Jazz up Your Meals and Save at the Grocery Store

Written by AmberDawn McCall

Exploring the cuisines of our neighbors around the world will not only improve the flavor of your meals, it can also improve your health, and drastically lower your food budget.

Many ethnic foods involve the use of dried beans, fresh vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and many other foods that are both economical and healthy. And by collecting some ethnic spices, you can jazz up your cooking– without the addition of fatty cheeses, meats and creams.

So, how do you get started? Pick a country, any country, and research their cuisine. Search online or in bookstores for tasty recipes and start experimenting. I recommend starting with one new ethnicity or type of dish at a time, until you learn some basic recipes. Add these to your family’s everyday menu. When things start seeming routine again, venture into new lands.

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If learning new dishes seems like too much work before you know if your family will eat them, then you can start as simply as beginning to add new spices to dishes you already cook. Then, as your family grown accustomed to new flavors, try some authentic dishes featuring those flavors.

Here are some tips for choosing your first country or cuisine type:

If you enjoy delicately flavored dishes, and love fish, start with Japan.
If you are looking to seriously drop your food budget, and you enjoy beans, Mexico, India and Africa are fabulous places to take your kitchen. (Watch out! There’s a lot of heat in some of these recipes.)
Beans are also heavily used in the cuisines of the Middle East and northern Mediterranean areas like Italy.
China is considered the home of stir-fry, which is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. And if you switch from white to brown rice, you’ll eat even healthier.
If you really like spicy dishes, then I recommend that you explore the curries of the world. You can find curries from nearly every area of the globe. (Once again, serve with brown rice.)