1. The $64 dollar tomato dilemma.

Far from being frugal, gardening can easily turn into a money pit. Buying plants, buying soils, buying tools and seeking ideal produce can quickly turn your frugal goals inside out. We advise keeping your expectations low and being very strict about how much you will allow yourself to spend.

2. Growing what is cheaper to buy.

Carrots are finicky to grow and dirt cheap at the store. Potatoes are easy to grow but take up a lot of space and cost mere pennies to purchase. Think through each vegetable’s store-cost before taking the time and spending money on plants or seeds.

3. Growing what you will not eat.

Maybe you think that you should eat more squash but if you don’t like it now, it is highly doubtful that you will suddenly love it in three months. Improving one’s diet is a good goal but spending a lot of time weeding and watering is unlikely to endear a vegetable to you. Maybe trying growing one thing that you think you can develop a taste for, but don’t grow much of it and be patient with yourself and your family.

This is the first year I have grown a garden. My mother gardened when I was young (and I developed an abiding disgust for it) and as an adult I’ve avoided it assiduously. It made sense though to spend some effort on it this year when money was tight and I was home all the time.

We built a medium-sized raised bed out of materials we had on hand, bought a yard of topsoil and about 4 cubic feet of compost. We also bought eight packets of seeds and four plants on a two-for-one sale. Our total expenditure was about $35.

We love zucchini bread so I planted two hills of zucchini plants. I’m the only one that likes tomatoes so I only bought one regular plant and one cherry tomato plant. We love fresh herbs (and they tend to be expensive) so I bought a basil and an oregano plant and planted thyme, parsley and chives. Lettuce is easy to grow and fresh salad is marvelous so I also planted lettuce, arugula and spinach. Until the nights are a bit warmer I am covering my tomato and herb plants with cut-open milk jugs.

If we get a dozen salads, some zucchini bread and fresh herbs for a few dishes then we will have “paid” for our monetary investment but the gardening wouldn’t be worth the time if I wasn’t home full-time already.

Get busy! Planting season is well underway!

Caribbean Black Beans

4 servings

Serve over rice.

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
4 1/2 cups drained cooked black beans (3 16-ounce cans)
3/4 cup orange juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Sauté the onions and garlic in a non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes in a bit of olive oil until the onions begin to soften, adding a tablespoon of water if needed to prevent sticking.   Add 1 tbsp. of water, the ginger, thyme, and allspice and sauté, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the onions are very soft, for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the beans and orange juice and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly. Mash a few of the beans with the back of a spoon for a thicker consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Our series of articles on how to drink wine was really just for the purpose of getting to this one. Red wines are what it is all about. White and pink wines have their place, and we will introduce you briefly to sparkling and ice wines but red is the ultimate and the heart of the wine drinking experience.

Getting Ready

Start with a large wine glass with a wider bowl that narrows slightly at the top. You should be able to swirl the wine a bit. Try not to look too much like a snob as you do so. The point of the larger glass and the swirling is to let the wine open up a bit and be exposed to more oxygen. This releases flavor and scent and increases the joy of a simple glass of wine.

What to be Prepared For

Red wines are not sweet. They were fermented with the grapes and the skin all marinating together so they have tannins in them. Tannins are what gives the wine “body” and also what add the astringency to it. Red wines range from very light-bodied to very heavy bodied depending on how long the wine sat there with the grape-skins.

Red wines can have flavors that range from easy, soft and fruity ones like strawberry, plum and currant to heavy, dark flavors like tobacco, pepper, or leather. A complex wine will manifest a dozen flavors between the first smell and the last sip.

Finding What You Are Looking For

Red wine comes from many different grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel. These grapes may stand alone or be blended and they may be sold with the grape name on the label or not. European wines are generally sold under the name of the place they were grown and made while New World wines are generally sold under the name of the grape/grapes. This reflects the different beliefs about what gives wine it’s subtle flavor differences. France believes that where the grape is from matters most while most of the rest of the world believes that the grape matters most.

You will need an advanced degree in viticulture or many, many years of drinking and reading about wine to understand all of the fine distinctions and remember all of the regions and what kind of wine they produce. However, enjoyment is not based entirely on knowledge so feel free to start drinking and just learn as you go!

Eating and Drinking

Generally speaking the red wine with red meat and white with chicken/fish rule is a myth. Drink what tastes good to you while eating what tastes good to you. We enjoy red wine with everything from spaghetti to salmon and couscous or just with a few pieces of dark chocolate. It is always helpful to consult with your local wine shop when you want to pair a wine and a specific meal. And, as with all wines, it is very helpful to have a basic and inexpensive bottle that you just keep on hand. A sort of table wine that is easy-going and not more than $5-7 for your everyday drinking.

Cheers!

Most American pantries are stocked with food that you thought you would or should eat but in reality won’t unless you are actually and not just figuratively starving to death.

There are two things to consider as you think about stocking your pantry properly. Why are you doing it. And will the food last.

There are several reasons for stocking the pantry. Some are afraid of the Apocalypse, some are concerned about a heavy winter snowstorm and some just want extra food on hand so unexpected guests won’t know they are unexpected.

The first principle to remember is not to buy things just because you think, that you might, maybe, sometime, eat that canned okra. Only buy foods that you will eat without a gun pointed to your head.

The second is to buy food that won’t spoil in the length of time you plan to store it. Canned goods do eventually go bad and they are constantly losing their nutritional value as they sit. Dry food stuffs are much better. As a corollary to this principle, you must have a rotation plan in place, eating the oldest food first thus illustrating the importance of principle one.

How you go about stocking will depend on your financial situation and life circumstances. If you are just starting your own home you will have nothing in there and need to start from scratch. If you have an established home you may need to clean things out. You may want to restock all at once or you may want to add one or two things each time you go to the grocery store.

Be ruthless as you clean out the pantry. Don’t leave the iffy stuff. Get rid of all the food that is out of date and all the food that you wouldn’t want to have tonight for dinner (or snack, or dessert…). Donate anything that is not past it’s expiration to your local food bank.

Now make a list. Make a list like you are going out shopping with a thousand dollars to stock the pantry with everything you think you might need in an emergency like the Apocalypse or sudden job loss. And then if you have that thousand dollars, go buy everything. If not, carry this list with you as you do your normal shopping and gradually buy up everything on it.

STAY ORGANIZED. Really, we can’t emphasize this enough. Check the pantry at least monthly to make sure that things are staying stocked and you are replacing the things you use. Also check and double check to be sure you are not letting food spoil, or go out of date. Wasting money is simply foolish.

Tips and a sample list:

Buy, scrounge or steal airtight containers for things like flour, beans and rice.

Avoid plastic containers and limit metal cans. Jars are to be preferred.

Canned vegetables are essentially nutritionally worthless and flavorless so have no real value.

Aim for no more than a six month to one year supply of anything.

Don’t tell everyone or your house will be where we all come when the Apocalypse arrives…

List:

Flour

Sugar

Salt

Cornmeal

Vanilla extract

Baking powder & baking soda (must be double sealed to avoid picking up odors!)

Oils and shortening

Vinegar

Honey

Dried beans (pinto, red & navy)

Rice (brown, white, wild & pearl)

Pastas (spaghetti, macaroni, fettucini, etc…)

Spaghetti sauce (preferably in jars not cans or plastic)

Dry sauce mixes (ranch seasoning, pesto, etc…)

Popcorn

Tea

Peanut butter/Nutella

Jams and jellies

Evaporated, powdered and sweetened-condensed milks

Oatmeal

Wine

Chocolate chips

Applesauce/other canned fruit

Nuts (They can go rancid so don’t store them in metal. Buy in the shell if possible and do not store chopped or sliced nuts. Store in cool dark place for up to 4 months or 8 months in the freezer.)

…and speaking of the freezer…a four-six month supply of meats, butter and frozen berries and vegetables will work well if your freezer is large enough. You can stretch some things up to a year and beyond in the freezer but be careful of freezer burn and frost spoiling food. Double wrapping helps.

Other than food it is very easy to stock up on cleaners and such. Washing soda, borax and bar soap make laundry detergent. Bleach never spoils. Ditto dish soap and hand soap, shampoo and conditioner.

Know your wines: the pinks

Another wonderful guest post by Ms Amy Brueggemann

We in the United States tend to be wine snobs. If we turn our noses to white wines, we are positively appalled with pink. It’s not red. It’s not white. It’s so girly. In reality, with its zesty acidity, startling freshness, and essence of fruit, what’s not to love? Take the time to get to know a good rosé, and you’ll soon understand why those in Southern Europe find it the perfect libation for long summer nights.

A rose by any other name

A true pink may be called a rosé, rosato, chiaretto, rosado, vin gris, or blanc de noir. If you want to throw wine aficionados into fits of hysterics, call it white zinfandel.

Its hue may be the palest of pink, or tinged with colors of coral, orange, copper, or salmon. It may even be a clear crimson. It all depends upon where the wine originates, the grape used, and the wine making process.

Like reds, roses are made from red or black grapes. What makes them blush? Most are made by crushing the grapes and leaving the skins in contact with the fermenting juice anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days – just enough time to give the desired tint.

A laid-back pairing

Pink wines range from dry (most European rosés) to sweet (most American pinks). When poured into a glass, the wine should glisten in shades of orange to ruddy-pink. If it’s too pink (think flamingos) or too orange (think orange peel), it generally indicates poor quality or a wine past its prime. A pink wine does not age well. To get the most of this wine, serve it young, well-chilled, and al fresco.

To get you started, look for …

• From California: Cabernet Sauvignon; vin gris (north of San Francisco; along the central coast)
• From France: any rosé from southern France – Grenache (south); sauvignon blanc (Loire Valley); Pinot Noir (Marsannay); Gamay (Beaujulais)
• From Spain: Tempranillo; Grenacha (Catalonia; Navarra; Rioja)
• From Italy: an Italian rosato is typically a safe bet

• From Greece: Grenache rouge; rosé; pinot noir

Give pink a chance

But we must warn you: being the first of your social circle to embrace the pleasures of a good pink won’t be easy. The first bottle you bring to a gathering may be awkward. People may gape in horror; your own friends may shun you. You’ll be forced to explain that in Paris it’s often served for special occasions. And they may not believe you. Just remember, discrimination is never easy to overcome – but it’s always worth it. So champion on, my friends – champion on.

At the Complete Woman, we’re always on the lookout for a new favorite. Leave us a comment – let us know what you’d recommend!

]]> http://www.thecompletewomanblog.com/2009/02/know-your-wines-the-pinks/feed/ 1 http://www.thecompletewomanblog.com/2009/02/grocery-shopping/ http://www.thecompletewomanblog.com/2009/02/grocery-shopping/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:23:52 +0000 Amanda http://www.thecompletewomanblog.com/?p=440 If you’re new to the housekeeping thing or if your an old hand that could use some new routines then it may be time to examine how you do your grocery shopping.

This is a chore that affects many, many areas of your daily life. How you buy food impacts your budget, your health and your schedule.

Planning is key. Some fail to plan because they think they are too busy. Some just don’t know how because they’ve never practiced. In reality ten – twenty minutes of planning each week can save hundreds of dollars a month and hours of frustration.

Most American families spend a lot of money on food. Average is over $100 per week for a family of three and that does not include paper products, cleaning supplies or eating out. A good frugal goal is $15 per person per week for food and then the minimum necessary for paper products etc. Eating out rarely makes economic sense.

Every family’s specifics will be different and very often generalizations are not helpful but I will share exactly what my family does and explain how it can have wider application.

We have a $400 per month budget for everything: food, personal products, cleaning supplies, etc…but normally I only spend about $300 – $350 of that.

“My family” is myself (M), my husband (J), our one and two-year-old sons and my sister (Q) who lives with us and her fiance (K) who eats dinner here at least 3 or 4 times a week. We have no food allergies. We eat meat but don’t have to have it. I send lunch to work with my husband who has access to a fridge and microwave. Q is a health nut but is flexible about how much organic/whole-grain she requires. We often eat one meal a week at my in-law’s house and occasionally have guests over. We rarely eat out. We do not eat any cold cereal. The little ones eat almost everything we do. I never made or bought baby food.

Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down with a sheet of paper and plan the week’s meals. I plan one baked item for J’s breakfast. He likes to take muffins or some such thing to work in the morning (he leaves around 5:30am). I plan one dessert item like cookies or brownies. I plan a lunch item (usually a soup or stew or maybe burritos) for J to take and eat all week at work. I plan “tiffin” which is a late afternoon snack (homemade pretzels, cheese and crackers or leftovers). And I plan 4 to 5 dinners.

After all this planning I sit down and write down every single thing I need from the grocery store. In addition to the specific ingredients for each meal I buy milk, butter, yogurt, eggs, flour or sugar, bananas and usually wine and dark chocolate. I scarcely ever buy paper towels (we just use rags). We have two in diapers and spend about $35-$40 a month on generic diapers and Huggies wipes. We get all our shampoo, toothpaste, razors, toothbrushes, body wash and deodorant free by using the rebate items at Walgreens and RiteAid. My mother-in-law makes grape juice every year from a friend’s vines and so we don’t buy juice. I made applesauce this year and so we always have plenty of that.

Try to buy from the edges of the store. All the fresh, unpackaged, bulk, ingredient-type food (except the baking aisle) is on the outside edge of the grocery store. Think about only buying “outside the aisles” and you might end up spending less and eating better.

This week our menu was as follows:

Breakfast: Homemade Blueberry Muffins

J’s Lunch: Leftover Burrito Fixings

Tiffin: Homemade Bagel Chips (SO GOOD!)

Dinners: Homemade Pizza, Pancakes and Link Sausage, Winter Herb Pasta & Chicken Soup over Smashed Potatoes.

Sweet Treat: Vanilla Glazed Scones.

I’ve found that with one dinner a week at the in-law’s and with leftovers four planned dinners are plenty. I made the refried beans for J’s burritos as I always do and he eats them on whole wheat tortillas (which I will also be making as soon as I get a tortilla press). I like to cook but don’t spend an inordinate amount of time doing so. I almost never throw any food away and other than the diapers, we hardly have any trash because we buy so few packaged things. I make my own crackers (easy and much better than paying $3.50 a box) and make almost everything from scratch.

Anything you grow is probably cheaper than than buying. This year we will be planting our own grape vines so we have more grape juice, planting fruit trees so we have our own apples in a few years and planting a small veggie garden instead of doing ornamental plants in front of our house. All three of these projects will be nearly free as we are getting free cuttings for the grapes, had the posts to support the vines given to us, will be using more free cuttings to plant the apple trees, and will only have to buy some seeds and a couple of 2 x 12s for the garden.

Even if you don’t garden someone in your neighborhood probably does. Take them up on the offer when they are giving away zucchini! Most neighborhoods have fruit trees in them and these often go unharvested. Ask your neighbors if they want you to pick it for them and get it out of the way. If you have a planter full of ornamental grasses, ground cover and flowers then you are already gardening. Try making some of that time/money/water worthwhile by planting something edible. Lettuce grows easily.

It is important to remember the value of your time. If, like me, you are at home all day anyway then most baking, gardening and planning will done in time you couldn’t really do anything else but if you are able to work profitably with those hours then it might just be cheaper to buy the ready-made things rather than doing it yourself. Just know that time is not always free and if you can earn a decent wage then economies of scale mean that the baker, the farmer and the butcher can make it cheaper than you.

Sift or whisk together 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 5 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cut in 3/4 cup cold butter.

Whisk together 1 cup milk and one egg. Add this to the flour/butter mixture and gently mix. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and gently press/knead into a 1/2 inch thick, squarish shape. Trim the edges, cut into 1 & 1/2 – 2 inch squares and then cut the squares into triangles. Place close, but not touching, on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned on top.

When they are cooled (about 5-10 minutes) drizzle them heavily with a simple glaze made of 1 Tablespoon melted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream.

Eat with lots of tea, good friends and great conversation.

Know your wines: the whites by Ms. Amy Brueggemann

Green, red, black – it’s hard to tell what type of wine a grape will become when it’s hanging from the vine. That’s because white wines – though pale in comparison – may be made from the same grapes as their red counterparts. It’s all in the wine making process. And since white wines generally pair better with lighter fare, it’s always good to have a bottle or two on hand.

Light and Dry

Not a wine drinker? Then these are the wines for you. Light on aroma, tartness, and sweetness, they go down easy. These wines should not be aged. Drink them young and cold, with a light meal.

To you get you started, look for …

• From California: Chablis and Chenin Blancs

• From France: light, white Bordeaux, Muscadets, plain Chablis, and Macon Blancs

• From Italy: the Soaves, Frascatis, Pinot Biancos, and Trebbianos

Aromatic and Fruity

Wines in this category are a tricky lot – typically, you’ll either love them or you’ll hate them. If you tend to carry on love affairs with sweet beverages, then an aromatic, fruity wine may become your new best friend. Drink them young and cold. Many such wines (Gewurztraminers, for instance) pair perfectly with Asian dishes; others (Muscats, for example) are better suited as solo acts.

Look for …

• From Germany: estate wines from the Rhine or Mosel (look specifically for Qualitatswein, Kabinett, and Spatlese).

• From France: Rieslings and Gewurztraminers

• From Italy: Muscats (Moscato)

Full-bodied and Dry

Now to the leaders of the pack – full-bodied, dry wines offer robust aroma and flavor, without being sickeningly sweet. Dry whites can be aged for several years, so do feel free to stock-up. Serve cool – not cold – with chicken, lamb, seafood, and vegetables.

Look for …

• From California: Chardonnays
• From France: Rieslings*, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Gris, Semillons, and Chenin Blancs
• From Germany: Rieslings and Moselles
• From Spain: White Riojas
• From Italy: Pinot Grigios and Soaves
• From Australia and South Africa: as a general rule, white wines produced in Australia and South Africa will rise to the occasion.

*yes, Rieslings range from sweet to dry

The Nobles

Finally, we would be remiss to close our introduction to white wines without first tipping our hat to the noble grapes. Noble grapes are those used to produce the finest of wines. In order to be classified as such, the grape must be capable of producing the highest quality of wine without modification and be grown in various regions of the world.

Noble grapes used for white wine:

• Chardonnay: full, soft, buttery, fruity; hints of peach, pear pinapple, citrus, melon, butter, vanilla

• Riesling: vividly fruity, lively acidity, richly textured (oily); hints of flowers, apples, limes, passion fruit, minerals, petrol

• Sauvignon Blanc: crisp, light, dry, acidic; hints of grass, gooseberries, asparagus, green beans, flint

• Semillon: round, smooth, honeyed, toasty; hints of grass, citrus, lanolin, honey, toast

• Chenin Blanc: crisp, dry, acidity; hints of apple, melon, grass, honey, honeysuckle

• Gewurztraminer: exotic, intensely spicy, perfumed, oily, rich; hints of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg

Do offer respect, where respect is due. But feel free to experiment with something new. After all, wine makers throughout the world are constantly producing hybrids of great promise. So keep tasting. Who knows? You may just find a most “noble” wine of humble origins.

At the Complete Woman, we’re always on the lookout for a new favorite. Leave us a comment – let us know what you’d recommend!

The wine experience, like the literary experience, is one that rewards simple effort with simple pleasure and one that rewards increased effort with exponentially greater pleasures.

Most women are content to sip a glass of very sweet white or (horrors!) pink wine. Wine appeals to them as a cocktail is appealing; an easy vehicle for a bit of alcohol. But it is a pity to squander a life without enjoying the deep beauties of a solid Burgundian red or a rich California Cabernet.

Why Bother?

Wine offers more than almost any other beverage a world unto itself. A world of gastronomic delight, a world of learning. Appreciating wine stimulates the mind, and adds depth and richness to everyday life. Drunk in moderation, wine also offers mild health benefits. The natural chemical makeup of wine means that it is a perfect accompaniment to many, even most, foods. It is also arguably the most social beverage. Not only does it offer all the ordinary social benefits of an alcoholic beverage, it can be the center of the social experience by the power of its own personality (try that cocktails!).

Avoiding the snob factor.

Wine is meant to be drunk. Appreciating the dedication that goes into making it, being grateful for its beauties does NOT necessitate knowing everything about wine. Much wine knowledge is esoteric, much is more myth than fact and much is simply unnecessary. Anyone who tries to make themselves feel superior by having one more fact or a better pronunciation down should be excluded from your social circle on the basis that they are very unpleasant people. Learn all you can but learn it to increase your enjoyment not to better your reputation.

What kinds?

We will be doing a couple of follow-up articles about the different types of wines but here we would just like to mention that one of the reasons wine can seem so confusing is because the experts are still fighting about what means what. In Europe they tend to classify wines by where they are grown and in the New World by what kind of grapes are in them. The terms for this, reading left to right, are “Appellation” and “Varietal”. Now don’t let some esoteric argument about how to label a bottle intimidate you out of even trying to learn. It is not that hard and is well worth it.

How to start.

Just go get a bottle. Your local wine shop will be more than thrilled to recommend a bottle. More than thrilled. They will fall all over themselves to help you learn. They want to sell wine and if they can make you an enthusiast…then they can sell more wine.* Just go in, tell them you are a novice, tell them how much you can afford to spend today, tell them if you prefer red or white (or if you don’t care) and tell them what you are making for dinner. They will suggest a bottle that is likely to pair well with what you are making. If someone treats you poorly (bad customer service happens) don’t blame wine; their boy/girlfriend may well have broken up with them this morning or they may have just fallen into foreclosure or something equally hideous. One never knows what is behind that grumpy demeanor.

Now go home with it and as you finish cooking dinner open the bottle. There are many complex and bulky corkscrews on the market but you shouldn’t have any trouble with the basic waiter’s corkscrew that looks like this.

Use the little blade to cut around the foil at the top of the bottle and peel it off. Insert the tip of the corkscrew into the middle of the cork, twist it in trying not to go too deep and then use the little lever thingy to pull the cork out. It works like a charm. If you feel awkward getting it open ask us about the time we opened a bottle with a literal screw and a pair of pliers. We have pictures.

Pour your self a small portion and taste the wine. Taste it before you eat, enjoy it while you eat and finish up after you finish eating. The wine will take on many different flavors, will seem to change as the meal progresses and should provide plenty of discussion material between you and your dining companions (you weren’t planning on eating alone were you?).

Do this a few hundred times, checking back to read our forthcoming more detailed articles, and you will be well on your way to understanding and appreciation the myriad blessings of wine.

Cheers!

*In Boise where The Complete Woman has her offices the Co-op is hands-down the best wine shop. Selection and expertise are unmatched. There are many other wine shops around town and we have heard nothing but GOOD about any of them.

Of course the easiest and cheapest way to well at lunch is simply to carry some of the delicious food you make at home, to work with you. Of course we have all had those days when we simply forgot to pack, hadn’t enough time even if we remembered and, the worst, walked out the door and left it on the counter. Here are a few alternatives

If you are near a grocery store:

One small tub cottage cheese, one small can of pineapple or pears. $2.50

One whole-grain bagel, few slices deli meat and cheese and a packet of mayo or mustard and a whole piece of fresh fruit or baby carrots. $3.50

A small brick of nice cheese (Gouda, Havarti, Sharp White Cheddar) and a packet of nice crackers and a packet of baby carrots. $7.00

If you are near a Wendy’s:

One baked potato, one cup chili and one side salad. $3.00

If you are near a gas station or convienence store:

Two small packets peanuts or sunflower seeds,  one bottle orange juice and one small packet of crackers. $5.00

If you are near a friend’s house:

Whatever they have! (At our house today we can offer leftover homemade chili, leftover spaghetti, quesadilla’s, breakfast burritos, peppered salami and Havarti pizza on a tortilla…

Things to avoid.

Most fast-food salads are anything but healthy. Tons of toppings, rich dressings and huge portions make them nearly as calorie laden as the burgers.

Super or Value sized anything.

The sub shops. Their food does taste better but really isn’t any better for you than the fried stuff. Theirs is sodium laden and calorically dense. They may offer a very few more nutrients but are twice as expensive.

Sodas. Duh.

Things to seek out:

Fruit, dried or fresh but preferably fresh.

Protein! This is often forgotten but with too many carbohydrates and no protein you will be asleep by 2pm.

Water. It’s free (as long as you don’t get suckered into the bottled kind) and filling.

Nuts. Good fats and lots of protein and they are very satisfying.

Common misperceptions:

Most people are more worried about salt and fat than they should be. Low salt and low fat diets are really only for heart patients. Total calories are much more important. A smaller serving of a higher fat content will be more satisfying. Try drinking your usual 16oz skinny latte as a 12oz whole milk latte or (even better) an 8oz breve latte.

Portion size. The smallest size offered is usually plenty for a normal person.