by Melvin Palmer

Created on: May 25, 2009   Last Updated: May 27, 2009

The Nation's economy is in the toilet. Our dietary choices keep expanding our collective girth. One of the good things about our times is that it gives us a tremendous opportunity to save a chunk of change and reduce our waist size. Feeding a family with less processed food is an economical and healthful answer.

Find the aisles in your supermarket that has the least processed food. One of those is where the vegetables lurk. Another aisle, until now not frequented by individuals with disposable incomes, holds beans and rice. This is where you will start. Pick a bean, any bean. OK, the lentils are legumes. They are not beans. Look on the back of the lentil package for a basic cooking recipe.

If meat is desired, chicken is a good choice. Two boneless chicken breasts need to be chopped up into bite size pieces. In a large pot add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken and brown it. Then add the chopped garlic and onion. When these are soft cook your lentils in that same pot, following the directions on the back of the bag. Don't add salt until after the lentils are cooked to your desired tenderness. The salt makes the shell of the lentil hard.

Next bean please. I love the pinto. The car stank, but the bean is great. Pinto beans need to be soaked overnight. Then they need to cook for 3 hours. This time, use some garlic, onion and chorizo. These go in a 4-quart pot and cook for 3 minutes or so. The cooked beans are added and everything cooks for 30 minutes.

I left out spices didn't I? Have you ever watched those challenge cooking shows? Well there you go. Like celery? Add it. Like cumin? Add it. Like tomatoes? Add it. The seasoning container will usually list dishes the spice is used in. Thyme, cumin, basil, cilantro have all been used in soups. Have fun with them.

On that same aisle is rice. The brown stuff is much better for you. Cook the rice according to directions on the back of the container. While it is cooking you chop veggies. Choose 5 to 6 varieties and include 5-6 cloves of garlic. Chop them as thin as practically possible. Each veggie is kept separate. I use small bowls to hold each kind of veggie. If your using meat, it need to be cooked and chopped. Heat a cup of canola oil in a wok or frying pan with a high flame. Meat is added before the vegetables. Add the hardest veggie first. The garlic goes last. As you add keep stirring and turning over the mix. In the Asian section, there is a sauce named 'mushroom' or 'oyster' sauce. This adds great flavor. The stir-fry is served atop a bed of rice.

How many beans on the aisle are there? I don't know either. Each one has its own special flavor. Each is full of fiber and vitamins. This kind of eating is good for you. You are consuming high fiber foods with vitamins and minerals in them. They also contain protein. These kinds of recipes are less fatty than most meals at restaurants. The above dishes can feed a family of four for about 2 dollars each. It is a miracle to realize the solution to eating healthy and saving money can both be addressed with one dramatic move.

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