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(KSL News) Price and convenience have been key components driving shoppers over recent years. But with rising food prices and household budgets being squeezed, is this set to change?
Consumer trend analyst Phil Lempert, better known as the "Supermarket Guru," talked to KSL today from Chicago about some of the food trends that we can expect in 2009. Play the video to see the interview.
Here are a few of his money-saving ideas:
1. Frozen fruits and vegetables: For example, blueberries run $5 a half pint (8oz.) out of season. Frozen blueberries are $2.50 for 16 ounces. "The [frozen] product is picked at the time of ripeness so there are more nutrients and more flavor than those picked before they are ripe," says Lempert.
2. Chicken Nuggets: All children love chicken nuggets but at a fast food restaurant, the ingredients are unknown. They also cost about $4 for 10 nuggets. At the frozen food case, you can find all-white meat chicken nuggets with no preservatives for the same price - but you get four times more!
3. Iced Tea: Forget about $2 bottles of iced tea. Brew your own pitcher and put it in a reusable water bottle for about a dime. You're not only saving money, but you're helping to save the environment too.
4. Pasta Time: As the economy tightens, more people will be serving pasta. Commercially produced tomato sauces are usually made with tomato paste and sugar and run about $6 to $10 a jar. Lempert says to use canned, crushed tomatoes for better nutrition and a fresher taste. Estimated cost: $1.50.
5. Cheese: You better shop around! Look carefully in three places in your grocery store for the same cheese product - all with different prices. Head to the dairy case where cheese costs 20 to 25 percent less than at the deli. The dairy case will usually have staple cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Monterrey Jack, prepackaged at the lowest prices. The deli and cheese tables may have the exact same products, but you will pay more. Know what you want, and shop all three areas for the best price.
6. Seafood: All fish are caught miles out at sea and put in a freezer on the boat before they can be processed and packaged. Signs at the fresh fish counter say "previously frozen," so head over to the frozen food case for filets of salmon, flounder, tilapia, sole and shrimp. It will be 30 to 40 percent less expensive, and they haven't been defrosted prior to sale so the texture is better.
What is the best method to defrost frozen fish and shrimp?
The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition says frozen fish should be brought home immediately from the supermarket and stored in the home freezer at zero degrees or lower. The fish should not be taken out of its original, sealed packages. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says, "Don't thaw meat and other frozen foods at room temperature. Instead, move them from the freezer to the refrigerator for a day or two; or defrost it in the fridge. You can also defrost in the microwave oven or during the cooking process, but texture and flavor might be damaged; and be sure to cook immediately."
Nothing will save a piece of fish if the package's air-tight seal is lost. Those important omega-3 fats found in fish are highly unstable and quickly oxidize once exposed to air. You can recognize oxidation from the rancid, "fishy" smell and taste that accompanies it. Refreezing shrimp under non-commercial conditions can significantly affect the flavor and texture, and, in some cases, may make the shrimp, when thawed, unsafe to eat.
7. "Take-In" versus Take-Out: Take-out food is getting more expensive: $10 for Chinese food, $15 for pizza and again, no one really knows what's in them. Lempert says there is a new steaming technology for Chinese frozen foods that makes them easy to prepare at home. And, Healthy Choice now makes a nice 2-compartment tray that keeps their sauce and food separate. Each frozen meal runs about $2.50 and you know what the ingredients are.
8. Make your Own Pizza: use canned crushed tomatoes, shredded cheese and your own toppings and create a family event in the kitchen. It costs about $5 and it's the freshest pizza you will ever taste. You can also make your own healthy whole grain pizza dough at home. You have many choices: whole grain flour mixed with unbleached white flour or whole wheat or whole grain flours combined with flours made from oatmeal, potatoes garbanzo beans, soy, rice or buckwheat are becoming more available at the supermarket. Each of these flours adds texture, flavor, and fiber to dough.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
This recipe uses a unique flour called "white whole wheat" which is heartier and paler in color than most whole wheat flours. The herbs make for a very rustic flavored dough that's wonderful for any topping. White whole wheat flour is ground from whole hard white wheat berries and has the same nutritional value as whole wheat flour. It is milder than red spring wheat which is used in regular whole wheat flour. King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill are two brands to check. Crusts made solely from whole grain flours may be too tough so using the white whole wheat or adding unbleached white flours is a way to make the crust more tender.
Ingredients:
4 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
¼ cup olive oil
1 ¾ cups of ice cold water
2 tablespoons rosemary and thyme, chopped, or your favorite Italian herbs
Olive Oil for coating and drizzling
Extra flour for dusting counter surface
Cornmeal for dusting the pizza stone or pan
Parmesan cheese, as desired, for garnish
Instructions:
Stir together the flour, salt and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. Slowly, by hand, stir in both olive oil and the cold water until all the flour is absorbed. Add the herbs then mix on medium speed for at least five minutes, using the dough hook attachment. You will achieve a sticky, smooth dough that will come away from the side of the bowl and will be springy and almost elastic.
Flour a counter or mat and cut the dough into six equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball. Rub them with olive oil, place inside sandwich bags, and refrigerate overnight or for several days if you are planning that far ahead.
About an hour before you want to serve the pizza, remove the dough ball from the fridge, but keep it covered to avoid drying out. All pizzas taste better when you use a baking stone, so buy or borrow one. Place it in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. (A sheet pan works well too, however, you should NOT preheat it or the pizza will burn on the bottom.)
Dust the stone or pan with cornmeal. Shape the pizza dough by pressing it into a round shape with your knuckles, dusting it with flour as necessary, until it stretches to at least 12" in diameter. Add your favorite toppings over the canned crushed tomato base, and then sprinkle on cheese, as desired. Slide the pizza onto the stone or pan and bake until the crust is crisp, about 10 minutes depending on your oven. Remove pizza from the oven and drizzle some high-quality olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese over it. Add red pepper flakes, dried oregano or garlic powder as desired. Serve immediately.
