BY GLORIA CARR Staff Writer

ELGIN — Esther Salazar always thought eating well meant cooking meat for dinner every day.

And taking her son, Edward, to McDonald’s every weekend was a treat.

Salazar, the mother of two, got a crash course in healthy eating during a class — how to eat healthy on a budget — taught by nutritionist Aviva Beal.

Six weeks later, Salazar not only has eliminated high-fat meats, along with those trips to McDonald’s, she trimmed $30 off her grocery bill every week.

The savings is a result of cutting out soda, cookies and other snacks, Salazar said.

“I still cook the same way, I just cook more chicken with more salad and less oil,” Salazar said.

Her family also cut down on a Mexican favorite, tortillas. Salazar said the family averaged 10 tortillas each at every meal but now have three. She learned the tortillas themselves are not necessarily bad. What can be unhealthy is what you fill the tortillas with, she said.

Beal taught the course at Elgin’s Gail Borden Public Library as part of a Two Rivers Head Start Agency program aimed at teaching lower-income families about nutrition. The course, taught every year, is open to the public via a partnership with the agency and the library, said Margarita Pantoja, a Two Rivers Head Start family worker.

Nutrition is a component of the agency’s programming, Pantoja said. Every child who attends the agency’s preschool has a nutritionally balanced lunch and snack, per federal government guidelines, she said. A nutritionist meets with children to take their weight and measurements three times a year and consults with parents if children are overweight or underweight, she said.

Parents are taught how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle at home, too, Pantoja said.

If families cannot afford to purchase healthy foods, the agency has a pantry, she said.

Eating healthy can be more expensive, but it is worth investing in one’s health, Beal said.

“I always tell people, ‘What is your health worth?’ You really can’t afford not to (eat healthy) because you end up with illness,” Beal said.

Investment pays off

While purchasing produce and other healthy items may seem expensive, buying a bag of oranges is a good investment if it cuts down on the number of times you miss work due to illness, she said.

Things you should do when grocery shopping:

? Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The fresh items are usually found around the circumference of the store, she said. If you picture a supermarket, the fresh produce, fresh meat and milk are in the outside aisles, Beal said.

“Whereas the higher cost, higher calorie, junk food is generally down the middle aisles,” she said. “The less time you spend on the inside part of the store, the more money you will save and the healthier you will buy.”

? Use coupons and go to multiple stores to find sales.

While it may seem like a hassle traveling to different stores, you can save on your grocery bill, she said.

? Avoid taking children to the store.

Beal said parents often end up with lots of unhealthy snacks in their grocery carts whenever children come along. Many products, like sugary cereals, are placed at a child’s eye level on purpose, she said. Companies pay extra for those spots to entice children, in turn, getting parents to buy the treats, she said.

She warns not to buy individually wrapped items like canned fruit in four or six packs, she said. It is not cost-effective. Instead, buy fruit or vegetables and put in a little snack bag, she said. It is a similar serving and less expensive, because you are not paying for the packaging.

Also, do not buy snacks like lunchables, Beal said.

“They are garbage and expensive,” she said.

Focus on fruits, vegetables

Beal teaches parents to focus on fruits or vegetables on sale. If there is nothing appealing, buy frozen items as opposed to canned. She said the cost is comparable, but frozen items are a healthier.

If parents stop buying fast foods, the savings can be spent on buying fresh produce, she said.

Salazar has taken Beal’s lessons to heart. Her family, including her son, her brother and his wife, all have noticed a change. Everyone feels better, she said. Salazar said family members are not dieting, they just are eating different foods.

It has been a challenge because the family has had to give up traditional Mexican foods they grew up with, she said. Her entire family skipped their beloved Christmas tradition of making tamales, a dish using a corn-based flour, lard and filled with spicy pork. Salazar said she and her sisters-in-law made seafood meals for the holidays and everyone liked it.

Gone, too, are those weekly trips to McDonald’s. Her son’s treat is now an apple, which, he said he likes a lot.

“I think this will last,” Salazar said of the family’s new, healthy lifestyle. And because she has been able to cut her grocery bill, there is more incentive.

“I was following my mom’s example but I want to set a new example for my children,” she said.

Source: The Courier News