Making Dry Bean Blends

Bean Blends:     

Beans are a great source of protein and fiber and can be used in many ways.  Dry beans are not only cheaper than canned, but the sodium content can be more controlled.  Either way, canned and dried beans are both good to have on hand. I use the dried beans most of the time, but for those last minute meals, canned beans are very convenient.

Bean blends are easy to make yourself as long as you understand the variances in cooking times with different types of beans.

Beans That Are Similar in Cooking Times-

Group 1:

• Adzuki
• Anasazi
• Black-eyed Peas
• Cannellini
• Cranberry
• Fava
• Green Split Peas
• Lima Beans, small
• Pink

Group 2:

• Black Beans
• Cannellini
• Navy
• Red Beans

Group 3:

• Kidney
• Great Northern
• Mung
• Pinto
• Whole Green Peas

Soaking Your Beans:

The biggest complaint from preparing dried beans is the amount of time it takes to soak them. You can put your beans right into the crock-pot or use a fast soak method, but the overnight soaking method will give you the best results.

Soaking Beans is Beneficial-

• Helps to remove the complex sugars and toxins, minimizing gas 
• Gives you a shorter cooking time
• Beans cook more evenly when soaked 

Sometimes lentils are added to bean soup blends.  I am not a big fan of this. Lentils don’t take nearly as long to cook as beans, so adding lentils to dried beans may result in mushy lentils. If you like the mixture of beans and lentils, french green lentils are a good choice. They take a little longer to cook than the standard lentils and they hold their shape better.

Whole grains are excellent to add to your bean blends.  Adding whole grains help get different nutrients into your diet while adding flavor and texture to the dish.  Whole grains will give you a hearty, nutty texture, making them great for stew and chili. 

Tips:

-        Try to plan your bean blends around their cooking times. Combining beans with similar cooking times will result in a more evenly cooked blend.

-        Always rinse the beans after soaking them.

-        Adding a little oil to your beans and lentils while cooking them will not only reduce the amount of foam, but will also help hold their shape better.

-        Do not add salt or acidic ingredients until after the beans are cooked.

Whole Grain and Bean Blend-

2-3 parts each of any combination of beans (Group 1: black, navy, pink, adzuki ) (Group 2: red, pinto, black, garbanzo)

1 part whole oat groats

1 part brown rice or barley

1 part wheat berries (hard red or white)

1 part grain or combination of grains (triticale, kamut, buckwheat, rye)

½ part flax or sesame seeds (optional)

Just remember from my "Lentils" post that the amounts listed are merely suggestions. Adjust the amounts and the ingredients to your personal preference.

Making Blends Using Lentils

The most common varieties of lentils are brown, yellow, red, and French green.  Split lentils, called dhal,  come in many varieties as well.  Many varieties of dhal can be found in an East Indian market.

French Green Lentils

Lentils have slightly different cooking times.  French green lentils have a longer cooking time than others, but keep their shape better.  Similar to beans, you do not want to add salt or acidic ingredients until the end of the cooking period.  Adding oil while cooking will help the lentils hold their shape.

Lentils are often added to soup blends with beans, rice, grains, and pasta.

Before cooking lentils, sort through and take out any foreign material you may see. Rinse the dust from the lentils with cold water.

Lentil Blend:

Mix equal parts of lentils (brown, yellow, and red) and store in an airtight container.

Rinse before cooking.   Add 2 cups liquid to every 1 cup of lentils.

Lentil Soup Blend:

2 parts Lentils, any variety or a mixture of yellow, brown, and red lentils

2 parts Split Peas, any color or mixed colors

1 part Barley

1 part brown rice (opt.)

When cooking, add 2 cups liquid to every 1 cup of the soup blend.

To use as a soup base, mix 1 part blend to 4 parts stock or water. Add desired seasonings, being careful to add any salt towards the end.

Increasing the amount of rice and decreasing the amount of split peas and lentils will give you a nice rice blend.

Vegan Tacos-

(Altered from “taco style lentils and rice”)

I found this recipe on hillbillyhousewife.com and my family really likes it.  If you are looking for a meatless taco filling, I recommend this.  I tweaked the recipe slightly according to what I had on hand and this is what I came up with:

¾ cup dry lentils

¾ cup brown rice

4 cups water or vegetable broth (can use beef or chicken broth for an un-vegan version)

2 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

Rinse lentils and add remaining ingredients to a microwaveable rice cooker. Cook on steam cook for 45 min.  Let stand 5-10 min before opening.  Use as a taco filling in corn or flower tortillas along with your favorite toppings. 

This recipe makes a lot of filling, but you can freeze your unused portion.  This recipe also works well as part of the filling to rice and bean enchiladas.  Feel free to alter this recipe even further by replacing a portion of the rice with millet or quinoa.

Creating Your Own Whole Grain Blends

Soup blends, rice blends, bean blends, and multi-grain blends are sold everywhere.  Sometimes they are at a reasonable price, but most often they are more expensive than buying the items individually and mixing them yourself.  Blending them yourself is quite simple.  

A few years ago I was at my local health food store and was looking at the items that were available in their bulk section. I really wanted to try their wild rice blend, but the price was way more than I was able to spend. I looked at the ingredients listed on the bulk dispenser and noticed that there weren't any herbs or spices in the blend; just rice.  I knew I could easily make my own and for a much more reasonable price, so I did. I don't remember how much I ended up saving per pound, but I know the savings was substantial.

Making Your Own Blend Isn't Rocket Science-

Blending your own rice is quite simple, so if you are new to making your own blends, rice is a good starting point.

Typically, wild rice blends don't have very much wild rice in them. If you look at the ingredients, wild rice is one of the last ingredients you will find which is also the most expensive.

Keep in mind that when you make your blend, you do not need to be exact with the ingredients, nor do you have to have the exact proportions. If there is a grain you cannot find or is too expensive, either substitute it or leave it out.  Lundberg Farms has a specialty grain called Wehani, so finding it could be difficult. 

Rice Blends:
3-5 different types of rice are generally used in a blend.  A general rule of thumb is the cheapest grain makes up the largest percentage of the blend and the specialty grains make up the smaller percentage.

Using the ingredients as a guide will help start you off, but once you get the hang of it, be creative.  There are so many different varieties of rice, lentils, beans, and other whole grains out there. WinCo has just increased their selection of rice by adding forbidden rice, jade pearl rice, and Madagascar pink rice.  As long as you understand that cooking times vary from brown rice, lentils, and beans, the possibility of combinations are endless.


The Savings-

If you take the Lundberg Wild Rice Blend  for example, the package contains: Long Grain Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Wild Rice Bits, Wehani, and Black Japonica.

I have a local health food store that sells all of these varieties of rice.  They sell long grain brown rice and  sweet brown rice for under $1.00/lb, Wehani for under $3.00/lb, and Black Japonica for around $3.00/lb.  The wild rice is a little sneaky. If you notice, they label it as wild rice bits. If purchasing the whole, unbroken wild rice, you can expect to pay anywhere from $7-10/lb.  Broken wild rice however, can be purchased for around $4.00-5.00/lb. I have found a website that sells it for $3.65/lb (including shipping) if you buy it in bulk.

A simple blend of:
1 lb - long grain brown rice - ($1/lb)
1 lb - sweet brown rice - ($1/lb)
1/4 lb - wild rice bits ($5-7/lb)
1/4 lb  - wehani ($3/lb)
1/4 lb - black japonica ($3-5/lb)

These numbers are rough estimates of course, but if I were to purchase wild rice and black japonica at the low end, one pound of my wild rice blend would come out to $1.73/lb and  $2.09/lb at the high end. Buying wild rice at an even better price will only increase your savings.  My local health food store sells a similar blend for over $5.00/lb. The cheapest I could find this exact Lundberg Wild Rice Blend for is $2.87/lb, but only if purchased in 6 pound increments.

Blends to Try-

The types of rice and the amounts are only suggestions. Feel free to adjust accordingly. Store rice blend in an airtight container.

Cooking Instructions-
Add 1 part rice blend to 2 parts water/broth and any seasonings you prefer. Cook in a rice cooker for 40-45 min.  If cooking on the stove-top, bring the water/broth and the rice to a boil, cover and simmer for 40-45 min. Turn off the fire and let stand 10 minutes before removing lid.

4 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Wehani
1 part Black Japonica

Whole Grain Rice Blend

3 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
3 parts Short Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Forbidden Rice

2 parts Long Grain Brown Rice
2 parts Brown Basmati Rice
1-2 parts Red Rice
1 part Japonica Rice

Sweet Brown Rice
Short Grain Brown Rice
Long Grain Brown Rice
Wehani
Black Japonica, Forbidden, or Wild Rice

Carrots

The Color of Orange:

Aside from carrots being an excellent food choice, carrots are beautiful. In the United Sates, carrots are usually seen as a deep orange root with a fern-like top, but the variation of color doesn’t stop with orange. Carrots can also be found in yellow, white, purple, red, and every shade in between.

Eat Raw:

Carrots are very versatile and the dishes that you can add carrots to are virtually limitless. Eating carrots raw will give you the optimal amount of nutrients that they provide.

Carrots are extremely high in beta carotene, Vitamin A (converted from beta carotene), and are also an excellent source of Vitamin K and fiber. Carrots also contain Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, as well as many other vitamins and minerals.  Carrots are also known for being rich in antioxidants.

Health Benefits:

There are many health benefits that come with eating carrots-

           

            Cancer Preventative:

Studies have show that eating carrots regularly help prevent colon cancer  and breast cancer.   According to the National Cancer Institute, it has been estimated that “230,480 women will be diagnosed with and 39,520 women will die of cancer of the breast in 2011.” Their estimate for colon cancer was over 141,000 people being diagnosed, and over 49,000 will die of colon or rectal cancer in 2011. (Click here for more information)

If keeping a stock of carrots in my refrigerator reduces my risk of getting breast or colon cancer, I'll do it.  This does not guarantee that I will never get cancer. With cancer running on both sides of my family, my chances of getting it are greater. I want to reduce as much of that possibility as I can.

           

            Vision:

From everything I’ve read, carrots don’t necessarily improve your vision,  but the Vitamin A will maintain your eyesight.   Likewise, Vitamin A deficiency will result in poor eyesight.  Carrots also help with reducing the risk of cataracts and glaucoma. 

           

            Skin:

Carrots (juice, seed, oil) help with moisturizing and nourishing the skin, and fighting acne.

           

Kids and Carrots:

Most kids enjoy eating carrots. They are a clean and easy snack with a sweet taste and a nice crunch.  My kids will eat carrots plain, but they also enjoy jazzing them up a bit. They like to dip carrots in dressings and peanut butter. They have also been known to eat them as ants on a long, with raisins imbedded on the peanut butter spread carrots. Yes I know this is supposed to be with celery, but if you cut a carrot just once length wise, then cut to desired lengths, they work just as well for holding your peanut butter and raisins.  You don’t even need to stop there. You can mix it up a bit by trying different butters (peanut, almond, cashew), and using different kinds of dried fruit (blueberries, currants, cranberries, strawberries, etc).

If you are one of the unlucky parents whose child does not like to eat carrots, explore a few options.  Growing up, my mom almost always put the traditional carrot sticks in my sack lunch. They weren’t terribly exciting, but I enjoyed them. Baby carrots are sometimes just enough of a change that suddenly carrots become exciting. If the baby carrots or carrot sticks tend to dry out before the kids can eat them, add a tiny bit of water in the Ziploc baggie and give it a few shakes. Water will help the carrots from drying out.

Try different kinds of dips. The traditional ranch dressing seems to be an all-time favorite dressing/dip, but it is loaded with fat.  Healthier dips/hummus can be purchased at the store, or you can just make one yourself.  Homemade dips are almost always the healthier and most affordable choice.  Healthifying a recipe is fairly easy as well.  Replacing half the amount of sour cream with plain Greek yogurt will reduce the calories, but will maintain the thick consistency of the dip.  I have seen a low-fat mayonnaise recipe, and a vegan mayo recipe to help reduce the fat in the ranch dressing / dip, but I have not tried them.  The sky’s the limit with options to try. Just be creative.

Organic Sweet Carrots:

I love munching on carrots that have sweetness to them. Costco sells organic baby carrots for .99/lb, but with baby carrots (at any store) it is hit and miss with the taste.  Most of the time Costco will also have the regular full-sized carrots (my friend calls them horse carrots because they are so big) for .50/lb - .59/lb. These carrots look a little intimidating, but they have cut the sizing into two smaller bags within the larger bag.  These carrots always stay fresh longer than from other stores.  Not only are these carrots organic, but they are sweet. I have almost never come across a batch that wasn’t sweet.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast. It is mustard-yellow in appearance and has a dry, powdery texture. It is usually found in flake form, but can also be found in powder form. Nutritional yeast can be found in many health food stores and is generally located in the bulk section of the store.  Brewer’s yeast is generally found next to the nutritional yeast and is completely different, so make sure you are buying the right one.

Nutritional yeast may be Vitamin B12 fortified, making it very common in vegetarian and vegan diets. High levels of Vitamin B12 can be found in beef, lamb, liver, cheese, eggs, shellfish, and other sea animals including some fish, so for those who do not consume animal products,  nutritional yeast that is fortified with Vitamin B12 is very important.

Nutritional yeast has a robust flavor similar to that of cheese, and is used as a cheese substitute in many vegan and vegetarian dishes. Nutritional yeast also is commonly the main ingredient in cheese alternative recipes. It can be sprinkled over food by itself or it can be an added ingredient in many sauces and recipes.

There is so much important information available for those who are using nutritional yeast about getting your daily intake of Vitamin B12. The best resource that I can guide you to is Sassy from VeganCoach.com. She has explained everything you need to know and understand about nutritional yeast in a section on her website.  It is lengthy, but well worth the time to check out. She also has great advice and ideas about eating vegan. I’ve referred to her website for ideas many times over the years.

Transitioning to Whole Wheat

100%  whole wheat is packed with fabulous nutrients, and freshly ground whole wheat ensures those nutrients.  If you are trying to eat healthier and want to incorporate whole wheat into your diet, there are a few things you should know.

Start with Hard White Wheat:
I recommend starting with hard white wheat due to its mild flavor.  Hard red wheat's flavor is robust and may be unpleasing if you are used to traditional white bread.

 Switch Over Slowly:
If you are used to white all-purpose flour, drastically switching to 100% whole wheat may not be the best choice for your body.  It's not a race to prove to people that you have converted over from processed foods to unrefined, whole grains. Take it slowly and in the end, your body will thank you.

Drastically switching to whole wheat may result in symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Upset Stomach
• Bloating
• Excessive Gas

It takes some time for your body to adjust to the whole grains and unprocessed foods you are putting into it. Just as it is important to take gradual steps when introducing a baby to food, so should you take gradual steps when introducing your body to less refined, healthier options.

When using recipes that call for flour, I would recommend starting off with 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 unbleached all purpose flour.  When you feel that your body is handling it well, increase the amount of whole wheat to 2/3 and decrease the unbleached flour to 1/3.  Eventually you will be able to use 100% whole wheat.  If you can't seem to adjust to 100% whole wheat because of the flavor difference, then find a ratio of whole wheat and unbleached flour that you can handle.  In the end, it is still a healthier option from the typical bleached all-purpose flour.

A Wheat Grinder Isn't Necessary:
The typical person doesn't necessarily have a wheat grinder in their pantry, especially if you are new to using whole grains or whole wheat.  Many stores sell 100% whole wheat flour. Typically whole wheat comes in 5 lb bag.  Just read the bag thoroughly to know whether you are buying red wheat or white wheat. 

Cook the wheat berries / kernels whole. There are many recipes out there that incorporate whole wheat berries or cracked wheat. If you are in the adjusting period and come across a savory recipe that calls for wheat berries, you can replace a portion of the wheat berries with brown rice.

Whole Wheat Berries

Wheat is packed with nutrients.  Among the list of nutrients, wheat contains high levels of  fiber, magnesium,  phosphorus, potassium, folate, and calcium. Wheat also stores very well and has an incredibly long "shelf life".  If stored properly, wheat can last 25+ years.

There are many types of wheat, but among them the most common are:

• Hard Red
• Hard White
• Soft Red 
• Soft White
• Durum 

Hard Wheat:

Hard wheat kernels/berries are smaller in comparison to the soft wheat kernels.  They are high in protein and gluten, making them good candidates for bread making.  Generally, hard wheat contains 15-16% protein.

Red Wheat

When baking your own bread, hard white wheat is most commonly used.  Hard white wheat is lighter in color and has a milder taste than hard red wheat.  Hard white wheat will give you a lighter, fluffier bread loaf.  Hard red wheat on the other hand, will produce a more dense loaf with a stronger, more robust taste.

Hard wheat can also be cooked in its whole kernel/berry form and can be used in chili, soups, casseroles, hot cereal, and just about any way imaginable. It has a nutty, chewy texture, similar to that of brown rice.

Soft Wheat:

White Wheat

Soft wheat is not nearly as hard and is a good wheat to use if wanting to roll/flake the wheat.  Soft wheat does not contain as much protein and gluten as its hard counterpart. Soft wheat contains about 9-11% protein. It is commonly ground to use as pastry and cake flour for making cookies, quick breads, cakes and other things not requiring a larger percentage of gluten.

Durum Wheat:

Durum Wheat

Durum is the hardest among all the wheat varieties. It also has the highest amount of protein, but it won't develop enough elastic gluten for baking. Durum is used to make pasta of all varieties.

Semolina is used to make pasta as well.  To help with the confusion, semolina is the endosperm (heart) of the durum wheat kernel. It is more nutritious to use the whole kernel versus the center of it. 

 Cost:
  
For some people, the expense of purchasing a grain mill to grind various grains at home is unrealistic. There are so many types of grain mills to choose from and they can be quite expensive. I fell into this category. We just couldn't afford to buy a grain mill with the hope that I would use it enough to get my money's worth out of it. I have never spent that much money on a small appliance before. The key here is to do the research, save your money, and use a different method in the meantime. From my research, I  narrowed my choice of grain mills down to three:

• Nutrimill
• Wondermill
• Country Living Grain Mill (hand grind with the option of adding a motor and by far the most expensive)

It took me a little over a year of saving, but I finally ended up purchasing the Nutrimill. At the time, the Nutrimill was priced at $239.00. I had a specific envelope label "grain mill" and would put $20-$30 in it every  feasible month. Meanwhile, I continued watching certain websites, and one day a private seller on Amazon listed the Nutrimill. It was brand-new, undamaged, in the original packaging for $180 (including shipping). Apparently she had several because even after mine had arrived, the listing was still up for another week or so.

My suggestion is this - don't settle for something else unless it is incredibly cheap.  In the long run you'll just be disappointed. I finagled with the idea of buying a $150 grain mill, but I'm glad I didn't. Unless the mill is super cheap, just save and wait.

Before I really started making food from scratch, I longed for the day that we could buy a Bosch or a Kitchen-Aid mixer (much cheaper than a Bosch). One summer I came across a yard sale that was selling an old (and I mean old) stand alone Kenmore mixer.  The price was only $4 so to take it home an find out it didn't work was no loss. I figured I could use it until it died. This would be a test to see how much I really would use such an appliance, and would justify the expense of a new one. Well I took it home and to my surprise, it worked. It has now been five years, and crazy enough it still works. I still would like to purchase a Bosch someday, but for right now I'm just fine.

Bulk Foods Misconception

There is sometimes a bulk food misconception that I want to address. You do not have to purchase in bulk quantities in order to shop in the bulk section. I think the word bulk can be misleading. Sometimes people think of bulk as shopping at Costco or Sam's Club, loading your cart up with huge quantities that you are not going to know what to do with when you get home. Stores that have a bulk section, purchase items in large quantities, but don't require that you do the same. This allows us to purchase an item at a reduced price. This saves the supplier money, time, and hassle by not having to package items in smaller quantities. Sometimes the packaging can cost as much as the actual contents.

Having the freedom to purchase an item in a desired quantity gives us the opportunity to try new things. I have walked out of Good Earth and WinCo many times with bulk food that I had never tried before in small amounts, so I could take it home, figure out how to use it, and see if I like it. Sometimes stores will offer a further price reduction on items if purchased in the large bulk bag. I believe WinCo takes 10% off an item if purchased in the 25-lb or 50-lb bag.  Also, every few months Good Earth will have a stack of 50-lb bags, generally of 6-grain or 9-grain "cereal" for roughly $25. That's only .50/lb compared to at least $1.00/lb price that is sold in the bulk containers. If you know how to use it and can store a large quantity, go for it. Before buying the 25 lb bag,  it is best to know what you are taking home.   I've seen Good Earth sell their multigrain "cereal" in the steel cut form as well as the rolls oats form. It would be disappointing to take home multi-grain cereal, assuming it was breakfast cereal where you just add milk.

On the other hand, you can purchase food in bulk quantities that are not in the bulk food section.  If something is on sale and the price is not a typical sale price, I do buy large quantities of it. Generally during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, black olives go on sale. Sale prices on black olives are frequent throughout the year, but during the holiday season, the price seems to be less. Last year I was able to pick up several cans of Black Pearls brand for .49 each. This year, the best price I've seen so far was generic for .59 each. 

Last year, Sunflower Farmer's Market had a fantastic price on asparagus.  Asparagus is loaded with nutrients and my family loves it, so I like to buy it when I can, but the price can put a cramp in the budget if I'm not careful.  Sunflower Market happened to have it on sale for .69/lb.  In my area, this price is insane. When I went to the store, I noticed the stocker was filling the display with asparagus and had several cases on his cart.  I asked if I could buy a whole case and without hesitation, he put one in my cart.  The asparagus was in perfect condition.  It was young and tender, with not many woody stalks at all.  I brought the case home, washed, cut and bagged the asparagus into gallon size freezer bags to store in my freezer and use throughout the year.

WinCo Bulk Price List

The WinCo price list is so lengthy that I gave it its own page. Feel free to click here or on the heading at the top of the page.

WinCo Foods has labeled themselves as the "supermarket low price leader".  In my opinion, certain departments carry great to reasonable prices, but you need to be aware of prices already.  Almost a year ago, I compiled two WinCo Price Lists from the bulk department; one being an all inclusive list and the other only being a condensed version. The condensed version just contained items that I was interested in purchasing.  I emailed the condensed price list to a friend so she could compare WinCo prices to other bulk suppliers.  A month or two later, I found the list popping up on different websites, not realizing it was so useful to so many people. WinCo does not spend the money to advertise, nor do they post current sales on their website.  Because of this, it's hard for people who are budget conscience to shop at WinCo blindly. People want to know if it is worth spending their gas and time at a store that may or may not have prices they are looking for.  It currently costs me $10 in gas round trip drive to my nearest WinCo. There are many stores that I can choose from that are within reasonable distance from my home, so if I want to buy something at WinCo, I want to be sure of the price.

One year ago I was an advocate of WinCo Foods to my friends and neighbors. Their bulk foods department had unbeatable prices, with a decent percentage of their food being organic.  Now a year later, the economy has changed, and so have the food prices. Their bulk prices are completely different.  Most of the nuts and seeds have had $4-$5/lb increase, certain dried fruit has had $2-$3 increase, and crazy enough, some of the items in the herbs/spices section have had a $10-$15/lb increase. Just so you don't misunderstand - it's not just WinCo's prices that soared, it was nationwide at every food store.

With that said, WinCo still has competitive prices, but I have found a handful of items at Costco that are a better price. Here are just a couple of items that carry a better price at Costco as well as a better quality:

 Item:                Winco:                       Costco:
Pistachios          $6.46/lb                    $4.99/lb
Cashews            $7.44/lb                    $6.49/lb (and dropping)
   (Whole)
Dried Apricots    $4.39/lb                     $3.15/lb
Dried Blueberries $10.73/lb                $7.98/lb (I've only seen bad reviews on Costco's blueberries, so I've never tried them. I only buy the frozen blueberries)
Craisins              $3.67/lb                   $2.16/lb
Pinenuts             $15.32/lb                  $12.67/lb
Almonds (raw)    $4.18/lb                    $3.32/lb


Of course this is not an all inclusive list, but hopefully you can get the idea. For me, it's important to familiarize myself with prices, so I can determine what is a good price and what is not. The prices used to be in my head, but when there was foretelling of significant price increase, I stocked up and built up my food storage to prepare for what was possibly to come. I purchased nuts and seeds in bulk and stored them in my freezer. Now that my supply is diminishing, I am becoming more aware of the current prices and need to re-familiarize myself with a handful of products and their current price/lb. Prices are constantly changing, so I am wondering if the drop in price with the Costco pistachios and cashews are foretelling of possible price decreases at other stores as well.

Costco

Costco has been slowly replacing products with healthier choices. At my local Costco, I have found some great buys. They carry a variety of great tasting, fresh, organic produce. The produce I buy at Costco stays fresher than any other store I generally purchase from.

Here is a condensed list of quality and affordable products that Costco carries:
Organic Carrots - $0.50 lb / 5 lb bag
Organic Baby Carrots -  $0.99 lb / 5 lb bag
Spinach - 2.5 lb bag about 3.99 / bag
Organic, Whole Wheat Spaghetti - $0.98 / lb  (8 pack)
100% Pure (Grade A) Maple Syrup 32 oz $12.78-$13.20 (price fluctuates every so often)
Almonds 3 lbs $3.23 lb
Organic Blue Agave 2-23.5 oz bottles $7.49

When their coupons come out, I've also been able to get organic canned diced tomatoes for $0.50 can. They have a decent amount of good buys, but they do have a lot of pricey items as well.

My Story

There are different ways of saving money on groceries. I have used coupons and still do occasionally, but with change in how my family eats, I have found that buying food in bulk or buying food in the bulk sections of my local grocery stores have brought us the best savings.

Being a stay at home mom & wife of a teacher has given me the opportunity to look outside the box. I wanted a healthier lifestyle for my family, but I didn’t want to break the budget doing it. I wanted to incorporate more whole grains and less meat along with healthier options for my children without the additives.  Initially, the terms organic and unrefined meant expensive.  I didn’t know how I would be able to manage a frugal budget with the prices I saw at the store, but with research and patience, I am succeeding.

For us, the key to a frugal, but healthy lifestyle is creating food from scratch. I buy my produce, grains, beans, and herbs at the best price I can find, so I can still buy the specialty items we use, which  are never on sale, and generally carry a higher price tag.  Winco and Costco are among my top local stores for bulk purchases, with Mountain Rose Herbs being one of my top choices for online purchases.