America's Housekeeping Book (1945) has lots of advice on the topic of budgeting for groceries. Some of it dated, as food used to be more expensive than it is today. Some of it might be very useful, though. For starters:
If the income is small, food costs loom large in proportion. Sometimes when the family is large the entire budget must be built around this item… If menus are planned and written down several days ahead, marketing will be easier and less costly. You will find it possible to take advantage of “week-end specials,” to plan for leftovers, and to provide for more variety in the meals you serve to your family. Cooking ability is a big help in cutting food costs, because inexpensive foods, skillfully prepared, often top higher-priced foods in flavor, health value and “appetite appeal.”
There's nothing old school about that. Simple foods can make wonderful meals, and experience in the kitchen can make a small budget go a long way. No matter what the proportion of your income you spent on food - families were expected in the '40s to spend anywhere from 20 to 35% - there are some rules of thumb as to how to spend it:
It helps also occasionally to keep a detailed food record for a couple of weeks or a month with separate totals for cost of cereal foods; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and eggs; milk and cheese; and in a final class, fats, sugar and miscellaneous items. On a modest income, in order to get a balanced diet, not far from 1/5 of the food money should go for each of these five groups.
The author of my 1945 cookbook is in complete agreement on this point. You should find your "food dollar" split five ways:
ONE-FIFTH or more for whole milk, cream, cheese and cod-liver oil for growing children. Plan to give each child 1 quart and each adult at least 1 pint of milk in some form, per day.
ONE-FIFTH for vegetables and fruit, with emphasis on the green leaf and yellow fruits and vegetables. Serve at least 1 cooked vegetable, besides potatoes, and 1 fresh vegetable each day. Serve fresh fruit twice a day, with citrus fruit at least once.
ONE-FIFTH or less for meats, fish and eggs, serving liver in some form at least once a week.
ONE-FIFTH for breads and cereals, especially the whole grains.
ONE-FIFTH for fats, sugar and other groceries.
I've decided to keep track of my own food expenditures for the next month so I can find out if my "food dollar" is supporting a balanced diet. I never even keep my grocery receipts, so I'll have to remind myself not to just throw them away! I'll keep a running tally on the sidebar. It'll be interesting to find out how it all breaks down at the end of a month. Since I'm a vegetarian, I think I'll include things like eggs, soy, beans, and hummus in that third category - the protein-packed foods. Prepared foods that are a combination of things really ought to go into the last category. I made a quick stop at the supermarket today, so I'll start the tally right away.
By the by, have any of you ever broiled grapefruit? It's on the menu for breakfast tomorrow morning and I've never even used a broiler! Should I cut it in slices? Cut all the peel off? I guess I should start by actually looking inside my broiler. I have no idea what it looks like in there...
9 comments:
no I've never had broiled grapefruit, I've never been a fan of it but go for it if you like it. I love frugal recipes and frugal food shopping etc. My grandmother had 10 children and learned how to use what little money they had wisely, she passed on knowledge to my mother who passed it onto me.
I've had broiled grapefruit, once, so long ago I've forgotten where. It was half a grapefruit with brown sugar scattered over the top, which caramelized under the broiler.
Every time I've had broiled grapfruit it was sliced in half. Its usually got brown sugar and sometimes a bit of alcohol on it. It is amazing, if you like grapefruite!
I would cut it in half and maybe try just broiling one half of it to see how it turns out. If you don't like it, then maybe you can try some of the other suggestions (the brown sugar sounds scrumptious)!
I LOVE broiled grapefruit. I started making it also after seeing it mentioned so often as a breakfast item in vintage cookbooks. It's nice because it brings out the sugar in the grapefruit, taking an edge off the tartness. Also, I think warm grapefruit is more comforting on chilly winter mornings versus room temperature, which always seems cold.
Here's how I broil grapefruit:
I cut in half as if I were going to eat it raw and cut around the edge between the fruit and peel to loosen the sections and make them easier to dig out with a spoon. Then I turn on the broiler and put the half inside fruit side up on a piece of foil. I check on it regularly to make sure the edges don't start to burn, and I find it's ready when I open the broiler drawer and the scent of grapefruit wafts out. A little brown on top is okay.
I don't like very sweet food and since the cooking makes the grapefruit taste sweeter, I don't add any sugar. I think you'll like it!
10 children! Amy, your grandmother must have spent a serious amount of time in the kitchen...
Thanks to all of you for all the Broiled Grapefruit recipes. The one I ended up trying was the same basic idea. I'm going to try it again tomorrow with just brown sugar - no cinnamon, no margarine - and see if it won't be a little more to my liking. I love it so much just plain and cold that it's hard to top! You make a good point, though, humblelabor, about Broiled Grapefruit being a great winter breakfast food.
I laughed when I read that you just throw away your reciept. Before this project I was the same way. Isn't it funny that it seems our generations just buy without thought. I mean spend here there whatever, no wonder we have a recession. I am really trying to get a handle on shopping lists and bugets. I realize what an advantage I am at without children and only myself and my husband to cook for. However, I do functions each week with my vintage friends and I always try to think what do I need to make for that. I am spending much more time in the baking aisle, a place I rarely ever visited. It is funny how a simple thing like just watching and planning you meals and food budget saves you money. How have we all grown up without these basic skills? I just got my 1947 copy of america's housekeeping book. I am soo excited, it is like a bible to me!
This is really interesting! I really enjoyed the tips. This blog is fastly becoming one of my favorites.
50s gal, I'm embarrassed to admit that I rarely even look at my receipts! With just a single income for many mid-century households, the budget had to be very closely managed. And without credit cards to use as an escape route/back-up plan, they had to be even more vigilant.
Farrah, I'm so glad you're enjoying my blog! Thanks so much for your comment.
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