Affordable Groceries: Where to find them.

SAVE MONEY BY EATING SEASONAL FOODS!

Finding affordable high quality groceries is not such a big challenge. With some regular reading you will be able to establish a trend and become a smart shopper to stretch your dollar and extract the maximum nutritional value from the food you purchase. 

For those of you who don't eat vegetables, you start exploring ways to incorporate these into your diet (this is key to long life while reducing your chances of developing chronic diseases). 

For starters, get an idea of what foods mature during what season (they are at their cheapest at these times).  Attached to the list below are hyperlinks that will give you recipes and general descriptions about the produce. 

I mentioned on my first blog regarding shopping for your groceries based on the store's weekly ads will make it easy, since most on sale items will be seasonal.  Right now is the perfect time to buy strawberries, they are in season and the folks in California and shipping them around the country at lower costs due to abundance.  Strawberries taste their best at this time of the year. 

Another location to check out is your local farmer's market, just google "Farmers Market in ____(fill in with your zip code)". Sometimes you will find good deals here (not always).

Finally, if the two options above aren't conducive to your life style, frozen is the best way to go before canned (has extra salt and most have preservatives).  Frozen vegetables are picked during the peak season where the nutrition of the produce is high and flash frozen.  The added benefit is some of them are already cut, peeled, chopped, and washed.  My suggestion is get the off-brand-generic ones.  One of my favorite brands is WESTPAC, any between $1.00-$2.00; and it keeps in the freezer.  Below is my favorite item to buy that I transfer into a freezer bag and re-use a little at a time.

The WESTPAC seasoning blend has chopped onions, bell peppers, celery and parsley. I've attacked the website for recipes and nutritional information.  http://www.norpac.com/consumer/products/vegetable-blends/westpac/seasoning-blend.

Winter:
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Leeks
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radishes
Greens (Spinach, Arugula, Lettuce, Kale, Swiss Chard, Collards) Turnips
Winter Squash
Apples (early winter)


Spring: Asparagus
Beets
Celery Spring Onions
Greens (Arugula, Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard)
PeasPeppers
TurnipsRhubarb
Strawberries

Summer: Artichokes (limited availability)
Greens (Arugula, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss Chard)
BeetsBroccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
CeleryCucumber
Eggplant Garlic
Beans
Onions
Peppers
OkraPeas
Potatoes
Radishes
Summer SquashSweet Corn
Tomatoes
TurnipsZucchini
Apples
Apricots
Blackberries
Blueberries
BoysenberriesCherries
Currants
FigsMelons
Peaches
RaspberriesStrawberries
Watermelon


Fall: Beets
BroccoliCabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Greens (Arugula, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss Chard)
CucumberEggplant
Garlic
Gourds
BeansOnions
Peppers
Leeks
PeasPotatoes
Pumpkins
Summer SquashSweet Corn
Tomatoes
Turnips
Winter SquashZucchini
Apples
Pears
Plums
Melons