Smart tips

How much do you spend on food now?

Before deciding your food budget, find out how much your family spends on food now. For one week:

• Have everyone in the family save receipts for all their food purchases. Include food from grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, school or work cafeterias, vending machines, restaurants, coffee shops, the movies and anywhere else you buy food.
• Have everyone write their names on their receipts and put them in one place at the end of each day. If a receipt was lost or not provided, make a note of the purchase and how much it costs.

At the end of the week, sort receipts and notes into two piles. In one pile put receipts and notes for food you bought to prepare at home. In the other pile put receipts and notes for food you purchased at restaurants, the movies and so on.

Now add up the costs. Print a copy of the spending worksheet to help with your tally (pdf).

How much did your family spend on food to prepare at home? How much was spent on food away from home?

Do you see any places where you could easily cut back on food costs?

You might be surprised by how much you spend on small things, like coffee on the way to work or a mid-morning snack. To calculate the yearly cost of your food-buying habits, multiply how often per week you buy something by how much it costs each time and then multiply by 52 weeks.

Suppose you buy coffee 5 days per week, and it costs you $3 per day:

• 5 days per week x $3 per day x 52 weeks per year = $780 per year.

Yearly cost of some buying habits

If you did all of these, it would cost $8,528 per year.

What do you suppose is your family’s yearly total?

• Print a copy of the buying habits worksheet (pdf) to figure the yearly costs of some of your own buying habits.

What could you do with money saved by eating meals and snacks from home? For example, your family might decide to:

• Eat breakfast before leaving home or pack a breakfast to go.
• Buy a thermos to carry coffee or other beverages.
• Pack lunches.
• Eat out less often.

Use the food cost calculator to estimate how much it should cost to feed your family using the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Low-cost Food Plan. 

Compare what you are spending on food with the food calculator estimate. If you are spending less or about the same, you are doing a good job with your food money. Make sure you are making healthy choices and providing your family with the recommended amounts of food from each food group. 

If you are spending more, use ideas from this website to plan, shop for, cook and eat healthy, low-cost meals. 

Five reasons to plan meals

1. Save time.

• It takes time to plan meals, but it saves time during the week. You'll get faster with practice. Save more time by reusing previous menus.

2. Save money.

• You can save as much as 15 percent on your grocery bill by carefully planning meals. That's more than $100 for a $700 monthly food budget.

3. Eat healthier.

• Use MyPlate as a guide.

4. Reduce stress.

• Rest easy knowing you have a meal plan and all of the ingredients you need.

5. Eat together.

• Meal time is a time to build family relationships. Plan meals so everyone can eat together often. Turn off the television, put other electronics away and talk together. Read more ideas for family meals.

Step 1: prepare

Find a time when you can focus without distractions. You'll need the following information and tools to get started:

• Your food money. Know how much you have to spend so you can make a menu to match your budget.
• A menu template. Start with a one- or two-week menu. (Print a one-week menu (pdf) or two-week menu (pdf) template.)
• Your calendar. Look at how much time you have to cook each night. Prepare simple meals on busy nights. Note special events such as birthdays and holidays that will affect what you have for dinner.
• School lunch menu. If your child takes a home-prepared lunch to school, write those meals on your plan.

Step 2: start with food you have

Look in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer for ingredients you have on hand. Plan to use these first, while they're still fresh. Try these ideas:

• Use leftovers for lunch or for some dinners.
• Use leftover vegetables, pasta or rice and meat or beans to make a casserole, soup or stir-fry.
• Add leftover vegetables to pasta sauce, salads, omelets or pizza.
• Use leftover meat in sandwiches, quesadillas or scrambled eggs.
• Blend ripe fruit, yogurt, fruit juice and milk to make a smoothie.

Step 3: add family favorites that are on sale

Check newspaper or online advertisements for great buys. Keep a book to track prices of foods you buy often so you know when “sales” really are good deals.

Match sale items to meals your family likes. Have family members help you make a list of easy, inexpensive, nutritious recipes that you all like. Put the recipes into categories such as these to simplify planning:

• Protein foods: chicken, pork, beef, fish/seafood, dried beans, eggs and nuts
• Dishes from other countries: Italian, Mexican, Chinese
• Freezer meals
• Slow-cooker meals
• Breakfast for dinner
• Soup or stew
• No-cook meals such as sandwiches or salads
• Planned leftovers. Make a double batch of a recipe and freeze part for another day. Or prepare some ingredients for a future meal such as chopping extra vegetables, browning ground beef or grating extra cheese.

Step 4: include plenty of vegetables and fruits

Fresh vegetables and fruits usually taste best. Buy them when they're in season and more affordable.

•  Print a copy of the seasonal produce guide (pdf).

Frozen and canned vegetables and fruits are nutritious and provide variety throughout the year.

Step 5: review

After making your meal plan, review each meal:

• Did you include foods from at least three food groups?
• Is there a variety of shapes, colors, flavors, textures and temperatures? Variety helps your meal look and taste great.

Benefits of a shopping list

Save time. An organized shopping list helps you get in and out of the store quickly.

Save money. People spend about $2.17 for every minute they are in a grocery store. Quicker shopping means you’ll spend less money. Sticking to a shopping list will also help you avoid buying on impulse.

Make fewer trips to the store. Extra shopping trips take time and gas and increase the chance of impulse buying. Make a complete list before shopping and you are more likely to get everything you need.

Step 1: review menus and recipes for ingredients

Check your pantry, refrigerator and freezer for what you already have. List the foods you still need. Add needed staple foods such as flour, sugar, coffee and rice. List only as many fresh vegetables and fruits as you can use before they spoil.

Step 2: organize the list according to store layout

Save time and money by going down only the aisles that have food you need. Group your food items something like this:

• Print my shopping list (pdf).
  • Fruits/vegetables
  • Bread/grain/cereal
  • Meat/protein
  • Dairy
  • Frozen
  • Canned/packaged
  • Staples
  • Non-food
  • Other

If you like, make a shopping list template that includes things you buy often and copy or print it before each shopping trip. Circle items you need that week. For example, the dairy column might list milk, cheddar cheese, string cheese, mozzarella cheese, plain yogurt, strawberry yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. Write in any additional dairy items you need. 

• Print the sample shopping list template (pdf).

Step 3: maintain an ongoing list of low-inventory items

Train yourself and your family to add things to the shopping list before you are completely out of them. Put the list with a pen or pencil in a place where all family members can easily see and add to it.

Step 4: review your shopping list

Ask yourself these questions:

• Have I included ingredients for all the breakfasts, lunches and dinners on my menus as well as ingredients for snacks?
• Does it look like the items on my list will fit my food budget? If it looks like the food will cost more than you have budgeted, take some things off the list. You could also put them in a separate place in your cart and buy them only if you have enough money at checkout.
• Do I have coupons for any foods on the list? Are any of the foods on sale? If so, note this on your list so you remember to use the coupon or to check that you were charged the sale price.

Where should you shop?

• Where you find the best prices. Find prices at stores, online, in newspaper inserts and in your price book.
• Include the cost of gas when deciding where to shop.
• Check prices at discount and dollar stores for items like cleaning supplies, personal-care products and pet food.
• Check out farmers’ markets and food co-ops.
• Look into stores that offer loyalty cards.
• If you use coupons, look for stores that offer double- or triple-coupon days.

How much should you buy?

• Buy only as much as you have budgeted for the shopping trip.
• Buy only the amount of food you will eat while it is fresh.
• Bigger packages often cost less per unit of contents. Compare unit prices to be sure. Divide large packages into smaller serving sizes and store them for later use. Buying big packages may encourage you to eat larger portions.
• Buying from bulk bins lets you choose how much to buy and usually costs less per unit.

What should you buy?

• Only what is on your shopping list.
• Nutrient-rich foods. Read and compare Nutrition Facts labels. (Read about Nutrition Facts labels in the following sections.)
• Store or generic brands. Many are the same or very similar in quality and nutrition to national brands.
• The least-expensive form of food that will work for you (fresh, frozen or canned).
• The freshest food possible. Check sell-by and use-by dates.
• Items marked low salt, low fat, reduced sugar, packed in water or packed in natural juice.

What should you avoid buying?

• Impulse items—things that catch your attention but are not on your list.
• Convenience foods—foods that are fully or partially prepared when you buy them, such as boxed casserole mixes, precooked roasted chicken or premade sandwiches or salads. They are almost always more expensive than foods you make from scratch. They are also often higher in fat, sodium and sugar and lower in fiber and other nutrients.
• Bulging, swollen, rusty or severely dented cans.
• Foods with little nutritional value such as chips, candy, cookies and soda. 

1. Compare unit prices

Unit price is the cost of a product per unit of weight, volume or other measure of quantity. It is usually posted on the shelf below the food. Use unit price to find the best buy among different brands and different sizes of the same brand.

Here are two unit price labels: Which crackers are the better buy?

If the unit price is not posted, you can figure it out yourself. Divide the total price of the product by the total weight, volume or other unit of product.  

Suppose a 29-ounce can of peaches costs $1.45. 
The unit price is $1.45 ÷ 29 ounces = $0.05 per ounce, or 5 cents per ounce.

2. Keep a price book

Keep track of the prices of foods you use often. Note the price at each store where you shop. When a food in your price book is advertised in a sale, you will know if it is a good deal or not. If it is — and you have extra food money — you can stock up. When you know regular prices, you can also quickly spot when a “buy one, get one free” sale is a good deal.

3. Use coupons wisely

• Clip coupons for foods you use often. Most coupons are for name brands, and you may find less-expensive store brands. Coupons for basic ingredients such as vegetables, fruits and dairy products are not common.
• If you use a coupon, make sure the cashier scans it.

4. Avoid spending traps

• Only go down aisles that have food on your list. Learn the store layout so you can find food quickly. Basic foods are around the outside edges of the store.
• Look at the high and low shelves for bargains and healthier choices.
• More-costly and less-healthy foods are placed at eye level.
• Be aware of displays at the ends of aisles. They often feature impulse items with “special” pricing.

5. Pay attention when checking out

• Resist magazines, candy and other impulse items.
• Watch for scanning errors, coupon deductions and correct change.
• Check your receipt for accuracy before leaving the store.

Fruits

• Buy fresh fruits in season, when they cost less and taste better. Check farmers’ markets for seasonal fruits. Print the seasonal produce guide (pdf).
• Choose frozen and canned fruits (canned in juice or water) and concentrated juice.
• Compare the prices of similar foods such as plums and peaches.

Vegetables

• Buy fresh vegetables in season. Print the seasonal produce guide (pdf).
• Whole vegetables and salad greens are usually less expensive and stay fresh longer than cut-up vegetables and salad mixes.
• Buy frozen and canned vegetables with less salt.
• Think about planting a garden. Read about gardening in Idaho at the Idaho Landscapes and Gardens website.

Breads and grains

• Day-old bread costs less and is still a healthy choice.
• Buy regular rice and oatmeal rather than instant.
• Choose whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, crackers and brown rice.

Meat and protein

• Meat is one of the most expensive foods. Watch for sales.
• Large packages of meat may be cheaper on sale. Divide the meat into meal-size packages and freeze it for later.
• Use less-expensive cuts of meat in soups, stews, stir fries and slow-cooker dishes. Less expensive cuts of beef include flank steak, skirt steak, brisket, chuck steak or roast, ribs and round or top round steak or roast.
• Dried beans are a good source of protein and fiber, inexpensive and won't spoil.
• Eggs and nuts are good sources of protein.

Low-fat milk products

• Choose fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Larger packages of milk, cheese and yogurt cost less per unit than smaller packages. Buy the largest size you can eat while it’s fresh.
• Try ultra-pasteurized milk, evaporated skim milk and nonfat dry milk. They have long shelf lives.
• Freeze milk and shredded cheese to preserve them. Pour a small amount of milk out of the container before freezing to allow space for expansion.

Food safety essentials

• Make food shopping your last stop before going home.
• Buy nonfood items and nonperishable food first. Buy refrigerated food next and frozen food last.
• Check each item for sell-by and use-by dates. Choose the food with the longest shelf life.
• Bag cold items together and place them in the coolest part of your car. If you live more than 30 minutes from where you shop, put cold items in a cooler, especially in hot weather.
• Put cold food away first when you get home.
• Put new foods behind older ones in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer so you can easily use older food first. 

The Nutrition Facts Label is a great tool for comparing foods and making healthy food choices. Follow this step-by-step guide to reading the label.

Step 1. find the serving size and number of servings per container

• The serving size is located under Nutrition Facts. Compare a serving with how much you eat. You may eat more or less than the listed serving size.  

Step 2. check calories and calories from fat

• These numbers show how many calories are in one serving of food and how many of those calories are from fat.  

Step 3. look at the Percent Daily Value for each nutrient

Daily Values (DV) are the recommended intakes of specific nutrients for adults. The guide at the bottom of the Nutrition Facts Label shows Daily Values for a 2,000-calorie diet and a 2,500-calorie diet. These guides are general dietary advice.  

The % Daily Value (% DV) indicates how much of the daily value you get in a serving of food. The % Daily Value is based on the 2,000-calorie diet, which may be more or less than your family members need. For example, if the label lists 8% for calcium (like the chili label), it means one serving provides 8% of the calcium you need each day.

• Look for foods lower in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. These nutrients may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases. Aim to eat less than 100% of the Daily Value of these nutrients every day.
• Look for foods high in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients can maintain or improve your overall health. Try to eat at least 100% of the Daily Value of these nutrients every day.
• Foods with 20% DV or more are considered high in the nutrient or an excellent source of the nutrient.
• Foods with 10–19% DV are considered a good source of that nutrient.
• Foods with 5% DV or less are considered low in that nutrient.

Step 4. look at the list of ingredients

• Ingredients are listed in order, by weight, from the most to the least amount in the product. A list of common allergens is also listed. 

Organize your space

• Clear counters. Keep only a few appliances on your counters, if any. Store the rest in cabinets.
• Keep things you use often in easy-to-reach places. Move items you seldom use to upper cabinets or another room. Give away items you never use.
• Figure out how many of each kitchen item you need. Do you use more than one set of measuring cups at a time? Do you need five mixing bowls, or just two?
• Create kitchen zones for specific tasks such as food storage, food preparation, cooking, baking and cleaning up. Keep appropriate kitchen equipment and tools in each zone. You may want to add an information zone for coupons, menus and recipes.

Use your meal plan

• Post your menu where it is easy to see. (See Plan your meals in the Plan smart section of this website.)
• Look ahead to see what frozen foods you need to move to the refrigerator to thaw.

Prepare food in advance

• Cook once, eat twice. Double or triple recipes or cook two or more different meals with similar ingredients. Package meals in family-size portions. Refrigerate what you will use in a few days and freeze the rest.
• Cook and freeze ingredients for future meals.
  • Brown and rinse ground beef, and then freeze it in recipe-size portions.
  • Roast a chicken or turkey, then chop and freeze it. Make soup stock from the bones and freeze it.
  • Cook rice or dried beans and freeze them in recipe-size portions.
• Freeze muffins, bread and cookies.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables in advance. Store them in the refrigerator. Some fresh produce, such as strawberries and mushrooms, shouldn't be washed until just before serving.
• Shred cheese and refrigerate or freeze it for future meals. To help keep the cheese from clumping, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the bag of shredded cheese and shake to mix.

Keep it simple

• Try one-dish meals, such as casseroles. Print out ideas for creating a casserole (pdf, 7 MB).
• Prepare easy recipes.
• Use quick-cooking appliances such as the microwave, grill or stovetop.
• Use a slow cooker. (Learn more about slow cookers and food safety.) 

Clean

• Wash hands and all surfaces often with hot, soapy water.
• Wash fresh vegetables and fruits with running water before peeling, eating or cooking.
• To avoid spreading germs to other foods, do not wash meat and poultry.
• Wash lids of cans before opening them.
• Sanitize surfaces after washing them, especially surfaces that held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.

To make a sanitizing solution:

• Mix 3/4 teaspoon bleach and 1 quart water in a spray bottle.
• Spray the solution on surfaces, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then wipe the surface or let it air dry. Make fresh sanitizing solution every week.
  • Find more ways to keep your food and home clean.

Separate

• Separate raw, cooked and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, cooking and storing foods.
• Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood in covered containers on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for raw meats and a separate cutting board for foods that are ready to eat such as fruit, salad ingredients and bread. If only one cutting board is available, wash and sanitize it between uses.
• Wash and sanitize all surfaces that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.
• Learn more about keeping foods separate and safe.

Cook

• Make sure cooked food reaches an internal (inside) temperature high enough to kill bacteria that cause foodborne illness:

• Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, poultry or fish or into the center of the container of sauce, soup, gravy or leftovers. Make sure the thermometer does not touch any part of the bones, fat or pan. Insert the thermometer into the side of hamburger patties.
• Hand wash the stem of the thermometer in hot, soapy water after use. Do not put the dial or digital display in water or wash the thermometer in the dishwasher.
• Learn more about cooking to safe temperatures.

Chill

• Refrigerate or freeze these foods within 2 hours (within 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90°F) to slow the growth of harmful bacteria:
  • Meat, poultry, seafood and eggs
  • Cooked food
  • Cut fresh fruits or vegetables
• Store leftovers in shallow containers no deeper than 2 inches.
• Allow cold air to circulate in the refrigerator by leaving some room between foods.
• Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to check temperatures.
• Safely defrost food in one of three ways:
  • In the refrigerator on the bottom shelf on a plate.
  • In cold water that is changed every 20-30 minutes. Cook immediately after thawing.
  • In the microwave. Cook immediately after thawing.
• Use or discard refrigerated food regularly. See the cold storage chart (pdf) for guidelines.
• See more about safely chilling food. 

Add healthy ingredients

Vegetables

• Add extra vegetables to scrambled eggs, soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes, stir-fry dishes, salads, muffins and some cakes.
• Make main-dish salads.
• Pile lots of fresh vegetables on sandwiches. Great options include lettuce, tomato, onions, cucumber and peppers.
• Add spinach or other greens to smoothies.

Fruits

• Add fruit to cereal and yogurt.
• Make fruit smoothies with fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice, yogurt, milk and ice.
• Put dried or fresh fruit in waffles, pancakes, muffins or oatmeal.
• Top salads with fresh canned, or dried fruits such as pineapple, strawberries, grapes, raisins and dried cranberries.
• Try grilling fruit.

Beans and grains

• Add beans, lentils or dried peas to soups, salads and dips.
• Gradually replace refined grains with whole grains such as brown rice and whole-grain bread, cereal, crackers and pasta.

Cut back on fat

• Trim fat from the outside of meat and take the skin off poultry before cooking.
• Choose smaller portions of meat.
• Limit your use of high-fat processed meats like bacon, sausage and bologna.
• Bake, broil or roast instead of deep-fat frying or pan frying with a lot of oil or fat.
• Chill meat drippings and remove the hardened fat.
• Use less fat in baking. You can decrease fat by one-quarter or more in many recipes.
• Choose fruit-based desserts instead of heavier, high-fat treats.

Cut back on fat

• Trim fat from the outside of meat and take the skin off poultry before cooking.
• Choose smaller portions of meat.
• Limit your use of high-fat processed meats like bacon, sausage and bologna.
• Bake, broil or roast instead of deep-fat frying or pan frying with a lot of oil or fat.
• Chill meat drippings and remove the hardened fat.
• Use less fat in baking. You can decrease fat by one-quarter or more in many recipes.
• Choose fruit-based desserts instead of heavier, high-fat treats.

Make healthy substitutions to reduce fat

Seven ways to waste less

Americans waste about 14% of their food purchases. That means a family that spends $175 weekly on groceries could waste $1,275 per year.

There are a lot of ways you can decrease food waste:

1. Start your menu planning with food you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer.
2. Include leftover nights on your menu.
3. Pay attention to foods you throw away. Next time, buy less — only as much as you can eat while the food is still fresh.
4. After shopping, rotate older foods to the front of the pantry, refrigerator and freezer and use them before newer foods.
5. Store refrigerated food in shallow, see-through containers.
6. Dedicate an area of the refrigerator for leftovers. Train family members to look there for quick meals and snacks.
7. Freeze food for later use. Package or wrap it well and include a label and date. 

All vegetables and 100% vegetable juices make up the vegetable group. Vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked and can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried. Use them whole, cut up or pureed.

Vegetables are good sources of many nutrients including vitamins A and C, folate (folic acid), potassium and dietary fiber. Vegetables contain no cholesterol, and most vegetables are low in fat and calories.

Choose a variety of colorful vegetables. Different nutrients are contained in vegetables of different colors. Color also makes your meals look better.

• Red/orange: tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes
• Yellow/green: corn, spinach, broccoli, celery
• Blue/purple: purple cabbage, eggplant, beets
• White: potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower

Tip: Season vegetables with herbs, lemon or lime juice or vinegar without adding any calories, salt or fat.

How many vegetables should you eat each day?

What equals 1 cup of vegetables?

All fruits and 100% fruit juices make up the fruit group. Fruits can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried and eaten whole, cutup or pureed.

Fruits provide nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C and folate (folic acid). Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium and calories. Fruits contain no cholesterol.

Choose a variety of colorful fruits. Different colors indicate the fruit contains different nutrients. Color also makes your meals look better:

• Red/orange: Peaches, apricots and cantaloupe
• Yellow/green: Pineapple, kiwi and honeydew melon
• Blue/purple: Blueberries, raisins, grapes and blackberries
• White: Pears, bananas and jicama

How much fruit should you eat each day?

What equals 1 cup of fruit?

Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, corn, barley or other cereal grains is part of the grains group. Bread, pasta, tortillas, crackers, oatmeal and breakfast cereals are examples.

Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals (iron, magnesium and selenium).  

Make at least half of your grain choices whole grains. Whole-grain foods contain the entire grain kernel. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ and several nutrients.

How many servings of grains and whole grains should you eat every day? 

Note: Servings are listed as ounce equivalents. In general, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta or cooked cereal can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Grains Group.

What counts as a serving (ounce equivalent) of grain? How many servings are in common portions of grain foods?

The protein food group includes both animal and plant protein. Examples are meat, poultry, seafood, dry beans and peas, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds. Choose lean meat choices such as loin or round cuts and poultry with the skin removed. 

Foods in this group are good sources of protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, iron (animal sources) and fiber (plant sources).

How much protein is in common portions of food?

The dairy group includes milk, cheese, yogurt and calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage). Dairy products are especially important for bone health. They are great sources of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and protein and are often fortified with vitamin D. Low-fat (1%) and fat-free dairy foods contain the same nutrients as higher-fat dairy foods with fewer calories and less saturated fat and cholesterol.

What counts as 1 serving of dairy foods?

Breakfast is too important to skip

Here are ideas to make it quick, inexpensive and healthy

• Include nontraditional breakfast foods like a peanut butter sandwich or leftovers from dinner.
• If you have time, sit down with your family and enjoy breakfast together. On busy days, pack a breakfast to go.
• Try setting the table the night before or packing your breakfast and keeping it in the refrigerator until morning.

Healthy mix and match breakfast ingredients

Choose foods from at least three of the food groups.

Fruits and vegetables

• Fresh fruit in season
• Frozen fruit
• Canned fruit
• Dried fruit
• 100% fruit juice
• Salsa
• 100% vegetable juice
• Other vegetables

Grain

• Choose whole grain
• Toast
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Tortilla
• Bagel
• English muffin
• Low fat granola bar

Protein

• Egg
• Peanut butter
• Nuts
• Ham
• Turkey

Dairy

• Choose low-fat
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• String cheese
• Cottage cheese

Easy breakfast ideas

• Smoothie: fruit (any), dairy (milk or yogurt), protein (peanut butter) and/or vegetables (spinach, kale or other greens)
• Sandwich: grain (bread, English muffin or bagel), dairy (cheese) and protein (egg, ham or other meat)
• Parfait: dairy (yogurt), fruit (any) and grain (granola or other cereal)
• Burrito: grain (tortilla), protein (egg, ham or other meat), dairy (cheese) and/or vegetables (salsa, tomatoes, onions, peppers or mushrooms)

Activity

• Think of a breakfast that includes three to five food groups. 

Keep healthy snacks on hand

Avoid unhealthy snacks like candy, chips, cookies and soda from the convenience store. Instead, keep some healthy snacks at home and some in your car or bag. For less than the cost of a soda from the vending machine, you could eat one of these quick, healthy, delicious snacks:

• 1 small apple and 1 string cheese
• 1 celery stalk and 1 carrot with 2 tablespoons low-fat ranch dip
• 1 cup low-sugar cereal and 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1 small banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt sprinkled with 1/4 cup low-fat granola
• 1/2 cup applesauce and 2 whole graham crackers (4 squares)
• 1 medium orange and 1 pudding cup
• 3 cups popcorn with 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice

Limit eating out

Restaurant meals often cost two or three times as much as similar meals prepared at home. Look at your food budget and decide how much money you can spend eating out. Limit yourself to that amount at restaurants and on fast food and take-out meals.

Make healthy choices

• Restaurant meals can be high in fat and calories and low in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Choose whole grain bread for sandwiches.
• Look for salads with lots of vegetables.
• Ask for salad dressing to be served on the side.
• Choose entrees with vegetables, such as pasta with tomato sauce or stir fries.
• Order meals that are broiled, steamed or grilled rather than fried.

Get the most for your money when eating out

• Find less-expensive restaurants that serve food your family enjoys.
• Instead of dinner, go out for lunch when meals are often less expensive.
• Look for “2 for 1” specials or coupons.
• Share an entrée or take home half for another meal.
• Drink water.