Three areas come to mind when I think about saving money on groceries: preparing filling meals using whole grains, using less expensive sources of protein, and eating more fruits and vegetables. Cooking from scratch is an important part of all of these areas. Preprocessed, prepackaged food is expensive and contains unhealthy chemicals and preservatives. This article talks about choosing sources of protein that are less expensive than meat.
When protein-rich food sources are mentioned, most people automatically think of meat, and usually red meat. Meat is a great protein food, of course, but it’s also usually the most expensive food on our grocery list. Ground beef can cost $2-$3 per pound and prices for other meats go up from there. Steaks and premium beef roasts can be $10-$15 per pound or more. Pork chops and roasts cost about the same as beef, and lamb is even higher. Poultry is a more economical choice for your thrifty retirement. You can buy whole chickens on sale for around a dollar a pound, and turkeys, either whole or as individual parts, are available for around $2 per pound.
As we try to stretch our retirement dollars, finding less expensive sources of protein should be among our top priorities. A quick search online will show you the best alternatives: beans, eggs, and cheeses. Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, offer protein as well, but it’s harder to work substantial amounts of those into a meal. Happily, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread is a great lunch!
You can eat on the cheap as you retire on the cheap by including beans of every shape and sort in your pantry. Dried beans are among the most economical foods and they provide valuable protein in a much less expensive form. Canned beans are convenient, and only a tiny bit more expensive than dried beans. Beans form the basis of dozens of different soups and casseroles, including chili, everybody’s perennial favorite. Chili doesn’t have to include meat, but if you can’t imagine chili without it, reduce the amount by half. You’ll never miss it.
Think of how many different kinds of beans you can buy: black beans, white beans, red beans, pinto beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans, soybeans, lima beans, butter beans, split peas, black lentils, red lentils, and the list goes on. Soybeans (edamame), and their versatile cousin, tofu, are the clear winners in the protein category.
If you’re a fan of Asian foods, you might be familiar with tofu. Even if you’re not familiar with it, you might have eaten it without knowing it. Tofu is soybean curd, made by introducing a coagulant into soymilk and then pressing to remove the water. Tofu is available in several varieties that range from very soft (silken) to very dry and firm. It is a complete substitute for meat and can be used in almost any dish: salads, stir-fries, casseroles, soups, lasagna, and chili, to name just a few. Tofu fans even use it in desserts. Soy has a distinctive flavor that many people love, and including tofu in your cooking habits will help stretch your grocery budget while providing a rich source of protein.
Bean soup comes in endless varieties: bean and ham, white bean and zucchini, split pea, lentil and sausage, and black bean and corn barely scratch the surface. Add Southwest seasonings to any heat level you like, from mild to scorching, for a satisfying, tummy-filling meal. Whole grain crackers on the side turn the meal into a nutritionally complete menu. Bean casseroles, aside from time-tested baked beans, include beans and rice. Red beans and rice is a Southern favorite in the U.S., and black beans and rice is a daily staple in Central America. A trip to Costa Rica hooked us on that dish.
A couple beans we often overlook are the lentil and the chickpea or garbanzo bean. These beans are commonly used in Indian cooking, which offers an entirely new taste experience if you haven’t tried this cuisine before. Indian food can be hot: there’s no doubt. Spicy curries can set your mouth on fire, but you don’t have to use those spices. Coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and paprika add rich flavors to foods you might have considered bland. Just think; you can save on your retirement grocery budget while you discover a new, less expensive world of eating.
Remember eggs as an inexpensive protein-rich food. At just a couple dollars a dozen, protein doesn’t get much cheaper than this. You can hard-boil them to eat as snacks or to chop into egg salad or tuna salad for sandwiches. They make the basis of omelets and frittatas, where you can use up bits of leftover meats, veggies, and cheese. Anything that provides a way to use leftovers is always a budget-stretcher.
If you’re not familiar with frittatas, they’re as simple as can be. Begin as if you are making an omelet, but instead of flipping it in half, crumble a bit of feta or shredded cheddar on top and pop it under the broiler for 60 seconds. It comes out bubbly and delicious! Try having an egg dinner one night a week. A frittata of spinach, black olives, and roasted red peppers with a sprinkle of feta is a real treat.
Speaking of cheese, this high-protein food is amazing in its versatility. Forget about cheeseburgers here: you don’t need that expensive, fat-laden beef patty. A grilled cheese sandwich on whole grain bread contributes a substantial amount to your daily protein need. One ounce of many common cheeses has as much protein as ½ cup of cooked beans. A snack of cheese wedges on whole grain sesame crackers accompanied by grapes or apples makes an easy-to-fix, refreshing lunch. Or fix a cheese plate for a new twist. For two people, the plate should contain three-ounce portions of about four different cheeses. White cheddar, muenster, brie, and blue make an interesting combination to start with. Add sliced pears or apples, grapes, walnut halves, and a tiny pot of honey and you have a protein-filled meal.
Cottage cheese is in a category of its own. A cup of lowfat cottage cheese has about the same protein as four ounces of lean chicken, and at a much lower cost. Cottage cheese can be a substitute for other higher fat dairy products, as well. It is amazingly tasty as a baked potato topping, and if you use an immersion blender to smooth it out, it’s a great substitute for sour cream in recipes. With less fat and more protein, that’s a budget-stretching nutrition winner. Yogurt is another protein source worthy of investigation, although it has only about half the protein of cottage cheese. A six-ounce carton of fruit flavored yogurt contains about the same amount of protein as an egg.
Grocery budgets are a prime area for savings as you retire on the cheap. Finding less expensive sources of protein is one way to cut costs every day, and moving away from the idea that meals must contain a large portion of meat in the center of the plate is the first step to long-term savings at the grocery store. Expanding your daily diet to substitute protein from beans, nuts, cheeses, and eggs instead of meat will introduce you to new foods and new ways of eating you’ll want to adopt for life.
We hope you picked up some useful tips about choosing less expensive sources of protein. Make sure you read our companion articles about preparing filling meals using whole grains and eating more fruits and vegetables. Stretch your retirement budget with cheap and healthy foods.
