September 29, 2005
as seen in "The Dinner Diva" syndicated column
by Leanne Ely

I am frequently asked how much the groceries cost each week for Menu-Mailer (Menu-Mailer is a weekly subscription sent to your e-mail address that has a menu, recipes and shopping list for a week's worth of dinners. See my Web site: www.savingdinner.com).

There is a thought process in that question that needs addressing: Can I afford it? The real question is, can you afford to be unprepared and undernourished?

It's important to understand that everything, including grocery shopping, takes a little effort. When you are willing to look at your overall spending, you can make room for something that is new, healthier and more beneficial to the family. That means you need to exchange something that's not working for you for something that will work for you — exchanging the mediocre for excellence. In other words, feeding our families well becomes a priority.

Again, it's an exchange: unhealthy food versus prepared, healthy food. When we know better, we do better (there is such a thing as "fast food" at home).

Saving money at the grocery store isn't all about double coupons and sales. It goes beyond walking out of the store with a receipt that says you saved over $25 because you took advantage of a few sales and used a couple of coupons. If what you are buying has ingredients on the label that you cannot pronounce and you don't know what they are, then you aren't saving anything. It is important to understand and know that feeding our families isn't about filling holes. We are feeding souls.

We need real nutrition in order to make it through the maze of preventable diseases that await us on every corner. Here are some statistics you need to see:

• Every 15 minutes, an American woman dies from breast cancer. Five others are diagnosed.

• Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.

• This year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with diabetes.

Most of these can be prevented with good nutrition. This isn't news. Yet in spite of the facts, I get e-mails from people who say they can't "afford" to eat healthy.

We cannot have a "cheap" attitude when it comes to our family's health. You can't replace your body or your children's bodies. The wear and tear of everyday life is hard enough. When we complicate the matter with negative nutrition (most of the snack foods available at the market, fast food and convenience foods), our bodies really feel it.

Here is a "fast food" dinner recipe with great flavor and excellent nutrition that you can feel good about:

Stir-Fry Broccoli Beef