Healthy You is a healthy eating program hosted by the Co-op. Several Tuesday’s per month, we hold an hour long class about some aspect of eating healthy. Whether it’s about budgeting, different aspects of healthy eating, or simply touring the Co-op, we want to help you on your path to a healthy life. For the program dates, view our events calendar. For more information on the Healthy You program, contact Heather at heather@ozarknf.coop.
The following are notes from past Healthy You events:
How to shop the Co-op on a budget & stay healthy
- Plan out your shopping trip
- Keep dishes simple
- Buy produce that can be used more than once, also look to see what is in season. We have a produce blog every Tuesday that highlights what is fresh!
- Snack foods: trail mixes, granola, carrots, fruit, etc.
- Make you own simple dressings and sauces.
- You don’t have to eat meat everyday. Eat it 2-3 times a week. When you do please buy local, that way you know exactly what you are getting. Get proteins from nuts, eggs, yogurt, and beans. They are a cheaper form of protein. A serving size is about the size of a deck of cards. *Also, black bean burgers in the deli! Super cheap and awesome!
- Plan ahead for the week. Take inventory on what you already have and stick to your list. Coop Deals last 2 weeks and are great money savers.
- Become an owner!
- Healthy food is actually cheaper! You aren’t spending money on empty calorie items such as sodas, chips, candy, etc.
- Produce- in season and local is cheaper.
- Keep containers and buy in bulk! Get them weighed at the OSD. This way you don’t have to pay for packaging and you get exactly what you want.
- Frozen, canned, or dried. Frozen is best, they freeze them at their peak of ripeness so you still get all the nutrients. Use what you need and freeze the rest. Also, consider powdered or evaporated milk in soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes, and desserts.
- Before you buy perishable foods think about exactly how you will use it. Americans generate roughly 30 million tons of food waste each year. Example: Roast a chicken, use the leftovers for salad or sandwiches the next day.
- Look at the label, they are listed in order of weight. Example: look for tomatoes being first instead of water. Also, look for a simpler versions of your favorite foods.
- Buy oatmeal, or a simple flaked or puffed cereal.
- Buy in bulk.
Recipes
Sausage/Spinach Pasta
Field Roast Italian Sausage $5.79
¾ lb Semolina Rotini (Bulk) $1.57
3 cloves garlic $0.30
½ lb fresh spinach $3.99
1 pint cherry tomatoes $4.99
1 tbsp olive oil (bulk) $0.21
Avg Parmesan Cheese $2.00
Total= $18.85
*Cook pasta until tender 9-11 minutes
*Cook the sausage over medium heat, break it into smaller pieces until it is done. Stir in garlic, spinach, and tomatoes. Cook while stirring often until the greens wilt and the tomatoes begin to break down which is about 2-3 minutes, remove and cover to keep warm.
*Combine the parmesan cheese and any spices you might like (I suggest salt, pepper, and red chili flakes) in a large bowl. Measure ½ cup of the water out of the noodles and mix with the olive oil. Drain the noodles then add that mixture back in. Add to the bowl with the cheese/herb mix and toss. Serve the sausage/veggie mix on top and serve with some more parmesan cheese if you desire!
Comfort Dinner: Meatloaf, Potatoes, Greens
Meatloaf:
1 lb ground beef $6.99
1 avg red onion $0.79
1 smaller green bell pepper $1.75
2 carrots $0.25
2 eggs $0.34
Ian’s breadcrumbs $3.59
Potatoes:
1 lb red potatoes $1.79
1 tbsp olive oil $0.21
Greens:
Mustard Greens $2.99
1 tbsp olive oil $0.21
Total= $18.91
Meatloaf:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Dice onion, pepper, and carrots into small pieces
*Break 2 eggs into a large bowl, add meat and combine. Pour in diced veggies and mix all together. *Add any seasonings you wish, again I use red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add bread crumbs until the mixture holds together.
*Put mixture into a baking dish *I use a smaller rectangular dish but you can cook it on anything, it keeps its form.
Bake in the oven for an hour, I check on it after 30 minutes then again at 45 minutes.
*I kind of eyeball the sauce for the top. I start out with ketchup, then add mustard *smaller amount than what you used for ketchup* then add soy sauce *smaller than the mustard you used* then a little bit of sugar, mix together and taste. If its too sweet add soy sauce or whatever you think it might need. When you think there is about 10 minutes left to cook, add sauce.
Potatoes:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Dice the potatoes, toss with olive oil, rosemary, and thyme.
*Bake until the potatoes are tender and they are the desired color you like
Greens:
*Strip the leaves of the stems and break into smaller pieces.
*Add olive oil to skillet and let it get hot
*Add the leaves and make sure they are all coated with olive oil, put a lid on it and cook until they wilt
Grilled Chicken Tenders, Onion Rings, Frozen Corn
1 lb boneless chicken breasts $5.79
1 package Alexia Onion Rings $2.99
1 package Stahl frozen corn $2.49
Total= $11.27
*I like to add lemon pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the chicken before I grill it.
Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
1 lb Semolina Spaghetti $1.69
Field Day Organic Sauce $3.59
Green Leaf Lettuce $2.29
Romas $0.60
Carrots $0.40
Shallot $1.00
2 Rudi’s Hamburger Buns $0.92
Total= $10.49
*I LOVE seasonings, especially on a salad. I like to add Italian seasoning to the lettuce, garlic to the tomatoes, and if you have a jar of banana peppers, they make a WONDERFUL vinaigrette. Just add some of the juice to the salad and toss. Also, shallots have an amazing taste and they look really awesome in a salad, just slice them, not dice them.
*Use leftover hamburger buns to make garlic bread, add butter and garlic and toast in the oven until they are the desired crispiness you like.
Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
2 black bean patties from the deli $2.38
2 leaves of lettuce $0.30
1 roma tomato diced $0.40
1 avocado sliced $1.79
1 shallot sliced $1.00
1 package Alexia Sweet Potato Fries $2.29
2 Rudi’s Hamburger Buns $0.92
Total= $9.08
*Add your own seasonings to frozen fries, it saves $0.70. Black pepper and cayenne pepper are amazing on these, you can also use chili powder.
Pork Steaks
2 pork steaks $5.40
1 package frozen Stahl butternut squash $2.49
1 page frozen Stahl frozen spinach $2.49
Total= $10.38
*Grill the steaks, I get these when I’m craving a beef steak, it is much cheaper
Breakfast
1 package refrigerated immaculate baking biscuits $4.09
4 eggs $0.68
½ package Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon $2.00
1 package Cascadian Farms Hashbrowns $3.29
Total= $10.06
Pizza
1 lg pizza from the deli $11.99
*Choose any 3 veggies or 2 veggies and 1 meat topping
Green Leaf Lettuce $2.29
Romas $0.60
Carrots $0.40
Shallot $1.00
Total= $16.28
