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When prices soar we have choices to make

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When fuel prices soar we have choices to make. We can take public transportation to work. We can downsize our vacation plans or cancel them altogether. When food prices rise, our choices are limited. Knowing how important a nutritious diet is to our overall health, we can’t cancel dinner or fail to prepare a healthy breakfast for our kids.

After nearly two decades of relatively low food inflation, prices for staples such as bread, milk and eggs are rising sharply, surging in the past year at double-digit rates, according to the US Department of Labor. In the past year milk prices have increased 20 percent and egg prices have jumped 40 percent. Escalating food prices, along with soaring oil prices could present a big problem for the national economy. The average family spends three times as much for food as it does for gasoline. Our Food accounts for about 13 percent of household spending compared with 4 percent on gas.

Many Americans are under the mistaken impression that when grocery prices soar, compromises must be made and eating healthy foods is simply too expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that Mother Nature’s bounty is within everyone’s financial reach. In most cases, healthy foods can be purchased at the same price (or even lower) than unhealthy foods.

Here are some tips on how you can provide healthy meals for your family on a tight budget:

• Buy local fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Get to know local farmers and the people who run local greenhouses. Ask them to tip you off on good buys at various points in the season.
• Choose nutrient rich foods, rather than foods like sweets that are high in calories but low in other nutrients. That way you get more nutrition for your food dollar.
• Grow your own. Many vegetables, herbs and fruits are surprisingly easy to grow. Gardening is also a great family activity and it helps children learn the importance of honoring the environment.
• Cook at home. Learn to cook new healthy recipes and share the cooking experience with your family. Actually sitting around the table for dinner as a family feeds the body and the soul.
• Substitute Eggs. Reduce your cholesterol consumption and help your budget by substituting the eggs in baked goods with a tablespoon of soy flour.

The age-old wisdom that you shouldn’t shop on an empty stomach is especially important when food prices soar. If you’re hungry, you’ll end up buying things you don’t really need and wouldn’t normally buy. Make a list and stick to it. Be careful when using coupons. Make sure you use them only for things that you would normally buy.

Don’t let soaring food prices cause you to compromise nutrition. Nothing is more important than your family’s health.