Using the c word

Five tips for saving
change at the checkout

By Caitlin Van Den Brink,
Contributor

et’s face it: as students,

we need to count our
pennies, search clearance
sections, and seek out sales
like a chinchilla hunting
down a stalk of celery. We
need to be cheap.

Unfortunately, this is
difficult when the prices of
everything from housing to
bread are rising faster than
you can say, “Shish kebab.”
Fortunately, you now have
five tips that will help you
eat healthy and keep your
food costs low.

1. Make a list. Sometimes,
finding the time to

make a big shopping

list, and then doing the
aforementioned shopping,

seems impossible. Find it
anyway. Making a list of
what you need will help you
keep track of what’s in your
fridge, so that you can plan
meals easily and so that half
of your fridge’s contents
don’t end up in the garbage.

2. Check it twice. Do you
really need that bag of
chips? That can of salsa?
That box of chicken strips?
Checking over your
grocery list helps in a few
ways. You can weed out
those food items that you
don’t actually need while
investing in healthier,
cheaper alternatives.

3. Make meat a treat. It
shouldn’t be a big surprise
that, pound for pound,
meat is one of the most
expensive things you can
buy at a grocery store. Also,
no, vegetarian meals don’t
have to taste like cardboard.

Life&Style.

Beans, nuts, and many dairy
products have plenty of
protein in them, and there
are countless ways to cook
these alternatives so that
they whet any palette. Need
more proof? Check out

any of our past issues with
College Cooking by our Staff
Writer, Joel MacKenzie.

4, Get veggies from the
freezer aisle. The common
opinion out there is that
fresh vegetables are
healthier because, well,
they’re fresh. However, this
isn’t always the case. While
some nutrients like vitamin
B and C can be lost in the
freezing process, a lot of the
healthy stuff in vegetables
remains intact. Plus, frozen
veggies can be cheaper and
are quicker to cook.

helping, that can be part of
the problem. A shopping
companion can slow down
the process and veer you off
course. You'll be more likely
to neglect your handy list,
wander down aisles that

5. Fly solo. While buying
the groceries might be less
tedious with someone else

 

Photo courtesy of NoHoDamon (Flicker)

don’t need to be wandered
down, and, let’s admit: it’s
always easier to give in

to that package of cookies
when a partner in crime is
egging you on.

 

By Caitlin Van Den Brink,
Contributor

his meatless chili recipe
is not only healthy
and filling, but it’s sure
to bust any remaining
misconceptions College
Cooking hasn’t about boring
vegetarian meals, without
emptying your wallet.

Ingredients

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 medium yellow or red
pepper, diced

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 15-ounce cans low-sodium
black beans

2 14.5-ounce cans fire-
roasted diced tomatoes

1 chili pepper, minced

1/4 cup fresh chopped
cilantro

 

Preparation

1. Using a potato
masher or food
processor, liquefy
fire-roasted

tomatoes. Set aside.

2. Ina large frying
pan, sauté onion,
pepper, and garlic
until soft. Add
water as needed to
prevent them from
sticking to the pan.

3. Add black beans,
fire-roasted
tomatoes, cumin,
oregano, and the
chili pepper. Bring
to a boil then let
simmer for 10
minutes.

4. Add cilantro. Let
simmer for another
five minutes.

Vegetarian black bean chili

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