THE FOOD BUDGET
Important Vocabulary
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Budget: A plan for managing money.
Staples: Basic food items that are used on
a regular basis.
Food Assistance Program: Government
programs that help those in need access
food.
The Food Budget
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One of the most important
resources you need for healthy
eating is money.
A budget helps you get the most
from you money and is a plan for
spending.
The challenge is providing nutritious
and tasty meals without spending
more than the budget allows.
The Food Budget
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Many factors influence the
amount of money in your food
budget.
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Income
Number of family members
Age of family members
Time and skill for food preparation
How often meals are eaten outside
the home
The amount of food wasted
The types of food you buy
The Food Budget
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To create a food budget:
1.
Add up how much you spend on groceries
and eating out for one month.
2.
Divide that number by four to tell you how
much you spend each week.
3.
Set a realistic goal for change and a new
food budget.
Developing a workable budget takes
time and fine-tuning.
Meeting Your Budget Goals
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Some tips for meeting your budget goals
are:
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Stock up on staples, or basic items that are
used on a regular basis (eggs, milk, cereal,
bread, rice, flour)
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Prepare more meals at home
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Choose economical main dishes
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Use coupons and look for store advertisements
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Reduce food waste
Calculating Food Cost
To calculate how much food costs, you need
to know:
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The cost of the food
The unit sold (pounds, pints, count, etc.)
The amount you bought
Calculating Food Cost: Basics
Jamie went to the store to buy lentils for her soup. The
lentils cost $0.98 per pound, and Jamie bought 2
pounds. How much did she spend on the lentils?
Cost of the food = $0.98
Unit Sold = pounds
Amount Bought = 2 Pounds
$0.98 per pound X 2 pounds = $1.96
Calculating Food Cost: Basics
Alex is buying chicken to make fried chicken. She needs to
buy 2 ¼ pounds. The chicken costs $2.99 per pound.
How much does Alex pay for the chicken?
Cost of the food = $2.99
Unit Sold = pounds
Amount Bought = 2 ¼ Pounds
$2.99 per pound X 2.25 pounds = $6.73
Calculating Food Cost: Better Buys
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When shopping for food, you
sometimes need to compare the price
of two brands.
To do this, you need to find the unit
cost, or the cost per unit (unit sold).
Comparing brands is easy when the
exact same amount is in each
package, but this is not always the
case.
Calculating Food Cost: Better Buys
Peanut Butter
Jar 1 = 16 oz. for $3.99
Jar 2 = 16 oz. for $1.99
Which is the better buy? Jar 2
Calculating Food Cost: Better Buys
Chicken Stock
Box 1 = 1 quart for $4.99
Box 2 = 2 quarts for $5.99
Box 1: $4.99 per quart
Unit Cost: $4.99 per quart
Box 2: $5.99 ÷ 2 quarts = $3.00 per quart
Unit Cost: $3.00 per quart
Which is the Better Buy? Box 2
Calculating Food Cost: Better Buys
Milk
Container 1 = $3.99 per gallon
Container 2 = $1.99 per quart
Container 1: 1 gallon = 4 quarts
Unit Cost: $3.99 ÷ 4 quarts = $1.00 per quart
Container 2: $1.99 per quart
Unit Cost: $1.99 per quart
Which is the Better Buy? Container 1
Calculating Food Cost: Recipes
Louis is needs to buy shredded cheese to make tacos. The
cheese costs $4.99 for 16 oz. Louis needs to buy 48 oz.
How much does Louis spend on the cheese?
Price= $4.99 per 16 ounces
Unit Needed= ounces
Unit Cost: $4.99 ÷ 16 ounces = $0.31 per ounce
Recipe Cost: $0.31 per ounce X 48 ounces = $14.88
Calculating Food Cost: Recipes
Will is making potato salad for a barbeque. His recipe calls for 3 Tbsp. of
mustard. Mustard costs $2.99 per 12 ounces. How much does the mustard
in Will’s recipe cost?
Price: $2.99 per 12 ounces
Unit Needed: Tbsp.
1 Tbsp. = ½ an ounce (0.5 ounces)
Unit Cost: $2.99 ÷ 12 ounces = $0.25 per ounce
Recipe Cost:
3 Tbsp. = 1 ½ ounces (1.5 ounces)
$0.25 per ounce X 1.5 ounces = $0..38
Calculating Food Cost: Recipes
Nathan is making a grilled cheese for lunch and needs 4 slices
of bread. The bread costs $3.96 for 1 loaf and. How much
does the bread for Nathan’s lunch cost?
Price: $3.96 per loaf
Unit Needed: slices
1 loaf = 16 slices
Unit Cost: $3.96 ÷ 16 slices= $0.25 per slice
Recipe Cost: $0.25 per slice X 4 slices = $1.00
Market Cost
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Item: Item in recipe
Price: How much the item costs ($5.00)
Amount Sold: Exact quantity in package(32oz.)
Unit Needed: Unit your recipe calls for (Tbsp.)
Unit Needed Per Unit Sold: Equivalents conversion (Ex. 32oz.
= 64 Tbsp.)
Price Per Unit Needed: Divide the price by the unit needed
per unit sold. ($5.00 / 64 Tbsp. = $0.08 per Tbsp.)
Amount Used in Recipe: The measurement your recipe calls
for (2 Tbsp.)
Cost of Amount Used: Multiply the price per unit by the
amount used in the recipe ($0.08 x 2Tbsp. = $0.16)