Myth: I don’t waste food.

Answer: BUSTED… maybe!

Food waste costs the average family of four about $600 a year, and we may be wasting more food than we realize. To know for sure, track your habits by keeping a food waste diary. The food waste diary, an idea from Great Britain, is a daily way to track what food you don’t use or throw out and perhaps, most importantly, why the food was wasted.

To keep a food waste diary, take a piece of paper. Divide it into three columns and head each column as follows: meal or snack, food, and why the food wasn’t used. Every time you eat something throughout the day, enter the meal or snack, the food that wasn’t used and why it was thrown out or wasted. If you have children at home, get them to help you keep this food waste diary. Be sure to list spoiled food in your refrigerator (or cupboard) that you saved to use later but never did.

Are you using leftovers or throwing them out?

At the end of the week, review the diary. Are the same foods listed more than once? Maybe your family doesn’t like them or you are buying too much of that food. Do leftovers from the same meals get trashed? You may be preparing too much food at these meals. Do you throw out leftover food in containers too often? Maybe containers need to be clearly marked, dated or kept to the front of the refrigerator to remind family members that the food needs to be used. Or maybe you need to have a plan for how you will use – or freeze – leftovers. Save money from going down the drain – track your family’s food waste and change your habits accordingly!

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find additional information on saving money at the grocery store. And get familiar with proper food storage in the refrigerator, cupboard and freezer.

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

Myth: Using coupons is the only way to save money on food.

Answer: BUSTED!

The average household throws out 470 pounds of food every year. According to a recent survey, 39% of Americans feel guilty about wasting food (read more at http://supermarketnews.com/consumer-trends/americans-guilty-about-food-waste-survey). This food waste costs a family of four about $600 each year. Think you and your family can use $600 this year? Here are some tips to help you cut down on your food waste:

1. Use as much of your vegetables as you can! Do you only put cauliflower florets in your stew or stir-fry? Stews or soups don’t rely on the perfect appearance of your ingredients so try to use as much of the vegetable as you can. The liquid in stews and soups help to soften the tougher part of veggies.
2. Use leftovers! Do you have leftover veggies or chicken strips? They go great on salads. Have some leftover chickpeas from that recipe you prepared the other day? Add them to canned soup for some extra fiber. Get creative!
3. Get familiar with proper storage. Knowing where to store foods (refrigerator, cupboard or freezer) and how long they will keep will help you make the best use of the food you have on hand.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on conserving food & saving money.

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

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

Myth: It takes too much time (and gas) to go from store to store to find the best food buys.

Answer: YOU’RE RIGHT!

Many of us are changing how we shop for groceries and how we find bargains. Last year, Americans bought only 51% of groceries at traditional supermarkets, down from 66% just 11 years earlier, according to the Wall Street Journal. Big box stores like Target and Walmart (the nation's largest grocer) have become sources of groceries and fresh foods. Club stores like Sam's Club and Costco are also in the mix to find food bargains. Farmers markets are booming, too. How can we find the best bargains?

Consider using the Internet to find the lowest cost for the foods you need after you have planned your week’s menu of meals.

►Big box stores and club stores have online information that provide pricing and availability information. Search online to find food bargains.

►Try free mobile coupon apps and see which ones work best for you. Not all apps provide coupons for stores in your area. Use mobile coupon apps to find the best deal at the nearest store to save gas.

►Try free mobile apps that allow you to track your shopping, make shopping lists, etc.

►Try free mobile apps that are bar code scanners so that you can find local best buys. (some scanners come with the mobile apps described above).

Don't forget that there is a downside to hunting for coupons and bargains, which includes buying things that you don't really need or want just because they are on sale. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Avoid impulse buying. Not all coupons or sales are a plus if you wind up buying additional foods you don’t need.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find additional 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

Myth: Healthy food is too expensive, especially fruits and vegetables!

Answer: BUSTED!

Healthy food is not just the food in the specialty aisle. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend putting an emphasis on food choices that are nutrient dense and from the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products. Key nutrients, such as potassium, dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D are of public health concerns for adults and children. Reducing foods with excessive amounts of sodium, saturated fat, trans fatty acids, added sugars and refined grains is also recommended, as it may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. There are many things you can do to save money at the grocery store and eat healthy on a budget.

• The first step to saving is to plan ahead. Plan your meals for the week, check for what you already have on hand, and make a list for what you need.
• Stick to your grocery list. Try not to impulse buy – you will end up with things you don’t really want.
• Check local ads and look online for specials and sale prices. If you have freezer space, buy meat in larger family packs when they are on sale and separate into the servings you need for a meal.
• Stay away from convenience foods like frozen dinners and pre-cut fruits and vegetables. These will cost more than if you prepare them yourself.
• Always compare prices, even if you have coupons, paying close attention to the unit price. This tells you the cost per unit, such as ounces or pounds. Just because a sale price is lower does not mean it is the best value.
• Look for store brands. They are usually cheaper and have the same quality as name brands.
• When buying produce look for what is in season. It will not only be less expensive, but it will also taste better. Try canned or frozen produce when what you want is not in season.
• Only buy fresh produce in the amounts you can eat so you won’t end up throwing it away.

Eating healthy does not have to cost more. Start using some of these tips and track your spending. You may find that not only is it not more expensive, but that it actually can cost less.

For more information and tips, check out these sites and publications:

• ChooseMyPlate.gov
• Reduce your food budget (article on MissouriFamilies.org)
• Seasonal and Simple: A Guide for Enjoying Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (MU Extension publication)

Contributor: Denise Schmitz, M.A., R.D., Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schmitzda@missouri.edu, 816-482-5850

Myth: Food packages are shrinking and some of these foods cost more.

Answer: Confirmed

Call it what you want, downsized products abound! I first noticed it when my yogurt container went from 8 ounces (1 cup) to 6 ounces. Interestingly, the price of the yogurt didn’t decrease. This trend has been popularly reported in Time Magazine and Consumer Reports.

If you haven’t used unit price shelf labels at your grocery store, start using these labels. They help you compare the cost per unit (ounce, pound) to get the best deal. Check out the article Squeezed by rising food prices? for other cost saving ideas. Do you have some downsized product stories to share?

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

MYTH - Thanksgiving dinner gets more expensive every year.

Answer: Busted.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has monitored the cost of Thanksgiving dinner for the past 23 years, and compared to 2008, this year the national average decreased $1.70 for a dinner feeding 10 people. In Missouri, the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 totaled $42.57, which comes out to $4.26 per person. Want to lower the cost even more? Take advantage of special offers and sales during the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Also, include more vegetables in your Turkey Day meal, as prices of all vegetables in this survey dropped in 2009. Saving money while eating more nutritiously! That’s something we can all be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

See Cost of Thanksgiving Meal Decreases in 2009 for more information.