Healthy eating, in the city

[MsPony]

I am unsure how to title this, however in my other thread it was brought up that we need to start a thread for BB, who has suddenly found his country-cookin' self in the city. Someone who had access to everything, but now is unsure of where to go (I presume, I know he is still finding his bearings.)

However, this can be for anyone and everyone. I can not have goats/cows/sheep/pigs, gardens, etc. Well I can have a garden, I just have a horribly brown thumb. Im green-challenged.

When I was his age I moved to a town when I had never cooked or boughten my own food, my culinary expertise was cooking pasta w/ grated parmesan. Hunts tomato sauce was getting fancy. I quickly found a New Frontiers (think Lassens meets Whole Foods) and a Trader Joes. My diet consisted of this:

-Wake up breakfast was chocolate soymilk w/ soy protein. It is actually DELICIOUS and if I was still ignorant, I would still drink it.
-I would have first class of the day, the back to NF for a bagel and coffee.
-Back to school, in between classes it would be an apple and Joe-O's
-Dinner would be TJs mac & Cheese or their pizza bagel bite version.
-Dessert was Truffle Chocolate.

The first thing is try to find a Whole Foods, Trader Joes or Lassens!! Or local version of health food store (IE Portland area has New Seasons, SB & SLO county has New Frontiers.) In doing that, your life will be so much better for city cooking. I have found both Ghee and Duck Fat at WF, Lassens carries raw milk. If you can not find a good store or co-op, no fear, regular grocery stores are not pure evil.

I went tonight to my local Vons (safeway elsewhere) and compiled a list for those city/area-challenged. I ENCOURAGE everyone to add their own and all their tips/etc., I myself would love it I know

My biggest tip; find out where you can start, and where you can work up to. I have been in all areas, from wasting $100/week on groceries, to this month its soup & salad for dinner. I WANT to work up to making more dishes & preserving them to eat later, but money is a bit tight atm so its a little hard. But when I DO have money, coconut butter and duck fat are the first two things I am buying.

Also, wheres your lee way? Are you going to be ridgid about it? Can you be lieniant at all? I am eating canned soup, but I found the lesser of the evils and am happy with that.

(List will be organized in next post, between making my dinner and swooning over Anthony Bourdain.)

 

[Wifezilla]

Farmer's Markets. Search here for your area...
http://www.localharvest.org/

Also check out ethnic grocery stores if you have them. The veggie selection at our local Mexican Market is killer!

 

[FarmerDenise]

You have a good point. There are ways to manage while living in a city. Money is the big bug-a-boo for many of us.

I have found co-ops, and organic groceries and teeny plots of land or sunny patios. sometimes I would convince a neighbor of one type or another to let me grow stuff in their yard. There might even be farmers' markets. Ours is way overpriced in my opinion.

It is all a learning experience. I am still learning and so is my community. Therefore there are new opportunities popping up all the time. It is just a matter of how much energy/time I am willing/able to put into it.
I am lucky at the moment to be living, where I can grow as much food as I do. this has not always been the case and I don't know how long this will last. So I always try to be prepared for a different scenario. At least mentally.

 

[freemotion]

I've been to three different Price Rite's in my area and two are fantastic and one is scary (bad neighborhood, and MUCH lower quality food, too). We do a lot of our basic not-fantastic shopping at this store. The produce is rarely local or organic, but it is CHEAP and if you go on the right day, in great condition. They have loose veggies in bins that are.....gasp!....not all exactly the same size! Imagine that, veggies come in different sizes!!!

They also have basic dairy items (butter!) and GRASS FED BEEF for a mere pittance! Good cuts sometimes, too, often called unusual terms like...um....was it "beef flap" instead of sirloin tips. Something like that. About $3 per pound for a 6-7 pound piece, which I cut up for stir fry, soups, stews, etc. and froze in portions.

I've found unusual things like pork neck bones and calves' feet. All the ethnic veggies like plantains, yucca, aloe, prickley pear, etc. Love that store. A box of generic tea bags for $1.19/100...gallon of white vinegar for $2....romano cheese for $4/lb, etc.

There is likely something like this around.

Also, we get other meats (not much selection at Price Rite) at butcher shops. If you go in when they are not too busy, you can ask....and get! We now get our chicken backs for the dogs for $0.49, and use them for broth, too.

Of course, all summer and fall it is farm stands for what we can't grow here.

Maybe we should do a few recipes?

 

[freemotion]

Do the youngsters know to look at the price per pound, always posted on the shelf (at least around here it is) rather than the price on the item? Often sale items are not cheaper than larger sizes, and sometimes larger sizes are not a bargain. Know your prices.

 

[Farmfresh]

Buy QUALITY. Even on a tight budget. There is no since wasting your precious money on foods that will give you no real nutrition.

Next S-T-R-E-T-C-H it out and use it all. I regularly make at least 5 meals for 3 to 4 adults with 2 chickens. 2 Legs, 2 Thighs, 2 wings and one half breast make up a generous main course chicken meal (like fried chicken or chicken cacciatore) from each chicken. (that is two meals) The other two half breasts are usually diced up into something like chicken fried rice or a casserole. (meals three and possibly four) The backs and necks are oven roasted then stewed with a little onion, celery and carrot till they get really soft. The meat is then stripped from the bones and makes a meal like chicken and rice or a pot pie. (meal five) Finally the rich broth becomes a nice soup or base for some other dish. (meal six).

Add veggies to stretch the expensive ingredients. I add sauteed zucchini to my scrambled eggs and spaghetti sauce. Black beans to casseroles. Potatoes are a great filler as well and pretty good source of nutrition for a little money. All of those beans and other legumes are a great cheap source of protein. I always save even more money by buying them dry and cooking up a BIG pot of beans (or other legume) on a stay at home day. Then I package them up and freeze in 2 cup portions. LOTS cheaper and just as convenient as buying beans in a can.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a girlfriend who just doesn't get calculating unit cost. I tried explaining it and it doesn't click with her. This is a girl that is the best speller I ever met, but simple math just gives her a headache.

 

[Blackbird]

Thanks MsP!

I've looked into the Farmer's Markets here. There is one on Saturdays that is just over six miles away, and the one on Wednesdays is just over four miles.
I located an awesome health food store here called Good Earth (http://www.goodearthcoop.com/) but it is over three miles away.

I do not have a vehicle, nor do I even know how to drive. I have a bike but as some of you know I just learned how to ride it and I don't feel fully comfortable and in control of it yet, it also needs some form of license.

There is a public transit bus, but so far I don't know what it's schedule is or if it goes into St.Cloud (technically I live in a suburb of that city).

So until then, my only form of transportation is walking. I've taken the advice of a few people and have stopped jay-walking (jay-running, really) across the big four lane highway, but I'm still getting a feel for the lights and how it all works. Honestly, I've only crossed busy streets a minimal amount of times in my life. I still cross the smaller streets at the wrong areas but only when there is no traffic. I can't be bothered to walk all the way around to a walking area and back.

So far I've found two grocery stores, Aldi's, and Cash Wise. Cash Wise has a nice natural foods section so I've been there a couple times, and Aldi's is pretty nice as well with some lower costs, but lower quality food. I guess it's more of a culture shock being in the city. I know some of you city people that are adapting to country life know what I mean.

In regards to your last post Free, yes, I am good at that part!

 

[Wildsky]

I'm a bit of a lazy cook, I like to cook extra and freeze for a lazy day. Its harder for more people, but super easy for a single or couple - then you just cook for 4 and save the leftovers in portions in the freezer.
These days, with more people to feed, I prepare more of one item or so only - or cook during the day a HUGE pot of rice or something like that.
If I was single/alone, I'd cook once a week for sure.

When we were in the city it was easier to find a store like Trader Joe's and things like that, but harder to find a farmers market. Even though we had a small yard, gardening was out of the question - we just worked too many hours to have anything left for fun stuff. (thats why we don't live in the city anymore)

 

[Farmfresh]

Blackbird I have lived in the big city my whole life and I STILL am suffering from culture shock.

Some of us just never will fit in. At least we can get you where you can get about comfortably and safely and be able to watch the strange goings on around you. City people are unusual and can be quiet entertaining.