Myth: Libraries are the only place to find low-cost recipes.

Answer: BUSTED!

Food prices have been creeping up and the current drought means that food prices will rise in coming months. If you have access to the web, you can start now to find good low-cost recipes at these sites.

Spend Smart Eat Smart at http://recipes.extension.iastate.edu/category/allrecipes/. Cost per serving is provided for most recipes. A Nutrition Facts label is displayed for these recipes and there is also a Spanish language version of recipes available. You can view comments left by others who’ve tried the recipes. This can also save you money so you don’t try a recipe that you or your family may not like.

Recipe Finder at http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/ can help you find low-cost recipes. You can search by ingredient or recipe name. There is also a Spanish language version available on the site. A per serving and per recipe cost are provided. Many recipes have ratings from 1 to 5. When you search for an ingredient or recipe name the results are listed in order – recipes rated as 5 first. Recipe comments for some entries can help you pick a recipe that you and your family will enjoy. A Nutrition Facts label is displayed for recipes so you can see information such as calories per serving, sodium content and other nutrition information.

Visit the MissouriFamilies website to find information on saving money at the grocery store.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933