EHE News
Higher grocery bills mean less healthy families
Low-income Ohioans may be paying the cost of high grocery-store bills by sacrificing their long-term health.
"We're hearing over and over again that families are buying less milk and fewer fruits and vegetables," said Joyce McDowell, leader of Ohio State University Extension's Community Nutrition Projects.
McDowell, associate professor of human nutrition, oversees the Ohio Family Nutrition Program and the Ohio Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. These two federally funded programs teach nutrition, food safety and thrifty food shopping to thousands of low-income Ohioans each year.
Based on anecdotal information from throughout Ohio, she said it appears that fresh fruits and vegetables and milk are among the first things to get cut from the budget.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels, the cost of feeding a family of four rose to $131.60, or about 6 percent between February 2007 and February 2008., McDowell said.
"To be able to buy food that cheaply, it means eating all of your meals at home, cooking from scratch, watching portion sizes, and using everything. You can't throw away any leftovers," McDowell said. Ohio's community nutrition classes are putting a renewed emphasis on food preparation to help participants eat nutritiously on a budget.
"I know it's a dilemma for families, but I think that means we have an increased responsibility to help people with their food preparation skills, because that's how a lot of families will get through this period."
But in some cases, food preparation techniques can't help.
"What I'm really concerned about is the milk," McDowell said. "Our clients continually report that they're not purchasing milk because it's too expensive. But we know calcium is readily absorbed by the body when it's consumed in dairy products."
She offers ideas for incorporating more calcium in the diet.
- Parents should encourage children to drink milk at school, where it is free or reduced cost for children from low-income families. "Many more families are eligible for those programs than apply for them. Call the school and find out," she said.
- Use dry milk, often available at food pantries, in casseroles, sauces and other foods.
- Buy extra fluid milk when it is on sale. But be smart: "Take a look at the 'use-by' dates. Sometimes they vary by as much as a week, so you can save some to use later without it spoiling."
As for fruits and vegetables, she suggests:
- Watching for sales on items in the fresh produce aisle.
- Using canned goods, which "are often your cheapest option, especially the store brands." They have a long shelf-life, so buying in bulk when they're on sale makes sense.
To work more whole grains, choose oatmeal in bulk, not prepackaged and flavored and popcorn in bags, not packaged for the microwave oven. Both are good and economical.
"In many cases, the less processed the food, the cheaper you can get it," McDowell said. For example, while egg prices have jumped recently, eggs still can be an economical choice for meals. "Eating an egg and a piece of toast for breakfast would be still be cheaper than a toaster pastry or a frozen waffle."
In addition, McDowell encourages families trying to cut expenses to examine portion sizes, especially when it comes to meat.
"Two ounces of (cooked) meat is acceptable for a serving," she said. "One chicken breast can go a long way." Bulk up meals with beans, bread, potatoes, fruit and vegetables so no one leaves the table hungry, she suggests. Or, serve meat in casseroles, fajitas, stews and soups so family members won’t see a smaller-than-usual serving on their plates.
For more ideas, McDowell suggests that families consult the new MyPyramid Menu Planner, available at http://www.mypyramid.gov. (Families without a home computer can use one at their library.)
OSU Extension offers the Family Nutrition Program or the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (or, in some cases, both) in 71 of Ohio's 88 counties. All county offices offer general information related to nutrition and budgeting. To learn more, contact your county office of Ohio State University Extension, usually listed under county government in the phone book, or see the county office listing on OSU Extension's Web site at http://extension.osu.edu/counties.php.
Writer: Martha Filipic, OSU Extension
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