Four Food Tips for a Tough Economy
by Reyhaneh Fathieh
from USA Weekend Magazine May 22-24, 2009
As the economy sinks, food prices keep rising – 4.9% in 2007 and 5.9% in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, not even a recession calls for a diet of 99-cent chips and two-for-one pizzas. You don’t have to sacrifice health for savings, says Charles Mattocks, author of Eat Cheap but Eat Well: The Poor Chef Cookbook.
Here are his tips for battling the recession:
(1) BUY IN BULK
A bigger package generally means a lower unit cost, which means more value per dollar. But beware of spoilage: Buy mass quantities of staples with long shelf-lives, like brown rice and spices.
(2) BUY IN SEASON
Save dollars by buying veggies in season, like cucumbers in summer.
“You can save dollars per pound of produce,” Mattock says. Look for vitamin-rich green veggies, strawberries, carrots and peas in late spring. Midsummer will yield blueberries, melons, apples, cucumbers, green beans and squash.
(3) SKIMP ON MEAT
Some inexpensive cuts are actually healthier because they’re lower in fat. Skirt steak and boneless sirloin pork chops are good options.
(4) DON’T SKIMP ON FISH
Yes, it’s not cheap, but the omega-3 fatty acids in fish should be enough to sway penny-pinchers. Whiting, tilapia and salmon are some of the less-expensive finds. Plus, there’s always canned tuna fish.
VOCABULARY (Choose the most appropriate word for the context.)
1. a. tips (noun) money given for good service
All the waiters and waitresses get tips from their customers.
b. . tips (noun) good ideas or suggestions
He gave me a stock tip and then I bought some stocks.
I want to give you some grammar tips.
2. a. sinks (plural noun) kitchen appliances
We have two sinks in our kitchen.
b. . sinks (3rd person singular verb = to sink) to drop below
My heart sank when I heard about all the people who died in Haiti. (past tense)
The economy sinks when people have no jobs.
3. the economy (noun) how our money is working in everyday life; the cost of living
The economy is in bad shape now.
4. statistics (pl. noun) a numerical study or series of occurrences, events, or thing
Statistics lead to probabilities. (a branch of mathematics)
Statistics say that the sun will probably rise tomorrow.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics sample the prices.
5. recession (noun)
The economy is contracting (is getting smaller), and we don’t have enough jobs,
so our country is in a recession.
6. bulk (noun) a large quantity
When we go to Costco, we buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk saves money.
bulk up (verb) to get bigger muscles
He goes to the gym so he can bulk up.
7. to skimp on (verb) something to use less, but should use more
a. In her diet (daily food she eats), she always skimps on healthy foods
and eats too much junk food.
b. Those jackets are cheaper because the manufacturer skimps on good quality material
8. staples (noun, plural) = a commodity for which demand is constant
Safeway always has enough of the staples (rice, flour, corn
We’ve run out of staples. I have to get some more.
9. shelf-life (noun) shelf-lives (plural noun) = the length of time that food, drink,
medicine and other perishable items are given before they are considered
unsuitable for sale.
Some items have a longer shelf-life than others. Name a few.
_____________________________________________________________________
10. options (plural noun, used with the verb have) = choices
What are my options?
a. At CCSF, we have a lot of class options.
b. When you’re qualified, you have more job options.
11. penny-pincher = a person who tries to save money and not spend too much.
a. Penny-pinchers are frugal.
b. She’s a penny-pincher; but when it comes to birthday presents, she always splurges.
GRAMMAR
1. Using a noun as an adjective
For example: food (noun) The food tastes good.
food (adjective) Food prices have been rising lately.
They are higher than they were last year.
YOUR TURN (Please write your own sentences.)
a. phone (noun)
______________________________________________________________
b. phone (adjective)
2. Please make a list of the count and non-count nouns in this article.
(No Proper nouns)
Work with a partner.
COUNT NOUNS NON-COUNT NOUNS
tips life
3. There is There are DO NOT USE HAVE.
Use There is and There are with 2 count and 2 non-count nouns..
One important thing to remember is this:
Whatever is closest to the THERE IS/THERE ARE determines the verb (is/are etc.)
Example: There is a new teacher in room 102.
There are 15 women in our class.
There’s meat and potatoes in the fridge.
There are potatoes and meat in the fridge.
a.
b.
c.
d.
________________________________________________________________________
COMPREHENSION AND CONVERSATION
(Talk to a partner, first. Then write complete sentences.)
1. If you don’t have much money, can you still eat healthy food? Explain.
Even if I didn’t have much money, I still could eat healthy food because __________________________________________________________________
2. What line in the reading says this? (See #1) (Copy the line from the reading here.)
3. Do you ever buy in bulk? If so, what do you buy and where do you buy it?
4. What season is it now? Have you bought any seasonal foods lately? If so, what are they? ________________________________________________________________________
5. How much meat do you eat daily? (once, twice, three times a day?)
What kind of meat do you eat?
________________________________________________________________________
6. How often do you eat fish?
7. What’s your favorite food? How often do you eat it?
________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment