Nutritious ways to stretch your food budget

Manila, Philippines - There are two things we know about money, one is that it doesn’t grow on trees and another is that you can’t keep it forever. With prices steadily climbing and the cost of living coming up along with it, the best way to keep one’s finances in check is to budget and budget wisely.

Among all of the things that a mother needs to keep an eye on in terms of finances, food is probably the trickiest one to manage. As much as you’d want to stretch your budget with food, you still don’t want to compromise the nutrition and subsequently the health of the family. So here are some tips to keep the family nourished and satisfied while keeping costs in check.

Having a plan in mind is always a safe measure to take in any management task. Knowing the number of days and how often you have to prepare your children’s snack for school, or your husband’s lunch at work, is the first step. This is followed by preparing a menu that would cover that period.

If you’re having trouble with diversity, there are stores that you can go to that would give you quality food at a very affordable price. Julie’s Bakeshop, the largest bakeshop chain in the country, offers just that with their huge line-up of breads, pastries, and cakes. From staple classics like Pan de Sal Pinoy, ensaymada, and pan de coco, to over-the-top sweets and treats, Julie’s menu can serve you any day of the week.

Knowing what your family wants is a sure way to make things work for you and for them. If the kids need a little more juice for playing, why not try Julie’s premium loaves? It comes in Grand Ube, red mongo, carrot raisin, and Choco Loco which loadthem up while getting their little sugar fix as well.

If Dad needs to stock up on carbs because of his coming race, then Julie’s set of breads can definitely keep him loaded. Their products always go well with pasta, or any other sauces, so it’s easy to give him the flavor as well as the nutrition he needs.

Making that once-in-a-while trip to the grocery is costly. So as much as possible, when you buy, make sure you stock up. Of course, you have to work with the shelf life of the product when you do this.

Fortunately, Julie’s Bakeshop products are all provided with expiration dates. If you don’t see it stamped on your pan de sal, you can always ask the friendly staff on its best consumed details. This saves you the trouble and the cost of going out because you can just pop them in the oven, or a toaster and they’re ready to go.

Going back to the point of shelf life, breads and pastries don’t last forever and this is also true for leftovers. The best way to make use of both is by bringing them together. The kids can have chicken burger pan de sal and Dad can have his favorite lutong-bahay ulam like adobo ensaymada or menudo cheese streusel.

This helps you manage cost by not cooking too much and maximizing the value of what you prepared for your family. Remember, the only way you can do this cost effectively is when you have the ingredients, so stock up.

It is always important to keep things interesting. While having staple treats might appeal to kids and adults alike, having delightful sweets once in awhile isn’t such a bad idea either. Having a slice of delicious cake here and there doesn’t hurt and Julie’s has just the thing with its cakes and rolls. In flavors like ube, buko pandan, butter, strawberry, and chocolate, Julie’s Rolls offers that sweet slice that makes anyone’s day.

To know more about its new products and bread varieties, drop by a Julie’s Bakeshop outlet or visit its website at www.juliesbakeshop.net.