I tried quinoa about 20 years ago, and couldn’t abide it. The stuff tasted like grass. But I’ve a Trader’s Joe’s mix with red quinoa in it that tasted OK. Now I can’t FIND quinoa anywhere to try it again.

With summer here, pick up a whole lot of veggies and marinate them in Italian or Greek salad dressing, then throw them on the grill. About 5 minutes a side, until they are nicely cooked. Toss in a bowl with some balsamic vinegar. Eat immediately.. and keep the left-overs in the fridge. They warm up quickly as a filling for sandwiches, etc.

Black beans and canned tomatoes are almost the only foods I buy from the center of the grocery store. Can’t live without them.

One thing I have been trying is the principle behind the bool “Eat Stop Eat”. I forget the author, and I haven’t read the book, but the concept behind it is to fast on a regular basis. I have been trying this weekly, taking one 24-hr period where I will fast. Sometimes it’s a little less than 24 hours. I do it for the health benefits, plus to loose a little of the extra weight I am carrying. But, a side benefit would be reduced food costs. For one day, I am not eating. I usually eat a meal at dinner and then will fast until dinner the next evening. In the end, I don’t eat that much extra at the dinner meal after my fast is over. I have lost about 5 pounds over the course of the last 1 – 2 months, and without really altering my diet in any other way. I do eat fairly healthy most of the time anyway. So, this is my tip on how to save at the grocery store … and improve your health.

M.

M.