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PREPARED BY Human Nutrition Information Service

Home and Garden Bulletin Number 183

Your Money's Worth In Foods Contributing Authors: Dianne Ödland and Carole Davis

Revised September 1984

Contents ^^

Page

If you're a consumer who wants to economize on food, or a teacher, extension agent, or other leader who advises families on how to use their food money wisely— "YOUR MONEY'S WORTH IN FOODS" was written with you in mind.

This publication brings together information on meal planning and food shopping to make food dollars count for good nutrition. Many practical guidelines are given. The guides for family food expenditures and meal planning, as well as the cost comparison tables in this booklet, are based on research conducted by the Human Nutrition Information Service.

"YOUR MONEY'S WORTH IN FOODS" is revised from time to time to update food price and marketing information. This revision has been designed for use in the classroom or in workshops. Each of the eleven major sections is a self-contained "unit" that begins on a new page and may be reproduced separately. With supplemen- tary materials and/or activities provided by the teacher or workshop leader, each unit might serve as the basis for a lesson or class. Camera-ready copy for reproducing multi- ple copies of this publication in whole or in part is available at a nominal charge from Superintendent, Print Manage- ment Division, U.S. Government Printing Office, Wash- ington, DC 20401.

Many people are concerned about food costs and good nutrition. How about you? Do you sometimes won- der if you make the best use of your food money? Does it provide enjoyable, nutritious meals for your family at a price you can afford?

Wise management of your food money means more than cutting your food bill—it also means making sure you get good nutrition and eating pleasure for the money you spend on food. Wise use of food dollars is a challenge to most shoppers, regardless of income. It's an ongoing job that requires advance planning, using basic tools to make sound cost comparisons, and following through at home after your food shopping is done. For tips to help sharpen your food money management skills, READ ON!

Take Stock of Your Needs 3 How Much to Spend for Food 3 Your Family's Food Needs 6 Your Family's Food Preferences and Eating Patterns 8 Your Time and Skills 9

Develop a Plan 10 Menu Planning 10 Shopping Lists 12

Put Your Plan to Work 13 Where and When to Shop 13 Supermarket Shopping Aids 13

Shop Smart for Vegetables and Fruits 16 How Much to Buy 16 How to Compare Costs 17 How to Cut Costs 19

Shop Smart for Breads and Cereals 20

Shop Smart for Milk and Milk Products 21 How to Compare Costs 21 How to Cut Costs 21

Shop Smart for Meat and Meat Alternates 23 How Much to Buy 23 How to Compare Costs 24 How to Cut Costs 25

Shop Smart for Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol 26

Reduce Waste 27 Food Waste 27 Fuel for Food Preparation 29

A Final Check—How Did Your Plan Work? 30

Cost Comparison Tables 31

U.S. Department of Agriculture publications contain public information. They are not copyrighted and may be reproduced in whole or in part with or without credit. However, the Department appreciates acknowledgement of information from its research and publications.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402

Tccke Stock oí Your Needs

The first step in trimming your family's food bill (even before you start planning) is to take stock of your needs. Think about the following questions: First, how much should you spend for food? What are your family's food needs? What are your family's food preferences and eating patterns? How much time and skill do you and other family members have for food preparation? All of these will affect your decisions about which foods to serve your family.

How Much to Spend for Food How much should you spend for food? In simple

terms, you should spend enough to give your family nutritious meals they will enjoy eating. But no one can tell you in dollars and cents how much to spend. A nutritious diet can be provided at various cost levels by many com- binations of foods. The less you spend, though, the more careful you have to be to select foods that are economical as well as nutritious.

Thecostoffood in the U.S. Department of Agriculture family food plans may help you estimate how much you might reasonably spend for food. Food economists and nutritionists developed these nutritious food plans for men, women, and children at four cost levels—thrifty, low-cost, moderate-cost, and liberal. The food plans are nutritionally good assortments of foods that reflect the buying practices of families who spend different amounts of money for their food. Costs of foods in the food plans are updated each month.

The thrifty food plan is a guide for families with little money for food, such as families receiving food stamps. It relys heavily on economical foods such as dry beans, flour, bread, and cereals. It includes smaller amounts of meat, poultry, and fish than families typically use. The low-cost and moderate-cost food plans are suitable for most Amer- ican families. They contain more meat and more vegetables and fruits than the thrifty food plan. They also allow for more variety and less home preparation of food. The liberal plan is for families who want and can afford even greater variety in their meals. It contains more of expensive foods such as meat, cheese, and ice cream than the other plans.

Table 1 shows which of the four food plans—thrifty, low-cost, moderate-cost, or liberal—families of different sizes and incomes generally can afford. Table 2 shows the weekly cost of each plan for individuals according to their sex and age. Together, these two tables can help you set a reasonable food cost goal for your family.

Take Stock oí Your Needs

USING TABLE 1—Locate the column that corresponds to the number of persons in your family. Move your finger down this column to the point opposite your family's income before taxes are deducted. The plan mentioned

there costs about the amount a typical family (size and income similar to yours) spends for food. For example, a family of three with an income of $1 7,000 would probably find the low-cost plan best suited to its situation.

Table 1.—The food plan for the family

Year's income (before taxes)

1-person family

2-person family

3-person family

4-person family

5-person family

6-person family

T' 1 ; $0-$5,000 T' T' T' T' T' $5,001-S10,000 LC T' or LC T' T' T' T'

$10,001-$15,000 MC LC or MC Tor LC T' or LC T' T' 1 $15,001-$20,000 MC or L LC or MC LC Tor LC Tor LC T' or LC $20,001-$30,000 L MC LC LC Tor LC TorLC $30,001-$40,000 L MC or L MC LC or MC LC LC $40,001-$50,000 L L MC or L MC LC or MC LC or MC

T = Thrifty LC = Low Cost MC = Moderate Cost L = Liberal

'Many families of tfiis size and income are eligible for assistance through the Food Stamp Program. For further information, contact your welfare department.

After you have selected a food plan from table 1, use table 2 to help you determine the cost of food in that plan for each person in your family. The food plan costs shown in table 2 assume that all meals and snacks are prepared at

home in a family of four people. If some meals are eaten out, if you regularly have guests for meals, or if your family has fewer or more than four persons, you must make cost adjustments as described below.

USING TABLE 2- from table 1 :

-Use costs for the food plan you selected

(1) Find the amount opposite the age and sex of each family member. If the member eats all meals at home (or carried from home), use the amount given in the table. If some meals are eaten out, subtract 5 percent from the amount in the table for each meal not eaten at home. For example, if your husband eats lunch out five times a week, subtract 25 percent or one-fourth of the cost shown for his age group.

(2) If you regularly have guests for meals, adds percent of the amount in the table for the proper age group for each guest for each meal. For example, if grandmother eats her midday and evening meals at your home every Sunday

add 10 percent or one-tenth of the amount for women her age.

(3) Total the amounts for family members and guests.

(4) If there are more or fewer than four persons usually eating at the family table, adjust the total as follows:

—For a one-person family, add 20 percent. —For a two-person family, add 10 percent. —For a three-person family, add 5 percent. —Forafamily of five orsix persons, subtracts percent. —For a family of seven or more persons, subtract 10

percent.

This adjustment is needed because large families generally are able to buy and use foods more econom- ically than small ones.

Take Stock oí Your Needs

Table 2.—Weekly food costs by age and sex ' - (U.S. average, March 1984)

Individuals Thrifty plan Low-cost plan Moderate-cost plan

Liberal plan

Child: 1

1-2 years $ 9.60 $11.60 $13.50 $16.20 3-5 years 10.40 12.80 15.70 18.80 1 6-8 years 12.80 16.80 21.10 24.60 1 9-11 years 15.20 19.20 24.70 28.50 ||

Female: 12-19 years 15.90 19.00 22.90 27.70 20-50 years 16.20 19.90 24.10 30.80 51 years and over 16.00 19.30 23.70 28.20

Male: ,

12-14 years 16.10 21.80 27.10 31.80 1 15-19 years 16.70 22.70 28.00 32.40 20-50 years 17.80 22.60 28.20 33.90 Í 51 years and over 16.20 21.40 26.20 31.40 1

'Assumes that food for all meals and snacks is purchased at the store and prepared at home. Costs given are for individuals in 4-per!,on families. Nonfood items are not included.

^Costs are estimated monthly by the Human Nutrition Information Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hyattsville, MD 20782. Current cost figures are available from this address on request.

The weekly food cost you calculate fronn table 2 is only a rough estimate. The amount you acfua/Zy spend may be more or less, depending on where you shop, how carefully you plan and buy, whether you raise some of your own food, how much food you prepare from scratch, and the importance you put on food in relation to other family needs.

Compare your usual weekly food costs with the cost of the food plan you figured above. If you're not sure how much you usually spend, try keeping a record. Remember to include the cost of all food eaten at home—whether it comes from the supermarket, from home milk delivery, or from a fruit or vegetable stand. Do not count the amount you spend at the supermarket for nonfood items; these account for about 25 cents of each dollar spent in supermarkets.

If you usually spend about the same amount for food as your estimate calculated from the cost of food in the plan, you will know that your spending is in line with what other families of similar size and income are spending. Furthermore, you will know that the amount you spend is probably enough to provide nutritious meals. If you spend a lot more than your calculated estimate, you probably could use some help in holding food costs down. If you spend a great deal less, you may be an unusually careful shopper or you may not be providing the assortment of food your family actually needs.

What's the bottom line? How much have you decided you should spend for your family's food? Try setting this amount as your food cost goal next time you go shopping.

o^

Your Family's Food Needs Spending a reasonable amount for food does not auto- matically lead to nutritious diets. A variety of foods is needed to supply the energy and nutrients for normal growth and good health.

The Daily Food Guide USDA food and nutrition scientists have translated

what is known about the nutrient needs of people and the nutritive values of foods into a flexible, easy-to-use guide. This guide, presented below, can help you select the foods your family needs.

In the guide, foods are sorted into five groups according to the nutritional contribution they make. You can be reasonably sure that you are feeding family members wisely if you—

• Give them the number of servings suggested from each of the first four groups each day.

• Include a variety of foods within each group.

• Choose additional foods to round out meals and satisfy appetites.

• Moderate intake of fat, cholesterol, sugar, sodium, and, for adults who drink, alcohol.

The guide will help you get the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and protein) you need, and consider calories too. Calories are a measure of energy that food provides. Almost all foods provide calories; most provide nutrients too. Everyone needs calories as well as nutrients, but too many calories result in obesity—a common nutritional problem in our country.

There is enough variety within the groups to allow choices of food that fit the family budget. Each group includes some foods that are low in price and some that are high.

Daily Food Guide

Food Croup and Number of Servings

Count as a Serving Nutritional Benefit Use in Meals

V2 cup fruit or vegetable or typical portion as served—

1 orange or banana V2 medium grapefruit or

cantaloupe 1 wedge of lettuce bowl of salad 1 medium potato

4 or more

Vitamin C—Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons), melons, berries, tomatoes, dark-green vegetables. Have one serving every day.

Vitamin A—Dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables. Have often.

Riboflavin, folacin, iron, magnesium—Dark- green vegetables.

Fiber—Unpeeled vegetables and fruits, especially those with edible seeds, such as berries, okra, and cucumbers.

Starch—Potatoes (white and sweet), corn, green peas.

Low in fat and calories; no cholesterol.

Vegetables or fruits: • Serve raw or cooked. • Use in salads or as side

dishes.

Vegetables: • Use in casseroles, stews, and

soups.

Fruits: • Use as juice and occasionally

in desserts (cobblers, pies, and shortcakes).

BREAD Products made with whole-grain or enriched flour or meal;

1 slice bread 1 biscuit or muffin 'A to Vi cup cooked cereal,

cornmeal, grits, macaroni, noodles, rice, or spaghetti

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal

B vitamins and iron—Most whole-grain and enriched breads and cereals.

Zinc, magnesium, folacin, and fiber—Whole- grain products.

Protein—A major source in vegetarian diets.

Lower in calories—If prepared and served with little or no fat and sweets.

Breads and cereals: • Have at all meals and snacks. • Serve at breakfast as toast,

muffins, pancakes, or grits; cooked or ready-to-eat cereals.

• Use at lunch or dinner as macaroni, spaghetti, noodles,

4 or more or rice in a casserole or side dish, and breads in sandwiches—hot or cold. Use crackers or cereals as snacks. Have occasionally as a baked dessert, such as cake, pastry, or cookies made from whole- grain or enriched flour.

CHEESE

8 ounces milk or yogurt 1 ounce Cheddar or Swiss

cheese = VA cup milk 1 ounce process American

cheese = -A cup milk 1 ounce process cheese food or

spread = Vi cup milk '/2 cup ice cream or ice milk =

'/i cup milk Vi cup cottage cheese = Vi cup

milk

Calcium—Major source in American diets.

Protein, riboflavin, vitamins B,„ ß,,, and A.

Vitamin D—If product is fortified.

Lower calories and fat—Lowfat or skim milk products. Items fortified with vitamins A and D contain the same amount of nutrients as whole milk products.

Child: Teenager: Adult': 2 to 3 4 2

Mill<: • As a beverage at meals and

snacks. • On cereals. • In soups, main dishes,

custards, puddings, baked goods.

For variety, replace part of milk with:

• Yogurt. • Cheese (plain, on crackers, or

in sandwiches, salads, and casseroles).

Group

2 to 3 ounces of lean cooked meat, poultry, or fish without bone

Equal to 1 ounce of meat: • 1 egg • '/• to '/4 cup cooked dry

beans, peas, soybeans, or lentils

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter • 'A to Vi cup nuts or seeds • 2 ounces bologna

Protein, iron, zinc, vitamins B,, and ß,,, and other minerals and vitamins.

Vitamin B¡,—Only foods of animal origin.

Zinc—Red meats and oysters are the better sources.

Iron—Red meats are important sources.

Magnesium—Dry beans and nuts.

Lovi'er calories and fat—Dry beans and peas, red meat with fat parts trimmed away, poultry with skin removed, and fish.

Relatively low in cholesterol—Fish and shellfish, except for shrimp. None in dry beans and peas. (Organ meats and egg yolks have the highest amount.)

Main dish. Ingredient in a main dish— soup, stew, salad, casserole, or sandwich.

SWEETS

Little or none required, unless

for calories

No serving size defined, as no number of servings is suggested

Includes— • Butter, margarine,

mayonnaise, other salad dressings

• Sugar, candy, jams, jellies, syrups

• Soft drinks, other highly sugared beverages

• Wine, beer, liquor • Unenriched, refined bakery

products

Calories.

Vitamin E—Vegetable oils.

Essential fatty acids—Vegetable oils.

Vitamin A—Butter and margarine.

Ingredients (sugar and fats) in recipes. Added to foods at table— sugar on cereals, dressings on salads, and spreads on bread. Expensive "extras"—candy, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

'More for women who are pregnant or lactating.

Take Stock of Your Needs

¿r Your Family's Food Preferences and Eating Patterns

No food is a bargain or benefits the body if it is not eaten. So foods that your family will eat and enjoy should be the basis of the meals you serve. Make a collection of recipes that contain economical and nutritious foods that your family likes and serve them often. Watch for new recipes and ideas that use low-cost foods.

What about foods your family doesn't like? Must you avoid them completely? Maybe not. Think of how you usually prepare these foods. Are there ways you might improve their acceptability? Maybe the foods are too plain or too bland. Maybe they could be combined with other foods that your family does like. Look for recipes that use these foods in new ways. If the foods are economical, nutritious, and add variety to your family's meals, it's worth a try.

Your family's eating patterns will also affect what foods you serve. Think about the foods your family eats and when these foods are eaten. Your family's eating probably follows a day-to-day pattern to fit the schedules of all. Maybe only juice and toast are served for breakfast, a fairly heavy meal at mid-day, and a light meal at dinner time. Or, maybe breakfast is big, lunch is light, and the main meal is in the evening, with after-school or late-night snacking. Weekend meals are probably different than those eaten during the week.

Any pattern that suits your family is a good one if it—

• Provides for regular meals.

• Allows for a variety of foods from the four main food groups—vegetable-fruit, bread-cereal, milk-cheese, and meat-poultry-fish-beans—as shown in the Daily Food Guide.

The use of a meal pattern in planning food for the day can help assure the variety of foods needed for a good diet. For example, if you usually serve fruit or juice for breakfast, a vegetable or fruit at lunch, and two vegetables and sometimes a salad or fruit dessert for dinner, you have included the four servings of vegetables and fruits suggested in the guide. By including one serving daily of a citrus fruit or juice or other good source of vitamin C and dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables frequently you are probably getting the nutrients you need from the vegetable- fruit group.

One meal pattern that allows for foods suggested in the Daily Food Guide is shown below. The "X's" indicate which food from the food group at the head of the column might be used in the part of the meal pattern specified at the left. This pattern permits considerable day-to-day variety. For example, the vegetable or fruit at lunch might be the vegetables in a soup, casserole, or crisp salad; an apple or

carrot in a packed lunch; a glass of tomato juice; the lettuce and tomato in a sandwich; or the pumpkin in a piece of pie. If a meal pattern—even a flexible one— hinders rather than helps you in planning your meals, forget it and check your meals daily using the Daily Food Guide.

Food Croup

Meal Pattern

Vegetable- fruit

Bread- cereal

Milk- cheese

Meat- poultry-

fisln- beans

Morning Fruit or juice

(citrus, melon, strawberries) . .

Main dish-^ and/or cereal with milk ..,

Bread Beverage

Noon Main dish-' Vegetable or

fruit Bread Beverage

Snack Beverage Other

Evening Main dish'' X Vegetable X Vegetable and/or

salad {dark- green or deep- yellow vegetable at least every other day) X

Bread X Dessert X X X Beverage X

'"X" means a food from the food group at the top of the column might be used for this meal. ^Usually includes some meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, peanut butter, cheese, or egg. It may contain other foods as well.

Take Stock of Your Needs

¿r Your Time and Skills

You can usually save money if you prepare foods fronn scratch. But if time and money are limited, you may need to rely on convenience foods that are quick and easy to prepare some of the time.

Supermarkets offer foods that differ in the convenience they provide. Generally, the more convenient a product is, the more it costs. For example, ready-to-eat items and frozen plate dinners and entrees that require only heating usually cost far more than similar products prepared at home. If time is really at a premium, convenience may be worth the added cost. But first make sure that your food budget can handle this cost.

Some convenience products are reasonably priced and may even cost less than homemade versions. Good

buys usually include frozen orange juice concentrate, frozen french-fried potatoes, instant nonfat dry milk, canned vegetables (depending on season), and some baked products made from a mix.

One way to save money is by making your own convenience foods. When you have time, prepare extra food. Then freeze in portion sizes you'll need later. Pancakes, waffles, dinner rolls, plate dinners, spaghetti sauce, and lasagna are just a few of the many convenience foods you can make yourself

Keep in mind that eating out may be "tops" in convenience, but can be very costly. On the average, a meal eaten out costs twice as much or more than a meal prepared at home.

Now that you have thought about the factors that affect your food purchase decisions, it's time to develop a plan for buying food. One way to plan is to prepare tentative menus and a shopping list that consider the needs of all your family members.

As you begin these tasks, first check to see what items you already have on hand. Make a special effort to include perishable items. Also try to use items in your pantry and in your freezer while they're at peak quality and nutritive value.

Look over food ads in the newspaper. Keep in mind that advertised specials may not be good buys compared to other foods you might buy. Many times, though, you can save a lot by buying specials, especially those at the meat counter. Try building some menus around the week's specials that fit your budget and stock up on specials for foods you use regularly if you have enough storage space.

Check for coupons that offer refunds on certain foods, too. Some appear in the paper; others come in the mail and with foods you buy. If these coupons are for foods you usually purchase, and are good buys compared to other brands of the food, you can save by using them. But watch out! Specials and coupon offers invite you to buy on impulse. And impulse buying can upset your budget. Re- member that some foods may not fit your budget, even with special prices and refunds.

Be flexible during planning and shopping. Take advantage of good buys by being ready to make changes in your menus and shopping list.

Menu Planning The cost of meals, of course, depends on the foods

you include in your menus. The sample menus given below show some of the types of food choices that affect cost. Both menus follow the same meal pattern and both include foods suggested in the Daily Food Guide. While menu 1 costs much less than menu 2, neither menu includes the least costly nor the most costly food selections. Neither of the menus will suit your family exactly. But comparing the types of menu items in each will help you see how to keep food costs down. Try to pick out the differences in menu items yourself. Then look at the money-saving tips that follow the menus.

10

Develop a Plan

Two Sets of Menus Following A Simple Meal Pattern

Meal Pattern Menu 1 (Lower Cost)' Menu 2 (Higher Cost)'

Morning:

Fruit or juice (citrus, melon, Orange juice (frozen) Melon (fresh) strawberries)

Main dish and/or cereal with milk Farina with milk English muffin sandwich with cheese, mushroom, and egg

Bread Wheat toast

Beverage Milk (nonfat dry) or coffee Milk (lowfat) or coffee

Noon:

Main dish Peanut butter and jelly sandwich Sliced turkey on whole-grain roll with lettuce and tomato

Vegetable or fruit Celery sticks, banana Broccoli (fresh)

Bread Wheat bread (in sandwich) Roll (in sandwich)

Beverage Milk (nonfat dry) Milk (lowfat)

Snack:

Fruit or cookies Oatmeal cookies (homemade) Pear (fresh)

Beverage Apple juice (canned) Milk (lowfat)

Evening:

Main dish Baked chicken Beef round roast

Vegetable (dark-green or deep- Carrots (fresh) Asparagus (frozen) yellow at least every other day)

Vegetable Mashed potato Baked potato

Bread Wheat bread Bran muffins (bakery)

Dessert Apple crisp (homemade) Angelfood cake (bakery) with strawberries (frozen)

Beverage Milk (nonfat dry) or coffee Milk (lowfat) or coffee

'Estimated daily cost for a family of four with two school children (Washington, DC, spring 1984) for menu 1, $9.00; for menu 2, $19.00.

11

Develop a Plan

Si Well-balanced meals at low cost, compared with

those at high cost, usually include—

• The less expensive ki nds of foods from each of the first four groups in the Daily Food Guide. In menu 1, chicken was used instead of beef round roast, nonfat dry milk instead of fresh milk, carrots instead of asparagus, and wheat bread instead of a whole-grain roll.

• Smaller servings, or fewer servings of meat, poultry, and fish—once in menu 1 compared to two times in menu 2.

• More dry beans and peas, peanut butter, breads, and cereals.

• More home-prepared foods and fewer ready-to-heat or ready-to-eat foods.

Using "planned-over" foods in your menus is another good way to help trim food costs (and save food preparation time, too). "Planned-overs" simply means planned leftovers. Planned-overs are a good way to make effi- cient use of large meat cuts and other foods that come in large packages. For example, roast a chicken, turkey, beef roast, or ham; slice for eating while hot. Cool the rest quickly and cut into meal-size portions for use later in casseroles, stir-fry dishes, sandwiches, soups, stews, and salads. Be sure to freeze food that you won't use in a day or two. By combining meat bits with other ingredients in such dishes, you are saving two ways. You are (1) "stretching" your meat dollar and (2) are avoiding costly waste of leftover foods.

Plan your menus keeping these tips in mind. Then, once your menus are planned, look them over. Look at each food and ask yourself:

• How does its price compare with other foods that could replace it in the meal?

• Will my family eat and enjoy it?

• Do I have the time and skill to prepare it?

Shopping Lists A complete list of foods, based on planned menus,

simplifies shopping. It includes all the foods you need for the meals in your menus, except those already on hand. If menus are well planned, a complete list can lead to nour- ishing meals, probably at lower cost. You are less likely to buy impulsively, and one trip to the store may be enough.

Many shoppers settle for a partial list—or a shop-now, plan-later list. With a partial list you do not plan actual menus, but jot down general needs such as breakfast cereal, bread, seven main dishes (one for company meal), salad makings, sandwich fillings, fruit for lunches, and similar items. At the store, you purchase a variety of foods based on which are the best buys. Then you plan and prepare meals using these foods.

It is up to you whether you shop with a complete list, a partial list, or no list. But, if you shop for food without planning, look out! Impulse buying may send costs soaring.

y

Put Your Plan to Work

\

At last, with needs determined and planning done, you're ready to shop. Where and when you shop will affect the prices you pay. Where you shop may also affect the shopping aids available for your use.

Where and When to Shop Where you shop is important. Check prices in nearby

stores for several foods you buy on a regular basis. Then decide which store offers reasonable prices and other features important to you, such as convenient location, variety and goodquality of foods, off-street parking, check cashing, and aids to help you make food purchase decisions (see below).

You may choose a chain or large independent store because it offers more variety, more shopping convenience, and better prices than smaller stores. Ware- house or "no frills" stores generally offer even better prices. For certain foods, you may prefer a specialty shop like a bakery, meat market, or vegetable stand.

It's usually best to pick-a convenient, reasonably priced store and stay with it. Store-hopping for advertised specials or to redeem coupons may be pennywise, but unless the stores are close together it can be costly in gasoline, or bus fare, and time.

Try to go to the store when it is not too crowded and when you have time to select with care. Take time to study labels, compare prices, and learn about new food products. C/Ve iood buying the attention it deserves.

Supermarket Shopping Aids Most supermarkets provide shopping aids such as

open dating and unit pricing that can help you decide

which products to buy. Open dating can lead you to the freshest products. Unit pricing can help you find best buys among various container sizes and brands of food. You can also use itemized receipts from computer-assisted checkout systems to compare costs. Use all shopping aids available to you—they can help you save money!

Open Dating—Many products are "open dated"— have a date stamped on the label. Open dating is not required by Federal law. But some States and localities require open date labeling of certain foods. Many man- ufacturers voluntarily use open dates.

Four basic types of open dates are used: Pull- or sell- by; freshness or best-if-used-by; expiration or use-by; and pack date. Sometimes a date is shown on a food package but the fype of date is not specified. In such cases, the kind of food product is the best guide as to how the date should be used. For example,

• "Pull-By" or "Sell-By" date is used on foods such as milk, cheese, and packaged meats. It is the last date the product should be sold. Products will retain good quality for several days beyond this date if they are stored properly.

• "Freshness" or "Best-lf-Used-By" date is used on products such as bakery goods or packaged cereals. This date is the last day the product can be expected to be at its peak quality. Then, it may lose some of its freshness, but will still be acceptable for eating. Bakery goods that have passed their freshness date may still be sold for a short time, but at lower prices.

13

Put Your Plan to Work

• "Expiration" or "Use-By" date is the last date the food should be eaten or used. It is used on products such as refrigerated doughs and yeast. Food prepared from products used after the expiration date may be un- satisfactory in eating quality.

• "Pack" date is the date the food was manufactured or processed and packaged. This type of dating is used mainly for foods that have a long shelf life, like canned goods.

Unit Pricing—Large container or small—which should you buy? Many times food in large containers costs less than food in smaller containers—but not always! To be sure, compare costs per unit—ounce, pound, or quart, for example. Many stores now provide "unit pricing" as a service to their customers. The price per unit is shown along with the item price (total price of the food) on the display shelf or above the display compartment. If your store does not have this service, you can figure the unit price yourself—divide the price of the food by its net weight (ounces) or volume (fluid ounces).

You can save money by comparing the cost of the same food in different sized containers. For example, peaches in an 8y4-ounce can may cost about $1.15 a pound compared to $0.65 a pound in a 29-ounce can. An ounce of ready-to-eat cereal from individual packs may cost three times as much as an ounce of the same cereal from an 18- ounce package. For some foods, there may be little or no difference in cost per pound or per ounce between the large and small containers.

-,;

when comparing unit prices, keep in mind that a "cheaper" item is not always the better buy. The big economy size is not a good buy if—

• Food is left over and eventually thrown out.

• Using it up means monotonous meals.

• You can't store it properly and conveniently.

Which brand should you buy? Unit pricing helps here too. Store brands and little-known brands usually cost less per unit than well-known brands. Some stores also sell "generic" products—foods with no brand. Most of these come in plain packages with labels that are white with black letters. Generic foods usually cost less, but are just as nutritious as name brands. Sometimes generic foods are on the shelf with name-brand products; sometimes they are in

ITEM PRICE

640 UNIT PRICE

$3.42 PER QUART

FROZEN ORANGE JUICE 6-oz.

ITEM PRICE

890 UNIT PRICE

$2.38 PER QUART

FROZEN ORANGE JUICE 12 oz.

14

¿? Put Youi Plan to Work

Si a special section of the store. Some of the many products available in generic form include canned fruits and vegetables, packaged macaroni and cheese dinners, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, and peanut butter.

What about quality? Does lower price mean lower quality? Generic foods and lower priced brands may be less uniform in size, color, or texture. But they may be similar enough in quality to more costly brands to satisfy you. Whether or not generic products are acceptable to you will depend on your own tastes and preferences and also on the way you plan to use the food. For example, if you use chopped canned peaches in a fruit salad, irregular pieces in a generic brand will probably be just as acceptable as uniformly shaped pieces in a name brand.

Some foods are offered in bulk form—not prepackaged. You simply scoop the food out of a bin and put it into a bag. You can buy as much or as little as you want—a special advantage to small families. Bulk foods often cost less per unit than prepackaged foods because there are no packaging and advertising costs. Foods that you may find available in bulk include flour, sugar, cereals, dried beans, rice, pasta, and spices—to name just a few.

Computer-assisted checkout—Many supermarkets now use an electronic scanner checkout system. This computer-assisted system uses a laser beam scanner to read the Universal Pricing Code (UPC) on products. The UPC code is the pattern of bars printed on packages by the manufacturer. This pattern identifies the item, manufacturer, and package size. The UPC code is fed into the store's computer and the computer matches a price to the product.

¿r Then, the product description and price are printed on your receipt tape and flashed on a display unit for you to see. The receipt tape can be a big help in keeping track of where your food money goes, in fact, it may be your only record of the price you paid because many supermarkets that use scanning don't put prices on food containers. The price appears only on the store shelf and on your grocery receipt.

15

Shop Smart íor Vegetables and Fruits

Families In the U.S. spend about 20 cents of each food dollar for vegetables and fruits. If yours is a family of four and you follow the Daily Food Guide, you use more than 100 servings of these foods in a week. That's a big oppor- tunity for saving money, so its worthwhile to take the time to find best buys!

Your search for best buys in vegetables and fruits extends to several departments of the supermarket. Some are in the fresh produce, canned goods, frozen foods, and dried foods sections of your supermarket— others may be in the generic foods section.

Season and supply influence prices of fresh vegetables and fruits. Prices of canned, frozen, and dried vegetables and fruits vary widely by item, brand, grade, type of process, and seasoning. Cost studies show you can use inexpensive vegetables and fruits and spend only half as much as if you buy more costly and out-of-season items.

How Much to Buy The list below can help you judge amounts of vegeta-

bles and fruits to buy according to market unit. It shows about how many servings you get per pound of fresh produce, per can, or per package. In this listing, a serving is V2 cup; 1 medium-size apple, banana, peach, or pear; or 2 apricots or plums. A serving of cooked dried fruit is Vi cup of fruit and liquid.

Fresh Vegetables Servings per pound

Asparagus ... . 2 to 3 Beans, lima (in pods) 2 to 3 Beans, snap 5 to 6 Beets, diced (without tops) . . .. 3 to 4 Broccoli 5 to 6 Brussels sprouts 5 to 6 Cabbage:

Raw, shredded 11 to 12 Cooked 4 to 5

Carrots: Raw, diced or shredded (without

tops) 5 to 7 Cooked 5

Cauliflower 5 to 6 Celery:

Raw, chopped or diced 8 Cooked 6 to 7

Kale (untrimmed) 6 Mushrooms 4 Okra Onions, coo Parsnips (wit Peas (in pod Potatoes, mc Spinach (pre Squash, sum Squash, win SweetpotatO( Tomatoes, raw, diced or sliced ... 4

Okra 5 Onions, cooked 3 to 4 Parsnips (without tops) 5 Peas (in pods) 2 Potatoes, mashed, sliced, or diced 4 Spinach (prepackaged) 2 to 3 Squash, summer 4 to 5 Squash, winter 2 to 3 Sweetpotatoes 3 to 5

\r-

16

Shop Smart íor Vegetables and Fruits

Frozen Vegetables

Servings per 9-or 10-oz

package

Asparagus 2 to 3 m Beans, lima 3 to 4 Beans, snap 3 to 4 Broccoli 3 Brussels sprouts 3 to 4 Cauliflower 3 Corn, whole kernel ... 3 to 4 m Kale 3 to 4 Peas 3 m Spinach 2

Canned Vegetables Servings

per 16-oz can

Most vegetables 3 to 4 M Greens, such as kale or spinach . 3

Dried Vegetables Servings per pound

Beans 11 to 14 m Peas, lentils 13

Fresh Fruit

Apples Bananas Peaches Pears Plums

Apricots Cherries, sweet Grapes, seedless

Blueberries ~~\ Raspberries _|~

Strawberries .. ..

Servings per unit (pound or pint)

to 4 per pounc

5 to 6 per pound

5 to 6 per pint

4 per pint

Frozen Fruit

Servings per 10- or 12-oz

package

Blueberries .. ■'S^^^^H ■■i: 3 to 4 mf^ Peaches 2 to 3 Raspberries 2 m Strawberries 7 tn ^

Canned Fruit Servings per

16-oz can

Served with liquid 4 Drained 2 to 3

Dried Fruit Servings of cooked

fruit per 8-oz package

Apples .... 7 Apricots . . . 5 Mixed fruits 5 Peaches . . . 5 Pears 4 Prunes, unpi tted 3

How to Compare Costs Costs of vegetables and fruits can be compared on the

basis of the amount needed for a family meal or a single serving. See below.

• For a family meal, look at the lists above to see how many pounds, cans, or packages you need of the foods you want to compare. For example, suppose you are planning a meal in which either frozen spinach, fresh sweetpotatoes, or canned carrots would fit nicely. To find the best buy, simply compare the price of the number of market units you need of each.

• To compare costs for single servings, first figure the cost per serving by dividing the price of a pound, can, or package by the number of servings it provides. Then compare the costs of single servings for various vegetables and fruits and decide which are the best buys. Tables 1 and 2 at the end of this booklet (pp. 31-37)will help you find the cost per serving of vegetables and fruits using prices in your supermarket.

To help you save money on vegetables and fruits, you may want to figure the cost per serving of those your family likes. To do this, use your store's prices with tables 1 and 2. Then list vegetables and fruits in order by the price per serving. Plan to serve the least costly ones most of the time. Avoid the expensive ones until their prices are lower.

Below are lists of some of the least costly and most costly vegetables and fruits based on Washington, DC area prices (spring 1984). Moderate cost items are not listed. Good sources of vitamins A and C are coded on the lists as follows:

(A) Good source of vitamin A

(C) Good source of vitamin C

(AC) Good source of vitamin A and good source of vitamin C

17

^

Shop Smart ior Vegetables and Fruits

¿r The least costly and most costly vegetables and fruits

on your list may differ from these, depending on your family's preferences, the season of the year, and the prices in your store at the time you figure costs.

Least Costly Items (15 cents or less per serving)

Most Costly Items (25 cents or more per serving)

Fruits Vegetables

Fresh Apples (C) Cabbage Bananas (A) Carrots

(C) Grapefruit Celery (C) Oranges Cucumbers

Pears Eggplant Watermelon Green beans

Lettuce Onions

(C) Potatoes (C) Rutabagas (AC) Sweetpotatoes (C) Turnips

Canned Apple juice Beets Applesauce (AC) Collard greens

(A) Apricot juice Corn (C) Citrus juices Green beans

Pineapple juice (AC) Kale Prune juice Mixed vegetable

juice Mixed vegetables

(AC) Mustard greens Peas

(C) Potatoes Sauerkraut

(C) Tomato juice (AC) Turnip greens

Frozen (C) Concentrated citrus (A) Carrots

juices Potatoes Other juices

Dried Potatoes

Fruits Vegetables

Fresh Grapes (C) Asparagus

(C) Honeydew melon (C) Cauliflower Peas

(AC) Spinach (AC) Squash (winter)

Canned (A) Apricots (C) Asparagus

Berries Mushrooms Cherries

(C) Citrus sections Fruit cocktail Peaches Pears

(A) Plums

Frozen Berries (C) Asparagus Cherries (C) Cauliflower

(A) Melon balls Corn-on-the-cob (C) Peaches (A) Sweetpotatoes

Vegetables, in pouch

Vegetables, in cheese and other sauces

Dried (A) Apricots

Dates (A) Peaches

Prunes Raisins

18

=^

Shop Smart for Vegetables and Fruits

How to Cut Costs • Be ready to substitute one vegetable for another, one fruit for another—if it means a saving and your family will accept the change.

• Check different forms of a food—fresh, canned, dried, frozen—to see which is the best buy.

• Learn to spot fresh produce of good quality.

• Limit purchases of perishable foods—even at bargain prices—to amounts that can be used while they are still good.

• Take advantage of seasonal abundance. Foods in season will be at their peak in quality and often are low in cost.

Keep in mind, however, that some vegetables and fruits, even in season, may not be within your budget.

• Watch for specials on canned and frozen products your family likes. Stock up on good buys if you can store them properly.

• Try lower priced brands and generics. You may like them as well as more expensive brands.

• Season and prepare sauces for frozen vegetables yourself if you have time. Frozen vegetables with sauce or butter added or boil-in-the-bag vegetables usually cost about twice as much as plain frozen vegetables.

j^ 19

Shop Smart íor Breads and Cereals

Most breads and cereals are popular, inexpensive, and fit easily into meal plans. Many cost only pennies per serving. Yet, whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals provide worthwhile amounts of vitamins and minerals, as well as food energy.

A recent national food consumption survey showed that only 12 cents of every food dollar went for flour, cereals, and bakery products. At the same time, however, these foods supplied 41 percent of the thiamin (one of the B vitamins), 33 percent of the iron, 28 percent of the riboflavin (another B vitamin), 23 percent of the calcium, and 19 percent of the protein in diets.

To help you get your money's worth from breads and cereals, consider these points:

• Whole-grain or enriched products are much more nutritious than unenriched products. At comparable prices, enriched bread provides about three to four times as much thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and iron as unenriched bread. Most white bread and some specialty breads are enriched. Check the wrapper or ask the baker to be sure. Wrappers will either say "enriched" or will include enriched flour or added nutrients among labeled ingredients.

• Enriched specialty breads, such as French and Italian, cost up to three times more than enriched white bread with similar nutritional value.

• A large loaf of bread does not always weigh more or contain more food value than a small loaf. Compare prices of equal weights of bread to find the better buy. The weight is shown on the wrapper.

• Parboiled (converted) rice costs over twice as much as

regular rice. Precooked (instant) rice costs about three times as much as regular. Rice mixes, with seasonings added, are much more expensive than regular rice you season at home.

• Whole-grain and bran cereals provide dietary fiber, which is necessary for normal functioning of the intes- tinal tract. Most ready-to-serve whole-grain cereals, the ones with the grain listed as the first ingredient on the label, are bargains too. They usually cost less per ounce than cereals that have flour or sugar listed as the first ingredient.

• Cereals may have nutrients added. Many cereals are fortified to provide between 25 percent and 100 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of some vitamins and minerals. Cereals with 100 percent of the allowance are usually more expensive. If you are fol lowing the food guide or coming reasonably close, these highly fortified cereals may be an unnecessary expense.

• Ready-to-serve cereals and instant hot cereals packaged as individual servings may cost two to three times as much per ounce as the same cereal in large boxes.

• Cereals you cook yourself are almost always less expensive than the ready-to-serve ones.

• Day-old bread and baked goods may be available at a great savings. Ask or watch for these in the stores where you shop or at special bakery outlets nearby.

• Baked goods made at home often cost less than ready- baked products. Compare the cost of the ingredients for your favorite recipes with the price of equal amounts of similar bakery products that your family enjoys. Then decide if it is worthwhile to make your own.

20

Shop Smart íor Milk and Milk Products

You can buy milk for your family in many forms— some costing a lot more than others. Price depends on whether milk is fresh, cultured, canned, or dried; whether part of the fat has been removed; and whether milk solids have been added. The size of the milk container and where you buy milk make a difference in price too.

In some areas, families can stretch their milk-buying dollars by using nonfat dry milk in place of fluid milk in cooking and as a beverage. Compare the cost, quart for quart, of milk made from nonfat dry with fluid whole, lowfat, and fluid skim milk at your supermarket. In most places, nonfat dry milk and fluid skim mi Ik are least expensive. In most places—but not all—nonfat dry milk costs less than fluid skim milk.

Nonfat dry milk and skim milk have as much calcium, riboflavin, and protein as whole milk, but they have no fat and only about half as many calories as whole milk. These are advantages if you're trying to moderate your fat and calorie intake.

How to Compare Costs Check the prices for different forms and container

sizes of milk in your area. Then decide which is best for your family and budget.

Here are prices per quart of fresh whole milk in different sizes of containers from Washington, DC area supermarkets (spring 1984):

Here are prices per quart of different types of milk from Washington area supermarkets:

$0.33 per quart for nonfat dry milk (one-sixth of a package that makes 12 quarts equals one-half gallon).

$0.44 per quart for fresh skim milk in a '/2-gallon carton.

$0.48 per quart for fresh lowfat (2 percent) milk in a '/2-gallon carton.

$0.49 per quart for fresh whole milk in a '/2-gallon carton.

$0.50 for fresh buttermilk in a '/2-gallon carton.

$0.64 per quart for evaporated milk (about 2'/2 cans, 13 fluid ounces each, with an equal amount of water added makes one-half gallon).

How to Cut Costs • Buy fresh fluid milk at a supermarket or retail dairy store. You will likely pay more for milk that is home delivered. Milk at convenience stores may cost more too.

• Buyfreshmilkin '/2-or 1-gallon containers if you can use that much without waste. You may save 10 to 20 cents per quart by buying containers larger than quart size.

• Try nonfat dry milk in cooking and as a beverage. Some families mix equal amounts offresh whole milk and recon- stituted nonfat dry milk for drinking.

• Buy nonfat dry milk in the largest package size you can store and use without waste. If nonfat dry milk is stored in a cool, dry place it will remain usable for several months.

21

^

Shop Smart for Milk and Milk Products

Milk Products—Cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and ice milk contain calcium and other nutrients found in milk. They can be used to replace some milk in diets, but at added cost. They also provide more calories per serving than milk. The chart below compares the cost of milk products with the cost of fluid whole milk in amounts that provide equal calcium (see Daily Food Guide, p. 6).

Cost' of product . ..„ j ^ compared to cost of Milk product r i M ■ ■

whole milk with equal amount of calcium

Natural Cheddar or Swiss I cheese, pasteurized

process American cheese, processed

I cheese spread or cheese food About 2 times as much

Yogurt, ice milk, or ice cream About 3 times as much

Cottage cheese About 8 times as much

'Cost comparison based on Washington, DC prices, spring, 1984.

The following tips will help you find best buys in milk products. In most cases—

• Natural cheeses, especially those marked aged and sharp, cost more than process cheese.

• Grated cheeses cost more than equal amounts of the same cheese in wedges or sticks.

• Cheeses in large boxes and jars and cottage cheese in large cartons cost less per pound than the same products in smaller containers.

• Pasteurized process cheese costs more and has more cheese flavor than pasteurized process cheese spread. Cheese spread, by law, can contain more moisture than process cheese.

• Cheese spread from a pressurized can costs more than cheese spread from a jar.

• Cottage cheese with fruit or vegetables costs more than regular cottage cheese.

• Fruit-flavored yogurt costs more than plain yogurt.

• Ice cream costs more than ice milk.

22

y

Shop Smart for Meat and Meat Alternates

The meat, poultry, and fish items in meals usually cost the most. In fact, a recent national food consumption survey shows that more than a third of the money U.S. families spend for food is used for this group of foods. But the range in costs of different types and cuts of meats is great, so careful selection can result in worthwhile savings.

To take advantage of best buys at the meat counter, you must be aware of the many cuts of meat available and know how to use them in family meals. Keep in mind that the economy of a cut depends on the amount of cooked lean meat it provides as well as its price per pound. Often the cut with a low price per pound is,not the best buy in food value or in servings of meat provided. It is the amount of cooked lean meat, or the number of servings for the price that matters. For example, a fairly high-priced meat with little or no waste may be more economical than a low- priced cut with a great deal of bone, gristle, or fat.

Lean meat from a lower cost cut is similar in food value to lean meat from a higher cost cut. For example, cooked lean from pot roast or round steak, trimmed of fat, is as nutritious as porterhouse steak, trimmed of fat. Liver and other variety meats are especially good sources of certain vitamins and minerals, but are high in cholesterol.

How Much To Buy Learn to estimate the amounts of different cuts needed

to feed your family—the pounds of chuck and pork roast, the size of chicken, and the number and thickness of chops and steaks. The amount of fat, gristle, and bone a single cut

contains varies from piece to piece; thus, the exact amount to buy often must be judged at the meat counter.

If average amounts of waste are assumed and you count 3 ounces cooked lean meat as a serving, you will get—

• 3 to 4 servings per pound from items with little or no fat or bone such as—

flank steak liver ground meat center cut of ham round steak veal cutlet stew meat, lean fish steaks and fillets boneless roast with little

fat

• 2 to 3 servings per pound from items with a medium amount of bone, gristle, or fat, such as—

most roasts poultry some chops and steaks dressed fish ham

• 1 to 2 servings per pound from items with much bone. gristle, or fat, such as—

rib chops of lamb, pork, or shank veal chicken wings and backs

plate and breast of lamb or short ribs veal

porterhouse, T-bone, and club steaks

spareribs

23

Shop Smart for Meat and Meat Alternates

■^it: You may serve more or less than 3 ounces depending

on how much family members want or the size of pieces, such as chicken parts, chops, or steaks.

How To Compare Costs Here are two ways to compare meat costs at the

store—cost per meal and cost per serving:

(1) Cost per meal: Find the package size of meat, poultry, or fish that will provide the needed servings for a family meal—or more if you plan to use the meat for additional meals. Compare the costs of various meats for a meal. Example: For a family of four, a 1'/¡-pound round steak that costs $4.00 ($3.00 per pound) providing enough meat for one meal may be compared with half the cost of a 4- pound pork loin roast costing $6.60 ($1.65 per pound) that can be used for two meals /$6.60 ^^ ^^ A

-— = $3.30 per meal

You may want to set a top limit on the price of your dinner meat, or set an average amount that would allow for both high- and low-cost items.

(2) Cost per serving: Compare the cost per serving of different types and cuts of meat. Using the example above, divide the price per pound by the number of servings a pound will provide. For example:

Round steak at $3.00 per pound 3 servings per pound

Pork loin roast at $1.65 per pound 2 servings per pound

$1.00 per serving

$0.82 per serving

Table 3 (p. 38) will help you compare costs of equal- size servings of cooked lean meat from different types and cuts of meat, poultry, and fish. It shows the cost per 3- ounce serving of cooked lean at different prices per pound.

Sample costs of a 3-ounce serving of cooked lean from some cuts of meat and of cooked poultry and fish are shown below. The costs below are for one serving and are based on Washington, DC area prices in the spring of 1984:

25 to 50 cents: beef liver, ground beef, turkey, whole frying chicken, picnic shoulder, canned tuna and sardines.

50 to 75 cents: whole ham (cured and ready-to-cook), canned ham, frozen haddock and ocean perch fillets, chicken breasts.

75 cents to 1 dollar: beef chuck roast, beef rump roast, round steak, pork loin roast, whole leg of lamb.

1 to 2 dollars: pork chops, sirloin steak, beef rib roast.

2 dollars or more: porterhouse steak, lamb chops, veal cutlets.

At these prices, you could spend from $1.00 to over $10.00 for meat to feed a family of four. These cost comparisons show, in general, which types and cuts of meat are expensive and inexpensive choices. To make sure, you need to compare costs using prices at your store.

Poultry—One of the most popular main dishes, poultry is also one of the least costly. The form in which poultry is purchased often determines whether it is a good bargain. For example, whole ready-to-cook turkey usually provides more meat for the money than boned, rolled turkey roast. Whole chicken is usually a better buy than chicken pieces, such as breasts and legs, in terms of amount of meat it provides. Table 4 (p. 39) will help you decide whether whole chicken or chicken parts is the better buy in your store.

Fish—Compared with some cuts of meat, certain kinds offish are lower in cost. Frozen fish fillets—perch, cod, and whiting, for example, are generally moderate in cost year round. Canned tuna is an economical main dish; light flaked or chunk tuna is less expensive than solid white tuna. Canned sardines, mackerel, and herring are usually thrifty buys but are high in sodium.

Meat alternates—To vary meals at low cost, use dry beans, dry peas, peanut butter, and eggs in place of meat some of the time. These foods provide protein and many of the same nutrients found in meat, yet are usually as good or better buys than the less expensive cuts and kinds of meats. Watch for new ways to prepare foods in this group—you may save money.

24

Shop Smart íor Meat and Meat Alternates

The cost of meat alternates and several lower cost meat items is compared below. Ready-to-eat amounts of each food will give similar amounts of protein.

Food Amount ready to eat Amount to purchase Cost'

Dry beans 1 cup 3 oz (dry) $0.10 Peanut butter 4 tbsp 2 oz 0.17 Pork and beans .... 1 cup Vi of Mb can 0.22 Esas 2 2 0 22 Tuna 2 oz '/3 of 6'/2-oz can 0.24 Chicken (whole) 2 oz' '/, lb 0.28 Ground beef 2 oz Vt lb 0.29 Ham (whole) 2 02^ % lb 0.34

'Costs based on prices in Washing 2Lean meat without bone and/or s

on, DC supermarkets, spring, 1984. in.

Egg prices vary by size and grade. Sizes most often found in stores are small, medium, large, and extra large. Although larger sizes usually cost more per dozen than smal 1er sizes of the same grade, they are sometimes cheaper by weight.

The chart below provides general guidelines for find- ing the best buy between one size of eggs and the next larger or smaller size if you want the most egg, by weight, for your money:

when the price of large eggs, per dozen, is (in cents)—

Buy the larger size if the price difference between it and the next smaller size is less than (in cents)—

65 to 72 ...9 73 to 80 ..10 81 to 88 ..11 89 to 96 ..12 97 to 104 ..13 105 to 112 .. 14 n 3 to 120 ..15 121 to 128 ..16 129 to 136 .. 17 137 to 144 ..18

For example, when the price of large eggs is 90 cents, extra large ones are a better buy if priced at less than 12 cents more, or $1.02 a dozen. If medium eggs cost less than 78 cents, they are a better buy than the large ones priced at 90 cents.

How to Cut Costs • Choose from the cuts and types of meat, poultry, and fish that provide the most cooked lean for the money spent. Learn to prepare them properly and in a variety of ways.

• Check the "specials." At special prices, you may be able to afford some cuts that are usually beyond your budget.

• Look for USDA grades on the beef you buy. USDA Prime, USDA Choice, and USDA Good are the grades most often found in retail markets. Compared with Choice, similar cuts of Good grade beef contain more lean and usually cost less per serving, but they are not quite as juicy and flavorful.

• Use small servings of meat, poultry, and fish, and rely on more economical foods—potatoes, rice, macaroni products, and breads—to fill in meals. Try to use at least one serving of meat, poultry, orfish daily along with amounts of dry beans, dry peas, peanut butter, and eggs to make up servings suggested in the Daily Food Guide, page 6.

• Get all the flavor and food value from a piece of meat by using leftover meat in casseroles, salads, sandwiches, and as flavoring for cooked vegetables. Cook meat bones with beans or soup. Use broth to moisten meat.

25

Shop Smart íor Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol

Most people buy and enjoy some foods from the fifth food group—fats, sweets, and alcohol. These foods con- tribute calories and appetite appeal to the diet, but few nutrients. They account for 20 cents of every dollar U.S. families spend for food at home. This group is a good place for the budget-conscious shopper to start cutting food dollars. It is also a good place for those who are overweight to start cutting calories. Foods from this group should be used in moderation for health reasons too.

Foods such as sugar, syrups, fats, and salad dressings are ingredients for preparing some foods, or are added to other foods at the table. They can play an important role in

meals by adding to the palatability of foods that provide needed nutrients.

Foods such as candies, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are simply "extras" in the diet. They might be reduced or eliminated to cut food costs, especially if you don't need extra calories. The abundant calories they supply are costly compared to other foods that provide mainly calories. For example, 100 calories from sugar cost about 2 cents, but as much as 29 cents from soft drinks and 55 cents or more from some alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine. Money spent for diet soft drinks, coffee, and tea provides almost no nutritional return—even in calories.

26

Your efforts to save food dollars don't stop at the checkout counter of your supermarket. You can continue to save at home by avoiding waste during food storage and preparation.

Food Waste Millions of dollars worth of once-edible food is

thrown away in American households each week. This kind of waste isa big drain on the food budget—you surely can't save dollars if much of the food you buy ends up in the garbage!

How much of your family's food ends up in the garbage or disposal? If you're not sure, keep a record for several days. As well as the amount of food wasted, note what types of foods were thrown away and why.

How many of the following examples sound familiar? Solutions for each problem are given; perhaps you can think of others.

PROBLEM: You cook too much food, put the leftovers in the refrigerator, but the leftovers spoil before you get a chance to use them. SOLUTION: First, think about how muc/i you had leftover. Next time, maybe you shouldn't buy or prepare so much. Or perhaps you could use the leftovers the next day at lunch or add them to the dish you cook the next evening. For example, if you have leftover peas, you might combine them with carrots or add them to a tuna noodle casserole. A bit of leftover meat could be used in a sandwich spread or in fried rice. You might also consider freezing leftover

foods for later use. Planning ior the use of leftovers (p. 12) will help you control food waste.

PROBLEM: Over the weekend you bought ground beef to use for Monday's dinner. But by Monday your meal plans changed. On Saturday, as you clean the refrigerator, guess what you find-a very spoiled package of ground beef! SOLUTION: Be careful—ground beef is very perishable; it must be either cooked or frozen within a day or two after purchase. Next time your meal plans change, freeze the ground beef for use at a later date. Or, if you have time, make a food such as spaghetti sauce and freeze it for future use.

PROBLEM: Nearly half the head of lettuce you bought last week spoiled. SOLUTION: Of course, you can't buy less than a head of lettuce. Thus, you must make a real effort to use the whole head before it spoils—in tossed salads, on sandwiches, under fruit salads—anyway you can manage.

PROBLEM: Spoiled bananas. SOLUTION: Buy only as many bananas as you plan to use and store them properly. Keep them at room temperature until ripe, then put in the refrigerator. The skin will darken but the flesh will stay flavorful and firm, if bananas become too ripe to eat out of hand or in a salad, use them in banana bread or in other recipes that call for fully ripe bananas.

27

Reduce Waste

What other types of foods were wasted in your household? Whatever the food, there's a way to avoid wasting it in the future. The following tips will give you a good headstart on cutting down on food waste:

(1) Tailor your food purchases to amounts you can use. Avoid buying too much of perishable foods.

(2) When you shop, use "sell-by" dates and "best-if-used- by" information to help select the freshest foods available (see section on open dating, p. 13). Use these dates at home to indicate how long foods will remain fresh.

(3) Store foods promptly and store them properly. Refrige- rated items should be stored between 35° to 40°F, frozen items at 0°F.

(4) Cool, cover, and promptly refrigerate or freeze leftover foods. Use refrigerated leftovers as soon as possible.

(5) Make a real effort to use foods while they are at peak quality.

The following chart tells how long perishable foods keep. A number of commonly used foods are included. All times in the chart are for foods bought when they were of high quality and handled and stored properly at home.

Refrigerated Items For best quality use within: Days Weeks Months

Fresh fruits': ADDICS 1 Apricots, bananas, grapes,

nectarines, peaches, pears. plums, watermelon 3 to 5

Berries, cherries 2 to 3 Cranberries, melons (except

watermelon) 1

Fresh vegetables: Beans (snap or wax).

cauliflower, celery. cucumber, eggplant, green peppers, salad greens. tomatoes 1

Beets, carrots, parsnips. radishes, rutabagas, turnips . 2

Broccoli, brussels sprouts. greens (spinach, kale. collards, etc.), okra, onions (green), peas, summer squash 3 to 5

Cabbage 1 to 2 Corn As soon as nossihie

■^

Refrigerated Items For best quality use within: Days Weeks Months

Meats: Roasts, steaks, chops 3 to 5 Ground meat, stew meat.

poultry, fish, variety meats . Cured and smoked meats

1 to 2

(frankfurters, bacon. sausage, whole ham-)

Luncheon meats ^ 3 to 5 3 to 4

1

Cooked meats and meat dishes Gravy and broth 1 to 2

Milk products and eggs: Milk

5 to 7 1

Several Cottage cheese Hard cheeses Fresh eggs (in shell) 5

Frozen items For best quality use within: Months

Fruits and fruit juice concentrates 12

Vegetables 8

Bread and yeast rolls 3

Meat: Ground beef 3 to 4

6 to 12 Beef roasts and steaks Lamb roasts 6 to 9 Cured pork 1 to 2 Pork roasts 4 to 8 Pork chops 3 to 4 Cooked meat dishes 2 to 3

Poultry: Chicken parts 9 Turkey parts 6 Chicken or turkey, whole .. 12 Cooked chicken and turkey 4 to 6

Fish: Fish fillets 2 to 3

3 Cooked fish .

Ice cream or sherbet 1

'Unripe fruits should be left to ripen at room temperature, then retrigeraled. Some fruits, such as grapes and watermelon, will not ripen further after picking. ^Storage time applies to opened or nonvacuum-sealed packages. For unopened vacuum-sealed packages, note freshness date information on package.

28

Reduce Waste

s:^

Fuel for Food Preparation Another kind of waste you can control is fuel for

preparing food. The cost of fuel used for cooking is usually small compared to the cost of food. But the types of foods you serve, the appliances you use, and your everyday cooking practices can affect your fuelb\\\. There are many tips to help you save fuel; a few are given below.

• When possible, serve foods raw to save fuel and nutrients too. For example, serve broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots raw in a salad, rather than cooked.

• Cook with appliances that use the least energy. The stovetop and many portable appliances use much less energy than a conventional oven.

• Adapt your oven recipes to stovetop cooking. For example, try a "skillet" version of a casserole you usually cook in the oven.

• Don't preheat your oven. Recent research has shown that preheating is not necessary, especially for meats and casseroles but also for many baked products, such as muffins, cakes, or pies.

• Make best use of your oven by cooking several items at a time—meat, vegetables, and dessert for an oven meal.

• Avoid unnecessary opening of the oven door.

For best quality, store perishable items such as citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes) at coo/(60 ° to 70 °F) rather than co/c/temperatures. Use within 2 weeks. You can also store these fruits uncovered in the refrigerator, but the skin may become pitted and the flesh may discolor if held too long. Mature onions, sweetpotatoes, and winter squash will keep several months stored in a dry, dark place at 55 ° to 65 °F, but only 1 week if stored at higher temperatures. Potatoes will keep several months if stored at 45 ° to 50 °F, but only a week at higher temperatures.

£? • Plan one-dish meals such as stews and casseroles that combine meat, vegetables, and/or rice or pasta products.

• Use the pan size most suited to the amount of food you're cooking.

• Use the burner size or flame height suited to the pan you're using.

• Cover pans for quicker cooking. Don't overcook foods.

• Use a minimum amount of water in cooking.

Keep fuel for cooking in mind as you prepare family meals.

Ji^/^^X:^

29

y >;^

A Final Check- How Did

Your Plan Work?

Once you've used your food purchase plan for a week or two, it's time to see how well it worked. As you put your groceries away, and as you prepare and use the foods you bought, check how your plan worked. Consider the following questions:

• Did you spend no more than your food cost goal?

• Did you spend less than usual?

• Did you avoid "impulse" purchases? Or did you end up with "extras" you didn't intend to buy? If so, were they real bargains or worthwhile taste treats?

• Did you make substitutions in your menu plan to take advantage of good buys?

• Did you follow your menu plan?

• If you bought more food than you needed, were you able to store these items to avoid waste?

• Did you and your family enjoy the meals?

If you can answer "yes" to most of these questions, your plan worked well. If not, try to avoid the same prob- lems next time. You may want to review some sections of this booklet to help modify your plan.

30

^

Cost Comparison Tables

^

The following four tables will help you make food purchase decisions using prices from your supermarket. Tables 1 through 3 will help you compare costs among

equal size servings of vegetables, of fruit, and of meat, poultry, and fish. Table 4 will help you decide which is a better buy—whole chicken or chicken parts.

How To Use Tables 1 and 2

Tables 1 and 2 show costs of '/2-cup servings of canned, dried, fresh, and frozen forms of selected vegetables and fruits.

To use these tables—

• Find the vegetable (table 1 ) or fruit (table 2) you plan to serve in the first column. Then find the market form— canned, dried, fresh, or frozen—in the second column and the size of the market unit you plan to buy in the third column. Size of market units is shown by customary weight or volume—pound, ounce, fluid ounce. Size is shown also in metric weight—grams (g) and kilograms (kg)—or in metric volume—liter (L) and milliliters (ml). Such information should help you to become familiar with relationships between metric units and customary units.

• Follow that line of numbers to the column headed by the price most like the price of the market unit at your store.

• The number located there is the approximate cost of a y2-cup serving, or a serving as specified in the first column.

Here are some examples:

One-half cup of cooked cuts and tips from fresh asparagus at $1.20 a pound would cost 48 cents; one-half cup of green beans from fresh beans at 85 cents would cost 14 cents.

One-halfcupof applesauce at 45 cents fora 16-ounce can would cost 13 cents; one-half cup of sliced banana at 45 cents a pound would cost 11 cents.

31

m Table 1.—Cost of 1/2-cup serving' of selected vegetables purchased at specified prices per market unit (canned, dried, fresh, and frozen)

Vegetable, as served ^ (cooked and drained, Market Market

unless specified) form unit

Price per market unit (cents)

20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165

Asparagus cuts and tips canned

fresh frozen

Beans, green or wax canned fresh frozen frozen

licans, lima canned fresh,

in pod frozen

Hcets sliced canned sliced fresh,

no tops

Broccoli cuts fresh cuts frozen

Brussels spouts fresh

frozen

( abbage wedges fresh raw, shredded fresh sauerkraut canned

( arrots sliced or diced canned sliced fresh,

no tops raw, sliced fresh,

no tops sliced frozen

Cauliflower fresh frozen

Celery diced fresh

raw, sticks fresh

14-1/2 oz (411 g) lb (454 g) 10 oz (284 g)

15-1/2 oz (439 g) lb (454 g) 9 oz (255 g) 20 oz (567 g)

16 oz (454 g)

lb (454 g) 10 oz (284 g)

16 oz (454 g)

lb (454 g)

lb (454 g) 20 oz (567 g)

1 qt (16 oz) (454 g)

10 oz (284 g)

lb (454 g) lb (454 g) 16 oz (454 g)

16 oz (454 g)

lb (454 g)

lb (454 g) 20 oz (567 g)

lb (454 g) 10 oz (284 g)

24-oz bunch (680 g)

24-OZ bunch (680 g)

Cost of 1/2-cup serving (cents)

7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 8 10 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63

5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 26 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 21

6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46

8 10 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 41 42 44 45 46 48

6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46

5 6 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28

4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 41 42 44 45 46 48

5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 15 16 16 16 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 25 25 26 26 27 28

6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35

3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 IS 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 21

7 9 11 13 14 16 18 20 22 23 25 27 29 31 32 34 36 38 40 41 43 45 47 49 50 52 54 56 58 59 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56

3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23

2 2 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 15 16 16 16

Table 1.—Cost of 1/2-cup serving' of selected vegetables purchased at specified prices per market unit (canned, dried, fresh, and frozen)—Continued

I Vegetable, as served (cooked and drained, Market Market

unless specified) form unit


20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165

Cucumbers raw, sliced fresh 10 oz (284 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 30 31

Eggplant diced fresh lb (454 g) 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23

Corn cream style canned 16 oz (454 g) whole kernel canned

(vacuum) 12 oz (340 g) canned

(liquid) 16oz(454g) frozen 10 oz (284 g)

1 medium ear fresh doz

um w,

:)lai ce(

Greens Collards canned 15 oz (425 g)

fresh lb (454 g) frozen 10 oz (284 g)

Kale fresh lb (454 g) Kale or mustard

greens canned 1 5 oz (425 g) frozen 10 oz (284 g)

Spinach canned 1 5 oz (425 g) fresh-' 10oz(284g) frozen 10 oz (284 g)

Turnip greens canned 15 oz (425 g) frozen 10 oz (284 g)

Lettuce raw, shredded fresh 16-oz head

(454 g)

Mushrooms pieces, 1/4 cup canned 4 oz (113 g) raw, sliced fresh lb (454 g) sliced, 1/4 cup fresh lb (454 g)

Onions green, raw, sliced fresh lb (454 g) mature, raw, chopped . . . fresh lb (454 g) mature fresh lb (454 g)

Peas, green canned 16 oz (454 g) fresh,

in pod lb (454 g) frozen 20 oz (567 g)

Cost of 1/2-cup serving (cents)

6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46

6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46

5 7 8 9 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 45 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 41 42 44 45 46 4« 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 910 10101111121212131!

6 8 9 11 12 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 31 33 34 36 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 48 50 51 6 8 10 11 13 14 16 18 19 21 22 24 26 27 29 30 32 34 35 37 38 40 42 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

7 8 9 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 45 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56

10 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 6H 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 26 28 30 32 34 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 52 54 56 59 60 62 64 67 69 71 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 40 9 11 13 15 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 57 59 61

6 6 8 8 8 9 10 U)

7 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 58 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20

2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50

6 7 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 41 42 44 45 46 48

10 12 15 17 20 22 24 27 29 32 34 37 39 42 44 47 49 51 54 56 59 61 64 66 69 71 74 76 78 81 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 24 25

ui

Table 1 .—Cost of 112 -cup serving' of selected vegetables purchased at i pec ¡tied price S per market jnit (canned, dried, tresh , and trozen)- -Continuée

Vegetable, as served Price DO r market unit (cents) K(X)ke<) and drained,

unless spo( ifie<)) Market Market form unit 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165

\ - Cost of 1/¿-( up servin g (cents)

Potatoes ■■ ■■ ^ "■ ■* ^" "'" "" '" "* ^^ *" "^

whole .. canned 15oz(425 g) 6 8 10 11 13 14 16 18 19 21 22 24 26 27 29 30 32 34 35 i7 38 40 42 43 4b 46 48 bO bl bJ ■ baked, \ medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54

diced .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 il ii 34 36 i7 38

mashed .. dehydrated flakes 16 oz (454 g) 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7

mashed .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43

French fries . . frozen 9 oz (255 g) 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 b1 53 54 56

Rutabagas mashed

S(|uash

.. fresh lb (454 g) 6 8 10 11 13 14 16 18 19 21 22 24 26 27 29 30 32 34 35 37 38 40 42 43 4b 46 48 bU bl 53

summer, yellow .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 7 9 11 13 15 17 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 31 33 35 ^7 39 41 43 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 5/ b9 61

fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 4!

frozen 10 oz (284 g) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 6H

winter. Acorn, 1/2 squash .. fresh lb (454 g) 10 12 15 18 20 22 25 28 30 32 35 38 40 42 45 48 50 52 55 58 60 62 6b 68 70 72 7b /8 80 8J

Butlernul, diced .. fresh lb (454 g) 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 4b 46 48 b(l

Hubbard, mashed .. .. fresh lb (454 g) 9 12 14 16 18 21 23 25 28 30 32 34 37 39 41 44 46 48 51 53 55 58 60 62 64 67 69 71 74 7(1

winter . . frozen lOoz (284 g) 9 11 14 16 18 20 22 25 27 29 32 34 36 38 40 43 45 47 50 52 54 56 58 61 63 6b 68 70 /2 74

sweetpotatoes .. canned (syrup) 16o2 (454 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 li 25 26 28 30 31 a 3b 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 bO bl b3 54

canned (vacuum) 1 7 oz (482 g) 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 i7 38 40

sliced .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 n 34 35 36 37 38 40

«lazed .. frozen 12 oz (340 g) 7 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 5 H

lomatoes .. canned 16oz (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 4f

raw, sliced ,. fresh lb (454 g) 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

raw, whole, 1 medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50

lurnips diced .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 li 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 M a 34 3b 3()

4S Vegetables, mixed .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 5 7 8 9 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 n 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 frozen 10 oz (284 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54

■ 'fxtepi whofe sTfving si/c is speti led m (irvl columrt. ■ 'Partly Irimmrd

1 Source us Depjnmcniol Agriculture; "Buying Focx): AGuide for CilculjlingAmcxint! to Buy and Comparing Cost» nHcxneholdC^jantitiet.'HERR-^j ; -Compoiition o( Foods: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Kaw. Processed, IVepared,- AHêll

I Table 2.—Cost of 1/2 cup serving' ol selected fruits pu rchdsed at spec i tied prices per market unit (canned , dried, tre bh, and frozen)

Fruit or juice as served (fruit without Market

form Market

unit

Price pe market unit (cents)

juice or syrup) 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 16S

Cost of 1/2-cup servin g (cents)

Apples >iiced .. canned 20 oz (567 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 sliced, cooked .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

raw . . fresh lb (454 g) 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 21 whole, 1 medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54

Applesauce .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46

Apricots halves .. canned 30 oz (850 g) 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 40 halves, cooked . . dried 6 oz (170 g) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 17 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 68

uncooked . . dried 6oz (170 g) 8 10 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 halves, pitted . . fresh lb (454 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 whole, 2 medium . . fresh lb (454 g) 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 n 28

A\()cado cubed .. fresh 10 oz (284 g) 7 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 58

15a nanas sliced .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 40 whole, 1 medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 58 60 62 64

Berries .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 10 13 16 18 21 23 26 29 31 34 36 39 42 44 47 49 52 55 57 60 62 65 68 70 73 75 78 81 83 86 fresh pint (0.5 L) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35

( antaloupe diced . . fresh lb (454 g) 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56 wedge, 1/4 melon .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

C herries sweet, unpitted . . canned 16 oz (454 g) 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56 sour, pitted .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 45 46 all varieties, pitted .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 sour, pitted, sweetened .. frozen 12 oz (340 g) 9 11 13 15 18 20 22 24 26 29 31 33 35 37 40 42 44 46 48 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 68 70 7i

Cranberries whole, uncooked .. fresh lb (454 g) 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 sauce . . canned 16 oz (454 g) 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50

(.ratjefruit sections .. canned 16 oz (454 g) 9 12 14 16 18 21 23 25 28 30 32 34 37 39 41 44 46 48 51 53 55 58 60 62 64 67 69 71 74 76 sections .. fresh lb (454 g) 9 11 13 15 18 20 22 24 26 29 31 33 35 37 40 42 44 46 48 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 68 70 73 1/2 fruit ., fresh lb (454 g) 11 13 16 19 21 24 26 29 32 34 37 40 42 45 48 50 53 56 58 61 64 67 69 72 74 77 80 82 85 87

Grapes seedless .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 with seeds .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Honeydew melon diced .. fresh lb (454 g) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 62 64 66 68

luice: Any fruit or vegetable . . . . canned or 46 fl oz

bottled (1.36 L) 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 14 15

Table 2.—Cost of 1/2- cup serving' of selected fruits purchased at specified prices per market un it (canned dried, fresh. and frozen) —Continued

Fruit or juice as served (fruit without

juice or syrup) Market Market


form unit 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 no 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 1

Cost of 1/2-cup servin I (cents)

luice: Any fruit or vegetable

(Cont.) canned or

.. bottled frozen concen-

32 fl oz (946 ml)

6 fl oz

2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20

trate (177 ml) 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28

Grapefruit .. fresh lb (454 g) 11 14 16 19 22 25 28 30 33 36 38 41 44 47 50 52 55 58 60 63 66 69 72 74 77 80 82 85 88 91

Orange

Mangoes sliced

. . fresh lb (454 g) 11 14 17 20 23 26 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 48 51 54 57 60 63 66 68 71 74 77 80 83 86 88 91 94

.. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43

Mixed fruit . . canned 16 oz (454 g) 7 9 11 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 58

Nectarines whole, 1 medium .... .. fresh lb (454 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54

Oranges whole, 1 medium .... . . fresh doz 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 13 13

sections .. fresh doz 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10

Oranges, mandarin sections .. canned 11 oz (.312 g) 10 12 15 17 20 22 24 27 29 32 34 37 39 42 44 47 49 51 54 56 59 61 64 66 69 71 74 76 78 81

38 Peaches

halves or slices . . canned 29 oz (822 g) 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37

halves, cooked . . dried 8 oz (227 g) 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 50

uncooked . . dried 8 oz (227 g) 7 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 58

slices .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

whole, peeled, 1 medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

slices . . frozen 10 02 (284 g) 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 63 66 69 72 75 78 81 84 87 90 93 96 99

Pears halves . . canned 16 oz (454 g) 9 11 13 15 17 19 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 67 69 71

slices .. fresh lb (454 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

whole, 1 medium .. fresh lb (454 g) 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66

Pineapple chunks or slices .. canned 20 oz (567 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43

diced .. fresh 4-lb fruit 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 13 13

Plums whole .. canned 30 oz (850 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43

halves or slices . . fresh lb (454 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 30 31

whole, 2 medium . . fresh lb (454 g) 6 8 9 11 12 14 16 17 19 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 31 33 34 36 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 48 50 51

Prunes whole . . canned 16 oz (454 g) 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 33 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 48 50 51 53 54

pitted, cooked . . dried 12 oz (340 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35

uncooked .. dried 12 oz (340 g) 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

unpitted, cooked .. dried 16 oz (454 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

uncooked .. dried 16 oz (454 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 M

Table 2.—Cost of 1/2-cup serving' ot selected truits purchased at spccitied prices per market unit (canned, dried, fresh, and frozen)—Continued

Fruit or juice as served (fruit without Market Market f'nce per market unit (cents)

juice or syrup) form unit 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 1 iS 140 145 150 155 160 165

Cost of 1/2-cup serving (cents) Kiiisins

™oked dried 15 oz (425 g) 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 118 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 uncooked dried 15oz(425g) 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28

K lui barb

cooked, sweetened fresh lb (454 g) 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 42 43 frozen 16 oz (454 g) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 30 31

Strawberries

whole canned 16 oz (454 g) 16 20 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 101 105 109 113 117 121125 129 whole, hulled fresh pint (0.5 L) 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 ■-liced frozen 10 oz (284 g) 14 18 21 25 28 32 36 39 43 46 50 53 57 60 64 67 71 75 78 82 85 89 92 96 99103106110114117 whole frozen 12oz(340g) 10 13 15 18 20 23 26 28 31 33 36 38 41 43 46 48 51 54 56 59 61 64 66 69 71 74 76 79 82 84

Tangerine sections or whole,

1 medium fresh doz 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 13 13

Watermelon

■^'icgd fresh lb (454 g) 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 26 27 29 31 32 34 36 37 39 41 42 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 56

'Except where serving size is specified in iirst column. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture; "Buying Food: A Guide for Calculating Amounts to Buv and Comparing Costs in Household Quantities." HERR-42; "Composition of Foods: Fruits and Fruit lutces; Raw, Processed, Prepared," AH-8-9.

How To Use Table 3

Use table 3 to compare costs of equal-size servings of cooked lean meat from different types and cuts of meat, poultry, and fish. First, locate the kind and cut you plan to buy. Then, follow the line on which it appears to the column headed by the price most like the price at your store. The figure given here is the approximate cost of a 3-

ounce serving of cooked lean. As examples, the cost of a 3-ounce serving of lean

from a chuck roast (bone-in) priced at $1.90 a pound would be 85 cents; and from lean ground beef at $1.70 a pound, the cost would be 44 cents.

LO Table 3.—Cost of 3 ounces of coo ked can fron selected kin ds and cuts of meat, poult ry, and fish at specified retail p rices

k'inrl anri r'lit Price per pound' (dc liars)

iMilU dllU t-Ul .50 .60 .70 .80 .90 1 .00 1.10 .20 .30 .40 1 .50 1 .60 1 .70 1.80 1 .90 2.00 2 .10 2.20 2.30 2.40 2.50 2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.00 3 .10 3.20 3.30 3.40

Beef: Brisket, bone out .20 .24 .28 .33 .37 .41 .45 .49 .53 .57 .61 .65 .69 .73 .78 .82 .86 .90 .94 .98 1 .02 1 .06 1 .10 1 .14 1 .18 1 .22 1 .26 1 .31 1.35 1 .39 Chuck, bone in .22 .27 .31 .36 .40 .45 .49 .54 .58 .62 .67 .71 .76 .80 .85 .89 .94 .98 1 .02 1.07 1 .12 1 .16 1 .20 1 .25 1 .29 1 .34 1 .38 1.43 1.47 1 .52 Chuck, bone out .17 .21 .24 .28 .31 .35 .38 .42 .45 .48 .52 .56 .59 .62 .66 .69 .73 .76 .80 .83 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .01 1 .04 1 .08 1 .11 1.15 1 .18 Ground lean .13 .16 .18 .21 .23 .26 .29 .31 .34 .36 .39 .42 .44 .47 .49 .52 .55 .57 .60 .62 .65 .68 .70 .73 .75 .78 .81 .83 .86 .88 Porterhouse steak, bone in .26 .31 .36 .42 .47 .52 .57 .62 .68 .73 .78 .83 .88 .94 .99 1.04 1 .09 1 .15 1 .20 1.25 1 .30 1 .35 1 .41 1 .46 1 .51 1 .56 1 .62 1 .67 1.72 1 .77 Rib roast, bone in .22 .27 .31 .36 .40 .45 .49 .54 .58 .62 .67 .71 .76 .80 .85 .89 .94 .98 1 .02 1.07 1 .12 1 .16 1 .20 1 .25 1 .29 1 .34 1 .38 1 .43 1.47 1 .52 Round, bone in .17 .20 .23 .27 .30 .34 .37 .40 .44 .47 .50 .54 .57 .60 .64 .67 .70 .74 .77 .80 .84 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .00 1 .04 1 .07 1.11 1 .14 Round, bone out .16 .19 .22 .25 .28 .31 .34 .37 .40 .44 .47 .50 .53 .56 .59 .62 .66 .69 .72 .75 .78 .81 .84 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .00 1.03 1 .06 Rump roast, bone out .17 .20 .24 .27 .31 .34 .38 .41 .44 .48 .51 .54 .58 .61 .65 .68 .72 .75 .78 .82 .85 .89 .92 .95 .99 1 .02 1 .06 1 .09 1.13 1 .16 Short ribs .29 .35 .41 .47 .53 .59 .64 .70 .76 .82 .88 .94 1 .00 1.05 1 .11 1.17 1 .23 1 .29 1 .35 1.41 1 .46 1 .52 1 .58 1 .64 1 .70 1 .76 1 .82 1 .88 1.93 1 .99 .Sirloin steak, bone in .21 .26 .30 .34 .38 .43 .47 .51 .55 .60 .64 .68 .72 .77 .81 .85 .89 .94 .98 1.02 1 .06 1 .11 1 .15 1 .19 1 .24 1 .28 1 .32 1 .36 1.41 1 .45 Sirloin steak, bone out .20 .23 .27 .31 .35 .39 .43 .47 .51 .55 .59 .62 .66 .70 .74 .78 .82 .86 .90 .94 .98 1 .02 1 .06 1 .09 1 .13 1 .17 1 .21 1 .25 1.29 1 .33 T-bone steak, bone in .28 .33 .38 .44 .50 .55 .61 .66 .72 .77 .83 .88 .94 .99 1 .05 1.10 1 .16 1 .21 1 .27 1.32 1 .38 1 .43 1 .49 1 .54 1 .60 1 .65 1 .71 1 .76 1.82 1 .87

Fish: Fillets, fresh or frozen .13 .16 .19 .21 .24 .27 .29 .32 .35 .38 .40 .43 .46 .48 .51 .54 .56 .59 .62 .64 .67 .70 .72 .75 .78 .80 .83 .86 .88 .91 Steaks, fresh or frozen.

backbone in .14 .17 .20 .23 .26 .28 .31 .34 .37 .40 .43 .45 .48 .51 .54 .57 .60 .62 .65 .68 .71 .74 .77 .80 .82 .85 .88 .91 .94 .97 Tuna, canned' .23 .28 .32 .37 .41 .46 .51 .55 .60 .64 .69 .74 .78 .83 .87 .92 .97 1 .01 1 .06 1.10 1 .15 1 .20 1 .24 1 .29 1 .33 1 .38 1 .43 1 .47 1.52 1 .56

Lamb: Leg roast, bone in .21 .25 .29 .33 .38 .42 .46 .50 .54 .58 .62 .67 .71 .75 .79 .83 .88 .92 .96 1.00 1 .04 1 .08 1 .12 1 .17 1 .21 1 .25 1 .29 1 .33 1.38 1 .42 Loin chop, bone in .23 .27 .32 .36 .41 .46 .50 .55 .59 .64 .68 .73 .78 .82 .87 .91 .96 1 .00 1 .05 1.10 1 .14 1 .19 1 .23 1 .28 1 .32 1 .37 1.42 1 .46 1.51 1 .55 Rib chop, bone in .28 .33 .38 .44 .50 .55 .61 .66 .72 .77 .83 .88 .94 .99 1 .05 1.10 1 .16 1 .21 1 .27 1.32 1 .38 1 .43 1 .49 1 .54 1 .60 1 .65 1 .71 1 .76 1.82 1 .87 Shoulder roast, bone in .23 .27 .32 .36 .41 .46 .50 .55 .59 .64 .68 .73 .78 .82 .87 .91 .96 1 .00 1 .05 1.10 1 .14 1 .19 1 .23 1 .28 1 .32 1 .37 1 .42 1 .46 1.51 1 .55

Liver; Beef .14 .16 .19 .22 .24 .27 .30 .33 .35 .38 .41 .44 .46 .49 .52 .54 .57 .60 .62 .65 .68 .71 .73 .76 .79 .82 .84 .87 .90 .92 Chicken .14 .17 .20 .23 .26 .29 .32 .34 .37 .40 .43 .46 .49 .52 .55 .58 .60 .63 .66 .69 .72 .75 .78 .81 .84 .86 .89 .92 .95 .98

fork: Butt, cured, bone in .18 .22 .25 .29 .32 .36 .40 .43 .47 .50 .54 .58 .61 .65 .68 .72 .76 .79 .83 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .01 1 .05 1 .08 1 .12 1 .16 1.19 1 .23 Ham, cured: whole, bone

in .17 .21 .24 .28 .31 .35 .38 .42 .45 .48 .52 .56 .59 .62 .66 .69 .73 .76 .80 .83 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .01 1 .04 1 .08 1 .11 1.15 1 .18 whole, bone out .13 .16 .18 .21 .23 .26 .29 .31 .34 .36 .39 .42 .44 .47 .49 .52 .55 .57 .60 .62 .65 .68 .70 .73 .75 .78 .81 .83 .86 .88 slices .16 .19 .22 .25 .28 .31 .34 .37 .40 .44 .47 .50 .53 .56 .59 .62 .66 .69 .72 .75 .78 .81 .84 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .00 1.03 1 .06 canned .12 .15 .18 .20 .22 .25 .28 .30 .32 .35 .38 .40 .42 .45 .48 .50 .52 .55 .58 .60 .62 .65 .68 .70 .72 .75 .78 .80 .83 .85

Loin, fresh: chops, bone in .22 .27 .31 .36 .40 .45 .49 .54 .58 .62 .67 .71 .76 .80 .85 .89 .94 .98 1 .02 1.07 1 .12 1 .16 1 .20 1 .25 1 .29 1 .34 1 .38 1 .43 1.47 1 .52 roast, bone in .25 .30 .35 .40 .46 .51 .56 .61 .66 .71 .76 .81 .86 .91 .96 1.01 1 .06 1 .12 1 .17 1.22 1 .27 1 .32 1 .37 1 .42 1 .47 1 .52 1 .57 1 .62 1.67 1 .72 roast, bone out .17 .21 .24 .28 .31 .35 .38 .42 .45 .48 .52 .56 .59 .62 .66 .69 .73 .76 .80 .83 .87 .90 .94 .97 1 .01 1 .04 1 .08 1 .11 1.15 1 .18

Picnics: cured, bone in .23 .27 .32 .36 .41 .46 .50 .55 .59 .64 .68 .73 .78 .82 .87 .91 .96 1.00 1 .05 1.10 1 .14 1 .19 1 .23 1 .28 1 .32 1 .37 1 .42 1 .46 1.51 1 .55 cured, bone out .18 .21 .25 .28 .32 .35 .39 .42 .46 .50 .53 .57 .60 .64 .67 .71 .74 .78 .81 .85 .88 .92 .96 .99 1 .03 1 .06 1 .10 1 .13 1.17 1 .20 fresh, bone in .27 .32 .38 .43 .48 .54 .59 .64 .70 .75 .80 .86 .91 .96 1 .02 1.07 1 .12 1 .18 1 .23 1.29 1 .34 1 .39 1 .45 1 .50 1 .55 1 .61 1 .66 1 .72 1.77 1 .82

Rib chops, fresh, bone in .25 .30 .35 .40 .46 .51 .56 .61 .66 .71 .76 .81 .86 .91 .96 1.01 1 .06 1 .12 1 .17 1.22 1 .27 1 .32 1 .37 1 .42 1 .47 1 .52 1 .57 1 .62 1.67 1 .72

Poultry: Chicken, whole. ready-to-cook .28 .33 .38 .44 .50 .55 .60 .66 .72 .77 .82 .88 .94 .99 1 .04 1.10 1 .16 1 .21 1 .26 1.32 1 .38 1 .43 1 .48 1 .54 1 .60 1 .65 1 .70 1 .76 1.82 1 .87

Turkey, whole, ready-to- cook .20 .24 .29 .33 .37 .41 .45 .49 .53 .57 .61 .65 .69 .73 .78 .82 .86 .90 .94 .98 1 .02 1 .06 1 .10 1 .14 1 .18 1 .22 1 .26 1 .31 1.35 1 .39

Veal: Chuck roast, bone in .23 .28 .33 .38 .42 .47 .52 .56 .61 .66 .70 .75 .80 .84 .89 .94 .98 1 .03 1 .08 1.12 1 .17 1 .22 1 .27 1 .31 1 .36 1 .41 1 .45 1 .50 1.55 1 .59 Leg roast, bone in .26 .31 .36 .42 .47 .52 .57 .62 .68 .73 .78 .83 .88 .94 .99 1.04 1 .09 1 .15 1 .20 1.25 1 .30 1 .35 1 .41 1 .46 1 .51 1 .56 1 .62 1 .67 1.72 1 .77 Loin chop, bone in .20 .24 .28 .32 .36 .40 .44 .48 .52 .56 .60 .64 .68 .72 .76 .80 .84 .88 .92 .96 1 .00 1 .04 1 .08 1 .12 1 .16 1 .20 1 .24 1 .28 1.32 1 .36 Rib chop, bone in .25 .30 .34 .39 .44 .49 .54 .59 .64 .69 .74 .79 .84 .89 .94 .99 1 .04 1 .08 1 .13 1.18 1 .23 1 .28 1 .33 1 .38 1 .43 1 .48 1 .53 1 .58 1.63 1 .68

lor tuna fisfi, use price for 6.5-ounce can

^l^^^l Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture; Yields from "Buying Food; A CuideforCaku ating Amounts to Buy and Comparing Costs i n Household Q uanlilies," HERR-42; " Composition of Foods; Poultry Products; Raw Processed, Prepared " AH-8-5; "Food Buying Cundo fnr School Food Service," PA-12S7 1

Cost Comparison Tables

How To Use Table 4

You can use table 4 to estimate the added cost, if any, of using chicken parts rather than whole chicken. For example, the table shows that breast halves with ribs at $1.18 a pound, drumsticks and thighs at $1.02 a pound, drumsticks at $1.00 a pound, thighs at $1.08 a pound, and wings at 58 cents a pound provide as much lean meat for the money as ready-to-cook whole chicken at 85 cents a pound. Any amount above these prices for parts—when ready-to-cook whole chicken is 85 cents—pays for the convenience of having chicken parts.

You can also use the table to find which of several chicken parts is the best buy. For example, you can compare the.prices of drumsticks and thighs as follows: Locate your store's price of drumsticks ($1.04) in the column headed "Drumstick." Compare the price in the "Thigh" column on the same line ($1.13) to your store's price for thighs. If your store's price is lower than $1.13, thighs are the better buy; if your store's price is higher than $1.13, drumsticks are the better buy.

Table 4.—Cost of chicken, whole and parts'

If the price- per pound of whole fryers, ready

to cook, is (in dollars)—

Chicken parts are an equally good buy if the price per pound is (in dollars)-

Breast half (with rib)

Drumstick and thigh Drumstick Thigh Wing

Breast quarter

Leg quarter

.54 .52

.56 .54

.59 .57

.61 .59

.64 .61

.66 .64

.68 .66

.71 .68

.73 .71

.76 .73

.78 .75

.80 .78

.83 .80

.85 .82

.88 .85

.90 .87

.92 .89

.95 .92

.97 .94 1.00 .95 1.02 .98 1.04 1.01 1.07 1.03 1.09 1.05 1.12 1.08 1.14 1.10 1.16 1.12 1.19 1.15

.45

.47

.49

.51

.53

.55

.57

.59

.61

.63

.65

.67

.69

.71

.73

.75

.77

.79

.81

.83

.85

.87

.89

.91

.93

.95

.97

.99

.31

.32

.33

.35

.36

.38

.39

.40

.42

.43

.44

.46

.47

.49

.50

.51

.53

.54

.55

.57

.58

.59

.61

.62

.64

.65

.66

.68

'Revision of similar table published in "Your Money's Worth in Foods," April 1979. Based on yields of cooked chicken meat without skin, from frying chickens that weighed about 3 pounds.

39