Eating for cheap in the heat
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Right now, it is cheap to eat.
The harvest is rolling in, and with some creativity, you can feed the family without a lot of kitchen cooking and save money at the same time.
KDKA's John Shumway checked in with nutritionist Leslie Bonci for some ideas.
Bonci has an enthusiasm for healthy, thrifty eating, and she says right now is prime time.
Walk through any farmers market or your grocery's produce section. The possibilities are abundant.
"Not only is there more produce available, but it's affordable. This is the time. It's all those wonderful things out there, and they taste so good that they don't need a lot of work," says Leslie Bonci, founder of ActiveEatingAdvice.com.
Bonci is unapologetically gushing.
"It's beautiful. The tomatoes, the zucchini that's on the marketplace, the peaches, too."
And she does mean minimal prep.
"You don't have to peel them. You're not going to peel a tomato. You're not going to peel a zucchini," Bonci said. "You know, the pasta provides the grain. We can add the heft with the vegetables. Or, I'm going to do some leftover chicken, or maybe I had some steak."
Bonci says you can avoid heating the kitchen on a hot day.
"Throw everything on the grill, and that includes the corn," she added.
You can toss the veggies in eggs.
"It's a great way to just throw in that produce and something that's incredibly affordable and incredibly good for us, too."
And how about fruit?
"You can grill watermelon. It's awesome. Just a little bit of a sear on either side. Grilled peaches are absolutely delicious!"
Bonci says don't forget the gazpacho. Throw the tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers into a blender, and it's instant cold soup. Season to taste.
Cold soup? Will the kids eat that?
Bonci says they will, especially if you make it fun. Try pureeing peaches, too. Add a little half-and-half or cream, and you have a peach gazpacho; that's almost like ice cream.
All of this is driven by how economical the produce is right now.
