It has happened to all of us. We had to throw away leftovers, a food item spoiled in the fridge, or a pantry item went stale. When food is thrown away, your money is being thrown away, too. How can you keep this from happening? Here are some tips to help save money and make sure all the food you buy is eaten. 

Foods like ramen, mac and cheese, instant potatoes, rice mixes, and oatmeal are common items in many pantries. They are quick, easy meals that are also comforting and affordable. But have you ever thought about jazzing them up? Tossing in a few extra ingredients can really take your classic pantry staples to the next level!  By adding more ingredients to packaged foods, you can: 

Do you know about all the different ways to stay in touch with us? Eat.Move.Save. is here to help you make healthier choices on any budget. Whether you’re looking for grocery shopping tips to save money, tasty new recipes, or ideas to get active, take advantage of these Eat.Move.Save. tools that will help keep healthier choices at the top of your to-do list (and your inbox and social media feeds, too!). 

MyPlate is a simple tool that reminds you to choose a variety of foods throughout the day. It gives you a picture of what and how much to eat from each of the food groups each day, whether you eat on a plate, from a bowl, a cup, or some other way. Eating a variety of foods from each food group will help you get the nutrients you need. The five food groups that make up MyPlate are Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, and Dairy. MyPlate, in a nutshell:

Eat.Move.Save. is like a toolbox that can help you make healthier choices on any budget. In this blog series, we will highlight many of the tools that you can use to build your plan to Eat, Move, and Save in a way that works for you and your family. The first tool we’ll pull from the box is Find Food IL!

Sheet pan suppers are great because you can cook everything together on one foil-lined pan, making clean up a snap. You can use all kinds of ingredients and flavors to create something everyone will love. They are a good option for using up any leftover meat or produce you have on hand. Sheet pan suppers use the roasting method for cooking, which brings out the natural flavors of whatever you decide to put on the pan. 

Grain bowls make great 5-ingredient meals for lots of reasons. They are easy to make. They are made with things that you probably already have in your kitchen. They are a great way to use leftovers or use single ingredients in different ways. And maybe most important, they are full of nutrition, including all five food groups!

Creating meals with 5-ingredients or less can simplify meal prep and cut down on time spent in the kitchen. It's not just affordable and easy to assemble but can also be made ahead of time. For instance, salad is the perfect 5-ingredient meal that is budget friendly and can be prepared the night before. And let's not forget, it can include most of the MyPlate food groups! 

After a long week, the best thing to have on Friday nights is pizza! Ordering take-out or delivery, while convenient, might not be the most affordable option. So, make it at home! Homemade pizzas can be a crowd favorite because they are customizable for each person. Like it spicy? Add red pepper flakes. Vegetarian? You can take the meat off and add extra vegetables. Love a crispy crust? Bake your pizza a little longer. Here’s how to get started:

Charcutier boards have become all the rage in recent years. It’s a fun meal to serve for lunches, dinners, and large gatherings because it is easy to put together and has zero cooking or baking. What is charcutier? Charcutier was first derived in 15th century France, where people would go to a charcutier store to by meat products. Unlike a delicatessen (deli) or a butcher shop these meats are processed differently. The process was developed by using salt, vinegar, and smoke to preserve the meat.