you: Buy on impulse? If so you are likely to spend more than you planned and choose unnecessary .items.

Read the grocery advertisements before you shop? This helps plan your grocery Hst

to fit your budget, as well as giving you ideas of new or fresh foods available.

Shop when the store is less crowded? Avoid Friday shopping when there are a lot of people around and you are unable to study labels and weights for value. Have a shopping list based on your menu? Buy in bulk to cut costs? Freeze-dried peas purchased in small packets cost B|c a serving, in a 51b bag the cost per serving to 4|e. If possible do not take the children with you when shop-ping—-It may well add to the cost of your food. Because knowledgeable about the various kinds of shops, and the services offered Discount shops: wholesale prices but no services offered. Supermarkets: easy shopping, some reduced prices, specials, etc. Comer store: personal service, delivery and credit, hut higher costa. Good nutrition Is more important than economy. A wellbalanced diet has the greatest single influence on the health of the family.

However, you can get better nutrition for your family without spending more money on food. Do you buy foods with actual nutritional value in proportion to the cost? Foods high in eateries and low in nutrients may add dollars to your food Mil without aiding good nutrition. Keep records of food bills so that you can analyse how much money you spend on food.

Know the relationship between money, time and energy. If you spend less money you will need to give more time to planning and usually more time and energy to buying and preparing food.

Item Weekly quantity Unit cost Total Milk (pints) .. 42 4c $1.68 Cheese (lb) ... H 35c .44 Eggs (dozen) 2 38c .76 Meat/Flsh (lb) 9* 40c 3.80 Potatoes (lb) 10 8c .80 Vegetables (lb) l«i 12c 1.98 Fruit (lb) 8 15c 1.20 Butter (lb) 3 28c .84 Bread (lb) 10 6c .60 Cereals (Breakfast and pudding) (lb) 5f 14e . .73 Sundries (FJour, sugar. cocoa, tea, spices, dried fruits) (lb) 1.85 Extras (Tinned fruit. biscuits, baked goods) 1.20

Item Weekly quantity Unit cost Total Milk (pints) .. 42 4c 31.68 Cheese (lb) It 40c .50 Eggs (dos) 3 38c 1.14 Meat/Fish (lb) 50c 4.75 Potatoes (lb) 10 8c .80 Vegetables (lb) l«i 14c 2.31 Fruit (lb) 8 20c 1.60 Butter (lb) .... .. 3 28c .84 Bread (lb) 10 6c .60 Cereals (lb) 5i 14c .73 Sundries (Flour, sugar. tea, Milo, B’vita, coffee, spices, herbs) 2.50 Extras (Tinned fruits, biscuits, eakes) 1.50