Your Microwave and Refrigerator - Money Savers

According to anthropologist Timothy Jones, the average American household wastes close to 15% of the food it buys (quoted on CNN, 1/22/2004). Even if you're from Lake Woebegon and better than average, check yourself with this short list of questions about food waste to see if you're treating yourself and your wallet well:

Let's suppose you have a favorite vegetable (mine is red pepper): Whatever yours is, do you have several ways of using it so none of it gets too old to use?

Are you underestimating the ways your microwave can make healthy dishes quickly from, say, those left over pieces of cheese and onion?

What do you keep in your refrigerator for those moments you want a healthy, inexpensive snack?

And last (this one may surprise you) do you buy yourself an edible treat from time to time? I admit this is about lowering stress. You're not likely to waste your treat.

Starting with the last one first, I say go for it. By that I don't mean loading up on chocolate truffles if you're high cholesterol, but hey an occasional egg will make life sunnier. And there's nothing wrong with buying a dark chocolate bar if you can eat it one square at a time.

Now moving up the list to healthy snacks in the fridge: If you have been munching too many reachable raisins or nuts (either good in moderation), try keeping carrot or celery sticks or crunchy, sweet pieces of jicama in your refrigerator.

One simple technique for lessening fridge waste oof any kind is to check out what's near the back. At first you may need to throw something out, but if you get in the habit of checking the back of your refrigerator shelves, you'll soon find food still fresh that you can move to the front for use before it spoils. By keeping left-over pieces of vegetables together in a soup bowl in your refrigerator, you'll see combinations for a healthy salad.

Your microwave can be more than your morning coffee companion. An easy trick is combining leftover rice with, for example, chicken soup and maybe some leftover broccoli or onion for an evening snacks. I usually "microwave sauté" the onions for 30 seconds before adding them. Where does the chicken soup come from? You won't need to haul canned soup home from the grocery story if you freeze portions of extra soup.
Maybe you already know that bread that seems too dry to eat softens if you put it in a paper bag and microwave it for about 15 seconds.

As for several ways of using your favorite vegetable, all that takes is creative thinking or looking on the web.

Meanwhile, allot a spoonful of time to changing a few habits and you'll soon find yourself less stressed, saving money, and eating better than ever.