Speakers included:

Chef Yasi Zorlutuna, the founder and chef of Community Food Equity With Dignity (FEWD), an organization that works at the intersection of food security and hospitality services. Community FEWD turns surplus food into free meals for the community – thus reducing food waste, improving food security, and taking care of the community.

Jessie Trupp, a Registered Dietician that works with Hospitality Services at the University of Guelph. She supports students with allergies and dietary restrictions and supervises the Student Nutrition Awareness Program (SNAP). SNAP encourages students to develop balanced eating habits by providing nutrition education and peer support.

The cost of food is rising, and more people than ever are experiencing food insecurity and using food banks to feed their families. Our speakers shared some strategies to eat healthy, nutritious food while on a budget, including:

Incorporate plant-based foods in meals

Lentils, for example, are a great way to eat healthy on a budget. They are high in fibre, and dried lentils don’t need to be soaked before cooking. Common types of lentils include:

• Red lentils: commonly available, cook really fast, and can be added to many things (such as tomato sauce) to add fibre. They can disappear into whatever you put them into!
• Green lentils: red lentils that have been shelled and split – they cook faster than red lentils and fall apart more easily.
• Matpe or urad beans: often used in dishes like dal makhana. You can use the whole lentil or a shelled and split version. They are white, cook fast, and are very creamy.

You can add lentils (or a sauteed vegetable mixture) to meat to bulk it up. Chef Yasi showed us an example with a beef meatball. Other dried beans and legumes are also cost-effective; some need to be soaked overnight, or you can try a ‘quick soak’, where you cover them in boiling water for 30 minutes before cooking.

Add flavour without adding cost

There are many great ways to add flavour to dishes without too much extra cost – one of Chef Yasi’s favourites is onions! If you buy a bunch on sale, you can chop them and store them in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer! When cooking onions, add salt to draw out more liquid and concentrate the flavour, and let them cook for longer than you think to get as much colour and flavour as you can (just don’t burn them!)

Spices are another great way to add flavour; consider toasting (or “blooming” them) rather than adding them at the end. One of Chef Yasi’s favourites is allspice, which is used in cultures all over the world. It pairs nicely with cinnamon and ginger, or oregano and garlic. Fun fact – allspice is not a mixture of spices; rather, it’s a pepper seed!

Additional food for thought

Consider economical substitutions: Use sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts or walnuts; use water or vinegar to deglaze your pan instead of wine; use mild cooking oils like canola oil to cook and then add olive oil (for taste) at the end; consider dried mushrooms instead of fresh.

Buy frozen and canned: You can buy frozen produce (like spinach, peas or berries) that is picked at optimal freshness, so it is high in nutritional value, and is often cheaper than fresh. If you have extra produce, consider freezing it yourself! Pickling and canning is another great way to extend the life of produce, and extend your budget. If you’re worried about sodium from canned foods, just give whatever is in the can a rinse!

Plan your meals: Make a grocery list, considering what is on sale at the store and what you have or need to use up – this reduces impulse buying. Consider following the Healthy Plate model from Canada’s Food Guide: half your plate should be veggies or fruit, a quarter grains, and a quarter protein, especially plant-based protein.

Keep learning: There are lots of resources about nutritious eating on campus and beyond; the internet can be a great tool to find more recipes! Learning to cook also takes practice – as you do it more often, you’ll learn what works and how to be more resourceful.

Learn more about Community FEWD and the Student Nutrition Awareness Program at the University of Guelph, or watch the event video for more great tips!