One of the most frequently cited reasons for not eating healthier is “I can’t afford it.” That ranks right up there with not having the time or the know-how. I understand all of those. There is no magic formula to address them either. They can be overcome with a little effort and dedication if you are willing.
But today, once again, I’m talking about affordability. Affordability doesn’t always line-up with ease. For one thing, the USDA recognizes that “produce prices tend to be more volatile” than prices for staple foods. I think this statement can extend beyond produce to any fresh food. Prices for food free of stabilizers, preservatives and other chemicals has a reduced shelf life and is effected more by seasonality. This reduced shelf life translates into lost profit for retailers if the product isn’t sold and with a little effort, you can turn this to your advantage. For instance…
This package containing two tuna steaks was in the local markets sale area. If your on a tight budget, the slightly more than 40% reduction in price can move fresh tuna steaks from the realm of a special evening meal that needs planning to, “Hey, how about this for dinner?”
The steaks in this particular package found their way into a grill-pan. Prior to that, they were briefly soaked in a whisked together mix of:
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Red wine
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper
I spooned it over them while they were cooking in the pan.
Cooked for a little less than a minute on each side they were then put on a plate to rest.
I followed up with a little of the oil mixture above that had been set aside and a tiny bit of wasabi paste.
End result, a delicious, affordable tuna steak for about half of what you would expect it to cost.
When relying on cost-savers to eat healthy, you do have to put forth a little more effort to ensure you are still getting a quality product. I would recommend that you shy away from reduced-price meat that has been highly seasoned if you can avoid it. Firstly, there have been cases where grocers were accused of using lots of seasoning to hide meats that were about to go bad. Second, you can’t be sure what that seasoning contains and one goal of healthy eating is to get more control over what goes into your body. If you shop at a reputable grocer you should have no issues.
Concerned over cost saver meats/poultry/seafood? Read more:
This article was first published on October 19, 2014 and was recovered using AI and web.archive.org.