FOOD AND NUTRITION
Good for the Kidneys and the Budget Tips for kidney-friendly eating while saving time and money
by Dani Renouf, RD, MSc, CDE
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ince the beginning of COVID-19 a year go, food prices have risen more than ever before. According to Canada’s Food Price Report 2021, more cost increases are predicted, whereby annual food expenditure could go up by as much as $695 compared to 2020. Although most of us are eating at home, thereby saving money as compared to the bills we paid for restaurant food, budget considerations still matter, especially for those of us who are already trying to juggle a household on a low income. I hope that the following suggestions will help to manage the budget when planning trips to the grocery store or ordering groceries online. Here are my top three tips for kidney-friendly eating on a time and money budget:
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StoryBlocks.com
20 / Kidney Living / Spring 2021
Plan ahead and batch cook Choose recipes first, then make a grocery list of items based on the recipe you are planning. Now that many flyers are online to review, you can plan your grocery store trip by visiting the store’s website, finding out what weekly specials are offered, and then going to the store with a grocery list that will save you time and money. You can also order your groceries online, then choose to pick them up rather than having them delivered to your home, as this will reduce the cost of delivery. For recipes that are easy and contain fewer ingredients, the Kidney Community Kitchen offers a variety of options for you to get started. Many of the dishes can be cooked in batches, so you can use fewer ingredients and stretch the meals out over a few weeks or months by freezing the leftovers right away. Choose one day of the week when you stew a pot of something or bake a dish, which can be portioned out kidney.ca
