"Food prices are rising, I think people are feeling it, we're seeing cart sizes change and people are getting a little bit more picky about what they're choosing," said Heidi Diller.
"It's putting a strain on at least my family's budget and it's making it a lot harder for me to actually shop healthy but still be able to afford what I'm buying for our meals," said Kimi McAdam.
So Albertson's Heidi Diller and Food Coach Lori Corbin came up with meals that could be extended into two other delicious dinners.
"I threw together a broccoli-egg frittata, some deviled eggs which can be either be an appetizer or a main dish, and some Spanish eggs on rice," said Diller.
At under $10 a meal, eggs offer versatility as well as value.
"Eggs are still the deal of the century. I mean really, even though the price has gone up 15 percent over this last year, one egg is 25 cents. They're economical, the ease of preparation and it's probably one of the best protein sources in the store," said Diller.
Corbin's meals centered around turkey or veggie meat balls, both low fat proteins. To start, make a meatball grinder, offer spaghetti and meat balls the next night, then chili for night three.
Check the sales. At Vons, there were sale brands of pasta sauce, pasta, chili and even silken tofu to extend the chili. At $1 a package, it's an economical protein that can be blended into a soup, sauce, or chili without notice.
The average cost of the three meals, also under $10. A bag of pre-washed lettuce and navel oranges for salads and sides for the meal were added.
Don't save this bird for Thanksgiving. At $1.29 a pound, a frozen turkey is one of the better bargains you'll find at the grocery.
For night one make a roast turkey dinner, on night two it's turkey sandwiches, and for night three assemble turkey enchiladas. You can finish the turkey off by making a big batch of soup.
Diller says save cash on bulk produce as it's the cheapest. In center store, compare the unit price of several brands to get the best deal.
"The best advice I give people is definitely use the ads, make a meal and make a plan because fewer visits is fewer dollars spent," said Diller.
Diller's total bill for all three dishes was $28.00. She had eggs, bread, butter, and brown rice left over, which can be used for other meals. No surprise, she found her food at Albertson's.
To get Heidi Diller's egg recipes, please click the meals below:
