By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
Don’t let these plain sounding foods fool you, they are some of the best during the holidays. What do potatoes, bananas, and oats all have in common? They are all foods that are not only affordable but also versatile in this holiday season. Some others to mention that we won’t go into detail are: frozen fruit for holiday pies, dried beans if you are doing a less traditional style holiday, herbs and spices to make it restaurant quality.
Potatoes
It’s not a stretch of the imagination when I say I could eat potatoes at every meal as a dietitian. They are affordable, have a decent shelf life, and can be made to go with almost any meal. You can make hash browns for breakfast, baked potato for lunch and mashed potato for dinner. You can boil them, bake them or even air fry them. If you are in a crunch for time and don’t want to wait for a potato to bake you can poke holes in the skin of a potato and microwave for about 5 minutes. This can be a good way to get some extra vitamin C and potassium in your day! During the holidays this is a staple dish on most tables be it russet, golden, fingerling, baby or sweet potatoes. Be aware of your portion size when filling up your plate.
Bananas
Bananas are something you can always count on. They can be eaten plain or dressed up on some dessert. They are a good source of carbohydrates when you are on the run. You can make a peanut butter banana sandwich or dehydrate them for a sweet treat. I like to use mashed banana as an oil substitute in my baked goods during the holiday season to lower the amount of added sugar in a recipe. The traditional banana pudding is also a great holiday dessert and very budget friendly to stick to. If you can’t eat all your bananas before they go bad you can always peel and freeze them for a great smoothie. Not only are you saving money, but you are also reducing food waste.
Oats
When you think of oats you might think of the boring breakfast food that you hated eating as a child. I’m here to suggest that oats have so much more to offer than just being used for breakfast, and for a great price point. Oats are not only low in fat, but they are also full of fiber. Oats can be used as a flour substitute in cookies and loaves of bread. They can be made into granola or even crumbles as a casserole or pie topping. Oats act as a bulker and a binder in meatballs or meatloaf so you won’t have to buy any additional ingredients. Some fish or chicken can even be crusted in oat flour. Oat flour can be made by just blending oats until they become a fine powder. With so many uses we like to buy in bulk which per ounce is generally a better deal.
Shop Store Brands
On a final budget saving note, we all have our favorite brands and they often come with a certain price. Although brands sometimes feel like a second home for us, look for store made brands like Open Nature, Lucerne, O Organics, Signature Reserve, and Signature Select to help you pinch a penny without sacrificing flavor. Research shows that Americans could save $44 billion collectively a year if we bought more store-brand items. Just be sure to check the labels to make sure it is a comparable item and read the labels first.
Ground Pork, Lentil and Mushroom Sloppy Joes
What You Need
1 lb ground pork
2, 8oz pkgs mushrooms
1 cans lentils
1 small onion
1 green bell pepper
1, 15 oz can No Salt Added Rotel
2 Tbsp. Mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
6 Whole Grain Buns
How It’s Made
1. Brown the ground pork
2. Roughly chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan and stir
3. Dice the bell pepper and onion and add it to the pan
4. Cook down for 5-10 minutes
5. Add in the can of lentils
6. In a small blender add the Rotel, mustard, worcestershire, brown sugar, and spices and blend until smooth
7. Add the sauce to the pan and combine
8. Put on a bun and enjoy
