10 tips to help you stretch your food dollars   Get the most for your food budget! There are many ways to save money on the foods that you eat. The three main steps are planning before you shop, purchasing the items at the best price, and preparing meals thatstretch your food dollars.     1.  Plan, Plan, Plan! Before you head to the grocery store, plan your mealsfor the week. Include meals like stews, casseroles, orstir-fries, which “stretch” expensive items into more portions.Check to see what foods you already have and make a listfor what you need to buy.   2.   Get The Best Price Check the local newspaper, online,and at the store for sales and coupons. Ask abouta loyalty card for extra savings at stores where you shop.Look for specials or sales on meat and seafood—often themost expensive items on your list.   3.   Compare And Contrast Locate the “Unit Price” on the shelf directly belowthe product. Use it to compare different brands anddifferent sizes of the same brand to determine which ismore economical.   4.   Buy In Bulk It is almost always cheaper to buy foods in bulk.Smart choices are family packs of chicken, steak,or fish and larger bags of potatoes and frozen vegetables.Before you shop, remember to check if you have enoughfreezer space.   5.   Buy In Season Buying fruits and vegetables in season can lower thecost and add to the freshness! If you are not goingto use them all right away, buy some that still need time to ripen.   6.   Convenience Costs...Go Back To The Basics Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cutvegetables, and instant rice, oatmeal, or grits will cost youmore than if you were to make them from scratch. Take thetime to prepare your own—and save!   7.   Easy On Your Wallet Certain foods are typically low-cost options all yearround. Try beans for a less expensive proteinfood. For vegetables, buy carrots, greens, orpotatoes. As for fruits, apples and bananasare good choices.   8.   Cook Once...Eat All Week! Prepare a large batch of favorite recipes on your dayoff (double or triple the recipe). Freeze in individualcontainers. Use them throughout the week and you won’thave to spend money on take-out meals.   9.   Get Your Creative Juices Flowing Spice up your leftovers—use them in new ways. Forexample, try leftover chicken in a stir-fry or overa garden salad, or to make chicken chili. Remember,throwing away food is throwing away your money!   10.  Eating Out Restaurants can be expensive. Save money bygetting the early bird special, going out for lunchinstead of dinner, or looking for “2 for 1” deals. Stick to waterinstead of ordering other beverages, which add to the bill.   FOR MORE NUTRITION EDUCATION GO TO  www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.