Welcome to Afghan Dastarkhwan: Eating healthy on a budget in the United States!
Today we will learn how to save money when shopping for food.
Shopping for food in the US may seem very different than in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, you may have shopped at open food markets for freshly made bread and recently harvested fruits and vegetables.
You may also have shopped frequently, purchasing just enough food for a day or two.
In the US, you can shop for food in many different types of stores, like small shops that sell only specialized foods, grocery stores, and large discount stores that sell lots of products and food.
Most cities and towns in the US have large grocery stores where people get their food.
These grocery stores have all kinds of food from fresh to packaged foods and many different choices.
For example, you may see up to two aisles dedicated just to snack foods, or two long refrigeration sections dedicated to pre-made frozen meals.
Finding the foods you love and making healthy choices may seem confusing with so many new food options.
Many people who live in the US also buy large quantities of food at a time, including buying in bulk.
Buying in Bulk
Buying in bulk means you buy a large amount of one product at a lower price.
Items bought in bulk are food items that can be stored for longer periods of time or frozen.
Beans, rice, and meats are often sold in bulk.
Freezing meals in advance
Refrigerators tend to be larger in the US
So it makes sense to purchase in advance, cook for the week and freeze for later.
This can be a money and time-saving strategy.
And although navigating a grocery store may seem overwhelming at first,
You can take control of your spending on food and still offer healthy meals to your family.
Make a food budget
The good news that there are smart ways to shop and healthy ways to eat - all on a budget.
A budget is a way to plan for spending and keep track of what you spend.
A food budget can help you:
1. not overspend on food
2. save for other things you may need or want for your family
3. track your spending so you know when you don’t have money left for new purchases
Step 1: The first step in making a food budget is to know how much money you have available to buy food.
To determine this, you will need to look at income and expenses over time.
Income
Income is how much money you have coming in on a regular basis.
This can be through employment or cash assistance.
Families may also receive food assistance such as SNAP and WIC. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. The WIC program is similar but is for pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum women with children up to the age of 5 that have a dedicated amount to spend each month on food.
Expenses
Expenses are the regular costs you pay each month of things like rent, utilities, and cell phone bills.
Step 2: Families should subtract their expenses from their income to see how much they have for left food that week or month.
Step 3: At the end of the week, review the spending with your family. See if you notice any places where you could spend less money.
Step 4: See how much you are already spending and on what
You can do this by keeping track of everything you spend on food for a week.
Write down or record into a phone all the food items you buy and how much they cost.
This includes any money that is spent eating at restaurants or ordering takeout.
If you have completed steps one through four, you now can look at how much you are spending on food. You should also be able to see how much income you have left.
Be sure and watch all the videos in our video series on eating healthy on a budget in the US.
28 авг 2024
