You don’t have to break the bank to serve healthy meals during the holidays – even if you’re feeding a crowd – when you do the cooking yourself. Family and friends will appreciate your extra effort and enjoy the consideration of serving quality, wholesome food to those we love. Try these money-saving tips to celebrate the season without sacrificing your budget.
Good things come in cans
Canned foods make holiday cooking easy and affordable. Typically less expensive than fresh varieties, canned veggies have the added advantage of being already prepped and cooked, so they’re recipe-ready for holiday dishes. Many canned options, such as corn and beans, can be rinsed to remove up to 40% of added sodium. Canned pumpkin is another healthy holiday must-have. It goes from savory Pumpkin and White Bean Soup to sweet Pumpkin Crumble Bars to fit into any holiday menu.
Shop the bulk bins and the international aisles
When holiday recipes call for pricey items you don’t ordinarily buy – like nuts, dried fruits, and specialty flours – save money and buy these items from our bulk bins where you can purchase the exact amount you need. If recipes require expensive herbs and spices that you don’t keep in your pantry, check the international aisles for reasonably priced options to flavor your holiday meals without taking a big bite out of your budget. The Badia spices in the Hispanic section offer a great value-priced selection
Load up on veggies to make holidays healthy, flavorful and budget-friendly
All those big-batch dishes that are perfect for serving crowds during the holidays – stuffings, casseroles, chilis, soups, and stews – are even better with veggies that add color, texture, flavor and some good-for-you nutrients, too. It only costs a little more to add cooked cubed butternut squash to stuffing. Toss some frozen spinach into a casserole or mashed potatoes. Give chili a touch of sweetness with cubed sweet potatoes or throw an extra few cupfuls of fresh carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage or kale into a soup or stew. And, if you’re trying to stretch a small amount of meat in any of these dishes, the more veggies the better!
