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Have you gone to the grocery store lately and some of your favourite items aren’t on the shelf? It’s time to get creative and consider a few options to help increase your food security, reduce your grocery bill and still have delicious meals for your family.
The cost of food is rising and some of our favourite items are not always available. This is a result of supply chain issues. Everyone is doing their absolute best but food security is a hot topic right now for many reasons.
CLICK the video below for some simple ideas!
You can take some simple steps RIGHT NOW to increase food security for your family. My channel is based on farm life, gardening and cooking so this is something I love to talk about.
Have You Considered Backyard Laying Hens?
Backyard chickens are a great way to start to produce some of your own food right at home. Chickens are relatively low maintenance and easy to care for. Laying hens are able to produce eggs for your family. Eggs are a great source of protein.
Chickens are able to produce a maximum of one egg each day.
We have 7 chickens. Chickens do not always lay an egg everyday. Depending on the time of year we can get anywhere from a total of 4-7 eggs each day from our chickens. During the winter months our girls often do not lay as many eggs. As the daylight hours increase, egg production also increases. Right now our girls are back to laying 6-7 eggs each day.
Our girls free range as much as possible. We feed them scratch, layer crumb and any kitchen scraps that are safe for chickens. The more they free range, the less commercial feed they require. You can also make your own feed but we buy our feed at a local feed store.
Have you heard of ‘Container Gardening’?
Learning to garden is a great way to learn how to grow your own food. If you have a small area that you normally would put flowers, why not plant a few vegetables? You can also use pots or containers if you only have a balcony or small yard. You don’t need to build a large garden. You will be surprised what you can grow right on your porch.
Raised beds are becoming very popular because they are not difficult to build and easier on your back if the bed is elevated from the ground. If you have the space you can of course till an area and plant a traditional garden. The options are endless!
Don’t be afraid to try to garden even if you have never done it before. Are you thinking you have always killed your house plants or flower in your garden so how on earth could you grow a garden? You can! Not everything will work but the best thing about gardening is you can always try again.
Are seeds expensive?
It’s cheaper to buy seeds and start your own seeds at home compared to buying plants that have already been started. You can definitely purchase plants that have been started at a local garden centre but this is not necessary. When you are buying seeds just don’t get carried away and buy too many. That can happen very quickly.
Do a little bit of research to see what vegetables are easy to grow in your area. I will put a link to a video below ‘Rising Food Prices Are Making People Learn To Garden’. This will definitely help you get started.
When starting your garden, start small and keep adding something new every year. That way it won’t be so overwhelming. Gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh air, move your body and produce nutritious food for your family.
Have You Tried To Cook From Scratch But NOT Had Success?
The next thing to do to increase food security is learn how to prepare simple meals with simple inexpensive ingredients. Remember, you can’t expect to be an expert cook when you just begin. Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes. You will have things that turn out wonderful and you will have things that are a complete flop! The internet, especially YouTube, is a great place to learn how to start to cook and bake.
Stretch Your Meals Simply By Using Plants
When learning to cook you might want to consider adding more plant based options and alternative proteins to your diet. These options are becoming popular for several reasons. Cost is impacting some people’s ability to purchase meat and dairy products. More people are experiencing food allergies and some people are choosing to avoid animal products simply for personal reasons.
The Canada’s Food Guide (click here for link) promotes plant based proteins because these proteins have less saturated fat and more fibre. Incorporating plant based protein also helps to promote a healthy heart. We sure do want a healthy heart!
Plant-Based Protein Options
Learning to cook with beans, lentils, nuts and tofu will give you a wider variety to choose from when cooking and baking. You may be surprised how much cheaper some of these options are once you start to have a look. With the price of meat rising, beans are a great staple to add to your family’s meals because they are inexpensive and they have a long storage life.
Learning new skills will take time but once you achieve success it is so rewarding. Remember, it takes time for new habits to become part of your routine. By implementing some of these suggestions will help you to increase your food security, reduce your grocery bill and prepare delicious meals for your family.
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