Remember when eating out didn’t require keeping a careful eye on the right-side of the menu? Tight budgets have forced many of us to select restaurants and menu selections based on cost, rather than taste preferences.

A recent study by Zagat, the restaurant and review guide, indicated 33 percent of Americans polled now pay more attention to restaurant prices than they have in the past and 28 percent of diners have switched to cheaper restaurants. In an even bigger blow to restaurants’ bottom lines, approximately 20 percent have cut out booze, appetizers and desserts. As a result, analysts expect 12,000 to 18,000 restaurants will close this year, ending a decade-long expansion in the industry.

In a desperate effort to make it through the recession, American eateries of all types have drastically cut back on expenses. Here are 23 changes you may have noted. (Note not all restaurants use these cost-saving methods.)

1. Reduced Portions
From bread baskets to entrees, portions have shrunk while some niceties have been eliminated altogether. That complimentary breadbasket may feature the cheaper breadsticks and a scant few pieces of bread. Some restaurants no longer automatically bring bread unless asked or charge extra. On the plus side, perhaps this is part of the reason the obesity epidemic is slowing down in America.

2. Disappearing Condiments and Fixings
Some sandwich joints have actually charge extra for more than the minimum of condiments and/or such basic fixings as lettuce, tomatoes, olives, etc. Apparently $5 only buys just the meat and bread.

3. Reconstituted Meats
We used to laugh that “parts was parts,” but fast food joints are no longer the only places inclined to feature unidentifiable parts. Reconstituted meats have been ground down and mixed with water and other by-products, then pressure assembled to look like real steak or chicken. For some time now the FDC has required processed cheese manufacturers label products containing less than 50-percent cheese as “cheese food.” Perhaps menus should start indicating when they’re serving “chicken food” and “beef food.”

4. Veal Substitutes
What you think is Veal Parmesan may actually be “Pork Parmesan. The look-alike meat is an easy cost-cutting substitution for diners who rarely taste veal. Look for your veal to be grey or light brown in color when cooked. A fried cutlet that’s still white in the middle is a swindle.

5. Weaker Drinks
Restaurants and bars mark alcohol up 200 to 300 percent, but many still want to stretch their investment further. Tricks include stretching with seltzer water, using smaller glasses, increasing ice content and, of course “short pouring,” or reducing the percentage of alcohol in your drink. Don’t bother sending your drink back for more alcohol, either, as the bartender likely will just pour additional booze into the straw to fake a stronger drink. While we’re on the topic, have you noticed those nice, comfortable wedges of lemon and lime are now wafer-thin slices.

6. Magic Plates
Check underneath your entree and you may find a porcelain hill that makes it look like you’re getting a larger pile of food. Another popular trick is the “incredibly shrinking plate.” The standard 12-inch plate is steadily shrinking until, ultimately, entrées will be served on dessert plates.

7. Adding Surcharges
Rather than raise prices, restaurants like to add a surcharge for an increased in fuel expenses, employee health care and serving us on holidays. Because the law allows restaurants to limit notification of surcharges in the fine print on their menus, you may not be aware of this extra cost until receiving the check, at which time it’s too late to downsize your order…or walk out.

8. Recycling Buffets
Is the lettuce brown around the edges? Are the tomatoes rather tired. Does that tuna dish look awfully familiar? Then you’re eating at a leftover buffet. Rather than toss uneaten food from yesterday’s or last week’s buffet, more restaurants are freezing everything for future use.

9. Iceberg Salads
Remember the days when salads contained arugula, watercress and colorful touches of red radicchio leaves? Today you could sink the Titanic on the iceberg chunks in our dinner salads.

10. Á la Carte Sides
Before you fork over $20 for an entrée, ask if that price includes any side dishes. You may need to budget another $5 to $10 if you want dinner salad or the formerly standard potatoes and vegetables.

11. Mystery Fish
The bottom-feeding catfish used to be one of the cheaper fillets. Now even the classless catfish is being replaced with the cheaper grouper. Last August, two teenagers in New York City collected 56 fish samples from stores and restaurants. Testing revealed 14 of the samples were mislabeled as a more expensive fish.

12. Shrinking Menus
It’s expensive to keep ingredients on hand for a wide variety of dishes, so restaurants are cutting down the number of dishes offered. You’ll also see more cross-pollinated dishes that feature the same ingredients in a variety of forms.

13. Cheaper Ingredients
Starting down the road to cheaper substitutions is a nasty one. The menu may mention butter but the kitchen recipe calls for “margarine.” That whip cream may just be Cool Whip (aka whipped lard), the seaweed is really cabbage and instant potatoes have stretched the mashed potatoes.

14. Is it Fresh?
Food distributors are charging restaurants fuel surcharges these days because of high gas prices. So, restaurants are trying to cut back on the number of deliveries they get. Instead of getting fresh produce every day, they order more food and less frequently.

15. Recycling Food
Preparing for a dinner rush requires a lot of extras, like rolls, desserts, side dishes, cuts of meat, etc. What happens to all those extras on a slow night? They end up in the buffet, reworked into meatloaf or worked into bread pudding. It’s criminal to throw these foods away, but rumors are rampant some restaurants are removing leftover foods from plates and recycling them. Yuck!

16. Cheaper Paper Goods
I’m all for cutting down on the number of napkins thrown into a take-out bag and using cheaper take-out containers, but I really hate it when restaurants skimp on toilet paper!

17. Begging for Sympathy
More restaurants are posting signs asking us to appreciate they’ve had to make cutbacks and raise prices due to higher commodity and fuel prices. Understandably, they want diners to understand they’re not just being greedy. I prefer this up-front approach to sneaker methods used by some restaurants.

18. Adding Comfort Foods
A restaurant I frequent serves a macaroni-and-cheese entree with lobster that is to DIE for. The New York bistro Artisanal recently launched Comfort Food Night and introduced a grilled-cheese bar to help bring people back to their childhood days. It’s a brilliant concept as we tend to crave comfort foods when times are tough.

19. Upselling
Your server suggests a loaded potato instead of a plain baked potato or adding a salad to your dinner. What they may not mention is these changes add to your bill (and the waiter’s tip). Watch out for upselling and ask about any price additions.

20. Menu Engineering
According to The Independent, restaurants use a combination of pictures, bold fonts and careful positioning of items to upsell diners. For example, restaurants like to box off high-profit items and avoid extensive straight lists that allow you to easily compare prices.

21. Trendy Buzz Words
Truffle oil, heirloom tomatoes and cedar plank salmon sound scrumptious and tend to induce customers into shelling our more dough.

22. Credit Card Surcharges
Luckily this is not common, but the occasional restaurant may sneak in a five-percent surcharge if you’re paying by credit card. By law, this will have to be mentioned in the menu but the print may be tiny, tiny, tiny.

23. Paying for Water
Under the guise of environmentalism, restaurants bring water only when you ask for it. This saves wait staff time while cutting down on water bills and dishwashing expenses. In addition, more servers now ask if you’d like bottled water, at a hefty mark-up, of course.

@couponsherpa

In these tough economic times, there aren’t many things I wouldn’t do to save money or make my dollar go further.

When it comes to shopping this coupon mom is not playing around. She shows you how she was able to get 100 dollars of groceries for only 25 cents using coupons, price matching and her strategic shopping method.

“It’s not about changing what you eat, is about changing what you buy and which brands you like.”

Top Shopping Tips:

• Always check out the stores sale flyer.
• Always buy whats on the front page, they will have the biggest discounts
• Plan your shopping trips ahead of time so you will make more informed decisions.
• Know which stores have double and triple coupon programs.
• Look for internet coupons and unadvertised deals
• Buy the store brand for big discounts

Do you want to know how to get 100 dollars of groceries for just 25 cents?

Stephanie Nelson the founder of www.couponmom.com presents The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs

Coupon Mom’s Book Description

Americans are hungry for bargains these days, but one woman has developed the ultimate strategy for enjoying a feast of savings. Taking the nation by storm, with appearances ranging from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today and Good Morning America, Stephanie Nelson has shown countless women and men how to save thousands of dollars by becoming savvy coupon clippers-without sacrificing nutrition or quality. Now, in The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, Nelson demonstrates all of the tricks of the trade-beyond coupons and tailor-made for a variety of shopper lifestyles. Whether you’re a “busy” shopper and have only a small amount of time each week to devote to finding the best deal; a “rookie” shopper who is ready to put more effort into cutting bills; or a seasoned “varsity” shopper who is looking for new ways to get the deepest discounts possible, this book offers techniques thatw ill make it easy to save money at any level and on any timetable.

Extending her Strategic Shopping protocols to mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, natural-food stores, drugstores, and other retailers, Nelson proves that value and variety can go hand in hand. With meal- planning tips, recipes, and cost-comparison guides, as well as inspiring real-life stories from the phenomenal Coupon Mom movement, this is a priceless guide to turning the checkout lane into a road of riches.

Man of Truth says that you can buy 45 pounds of wheat for less than 16 dollars. In today’s market that is one way to really stretch out your cash. MOT also quotes the story of Joesph who had stored 7 years of food. Years later all his friends and family came back to him and he was able to save them, because he had stored away for the future.

When it comes to financial advice, what better way to head off inflation by buying now while its still cheap. Last year the price of rice went up close to 120% “The time will come when you wouldn’t be able to buy these for 1000 dollars let alone 2 little pieces of paper.”

When you’re done with the wheat you will also have a great big waterproof bucket with a handle that you can use to keep emergency supplies in.

ROME (AFP) – World food production must increase by 70 percent by 2050, to nourish a human population then likely to be 9.1 billion, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation forecast Wednesday.

“FAO is cautiously optimistic about the world’s potential to feed itself by 2050,” said FAO Assistant Director-General Hafez Ghanem. However, he stressed that feeding everyone in the world by then “will not be automatic and several significant challenges have to be met.”

The agency is preparing for a high-level expert forum in Rome on October 12-13 on “How to Feed the World in 2050″ and plans to gather 300 specialists from academic, non-governmental and private sector institutions.

This forum will pave the way for a World Summit on Food Security in Rome on November 16-18.

The world population is expected to grow from 6.8 billion today to 9.1 billion in 2050, according to the latest UN forecast.

“Nearly all of the population growth will occur in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is expected to grow the fastest (up 108 percent, 910 million people), and East and South East Asia’s the slowest (up 11 percent, 228 million).

“Around 70 percent of the world population will live in cities or urban areas by 2050, up from 49 percent today,” the document said.

The demand for food is expected to grow as a result of rising incomes as well as population growth, the discussion paper added. Cereal production will have to increase by almost a billion tonnes from 2.1 billion today and meat production will have to grow by more than 200 million tonnes to reach a total of 470 million tonnes in 2050.

The FAO estimated that the “production of biofuels could also increase the demand for agricultural commodities, depending on energy prices and government policies.”

More land will be needed for crops “despite the fact that 90 percent of the growth in crop production is projected to come from higher yields and increased cropping intensity.”

The FAO estimated that “arable land will have to expand by around 120 million hectares in developing countries,” mainly in Africa and Latin America, while “arable land in use in developed countries is expected to decline by some 50 million hectares, although this could be changed by the demand for biofuels.”

Globally, there is still enough land to feed the future world population, but much of the potential land is suitable for growing only a few crops, and the FAO warned of other difficulties, such as chemical and physical constraints, endemic diseases and a lack of infrastructure.

Overcoming such problems will require “significant investments,” the FAO said, adding that some countries in the Near East, north Africa and South Asia “have already reached or are about to reach the limits of land available.”

The FAO expects water withdrawals for irrigated agriculture to grow by almost 11 percent by 2050.

The world has enough fresh water resources, but “they are very unevenly distributed and water scarcity will reach alarming levels in an increasing number of countries or regions within countries, particularly in the Near East/North Africa and South Asia.”

source: – Agence France-Presse

Dehydrating food is a method of food preservation that removes all water from the food. This prevents bacteria and microorganisms from growing. There are many ways to dehydrate your food at home including, electric dehydrators and backyard solar dehydrators. However using your oven is also an acceptable method, even though it may not be as energy efficient.

Drying preserves food, even in the absence of refrigeration, and significantly lengthens its shelf life. When fresh fruit and vegetables are unavailable, impractical, or out of season, dried food can provide an alternative.

Why Should I Dehydrate My Food?

• It saves money. You can now buy fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk and not worry about them spoiling.
• Preserve food you grow. If you have a home garden, you may have more food than you can eat before the majority spoils. Dehydrating food ensures that your harvest will last.
• You can create a food supply. In a financial crisis or or a natural disaster, can be priceless.
• You will save space. 20 to 25 dried bell peppers or 16 to 20 dried tomatoes will fit inside a 1-quart jar.

Getting Started

Next you need to prepare whatever it is you will be dehydrating. Wash, sort, pare, peel, and make sure that the inner tissue is exposed to the air. Some fruits require you to “pre-treat” them in order to preserve color, flavor, and nutritional value. The easiest method I found is mix 3 tablespoons of lemon juice with water. Dip your fruits in the solution from 30-60 seconds and that’s it.

Be careful when you are chopping in slicing, to cut pieces with appropriate size and shape. During first round of dehydrating apples I unknowingly cut all the pieces into triangle shapes. As a result the tips would be finished much sooner than the middle. This caused some burnt tips and moist centers.

Temperature

The lower the air temperature inside the dehydrator, the longer the drying time. Raising the temperature in the unit will increase the amount of water removed from the food and decrease the length of time it will take to dry. The temperature should be high enough to draw the moisture from the food but not high enough to cook it. Temperatures that are too low may cause food to spoil; temperatures that are too high may cause the surface area of the food to harden and prevent moisture from escaping.

Conclusion

Dehydrating food is a great way to store up fresh nutritious foods for any occasion. Camping, hiking, or just storing up for winter. It’s important to remember that you don’t need an expensive food dehydrator to get the job done, but it will make things easier.

Dehydrating food also takes alot of practice. I suggest further reading before you store up 6 months worth of home dried food. Improper techniques can result in contamination with bacteria or microorganisms.

Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites. But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you.

At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the outskirts—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be as empty.

1. Oats

High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.

2. Eggs

You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein. They are also a good source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may ward off age-related eye problems.

3. Kale

This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch.

4. Potatoes

Because we often see potatoes at their unhealthiest—as fries or chips—we don’t think of them as nutritious, but they definitely are. Eaten with the skin on, potatoes contain almost half a day’s worth of Vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium. If you opt for sweet potatoes or yams, you’ll also get a good wallop of beta carotene. Plus, they’re dirt cheap and have almost endless culinary possibilities.

5. Apples

I’m fond of apples because they’re inexpensive, easy to find, come in portion-controlled packaging, and taste good. They are a good source of pectin—a fiber that may help reduce cholesterol—and they have the

6. Nuts

Though nuts have a high fat content, they’re packed with the good-for-you fats—unsaturated and monounsaturated. They’re also good sources of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, and protein. And because they’re so nutrient-dense, you only need to eat a little to get the nutritional benefits. Although some nuts, like pecans and macadamias, can be costly, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds, especially when bought in the shell, are low in cost.

7. Bananas

At a local Trader Joe’s, I found bananas for about 19¢ apiece; a dollar gets you a banana a day for the workweek. High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

8. Garbanzo Beans

With beans, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. Not only are they a great source of protein and fiber, but ’bonzos are also high in fiber, iron, folate, and manganese, and may help reduce cholesterol levels. And if you don’t like one type, try another—black, lima, lentils … the varieties are endless. Though they require soaking and cooking, the most inexpensive way to purchase these beans is in dried form; a precooked can will still only run you around a buck.

9. Broccoli

Broccoli contains tons of nice nutrients—calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. As if that isn’t enough, broccoli is also packed with phytonutrients, compounds that may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plus, it’s low in calories and cost.

10. Watermelon

Though you may not be able to buy an entire watermelon for a dollar, your per serving cost isn’t more than a few dimes. This summertime fruit is over 90 percent water, making it an easy way to hydrate, and gives a healthy does of Vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant that may ward off cancer.

11. Wild Rice

It won’t cost you much more than white rice, but wild rice is much better for you. Low in fat and high in protein and fiber, this gluten-free rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates. It packs a powerful potassium punch and is loaded with B vitamins. Plus, it has a nutty, robust flavor.

12. Beets

Beets are my kind of vegetable—their natural sugars make them sweet to the palate while their rich flavor and color make them nutritious for the body. They’re powerhouses of folate, iron, and antioxidants.

13. Butternut Squash

This beautiful gourd swings both ways: sometimes savory, sometimes sweet. However you prepare the butternut, it will not only add color and texture, but also five grams of fiber per half cup and chunks and chunks of Vitamin A and C. When in season, butternut squash and related gourds are usually less than a dollar a pound.

14. Whole Grain Pasta

In the days of Atkins, pasta was wrongly convicted, for there is nothing harmful about a complex carbohydrate source that is high in protein and B vitamins. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest staples you can buy.

15. Sardines

As a kid, I used to hate it when my dad would order sardines on our communal pizzas, but since then I’ve acquired a taste for them. Because not everyone has, you can still get a can of sardines for relatively cheap. And the little fish come with big benefits: calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. And, because they’re low on the food chain, they don’t accumulate mercury.

16. Spinach

Spinach is perhaps one of the best green leafies out there—it has lots of Vitamin C, iron, and trace minerals. Plus, you can usually find it year round for less than a dollar.

17. Tofu

Not just for vegetarians anymore, tofu is an inexpensive protein source that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. It’s high in B vitamins and iron, but low in fat and sodium, making it a healthful addition to many dishes.

18. Lowfat Milk

Yes, the price of a gallon of milk is rising, but per serving, it’s still under a dollar; single serving milk products, like yogurt, are usually less than a dollar, too. Plus, you’ll get a lot of benefit for a small investment. Milk is rich in protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and niacin, and is one of the easiest ways to get bone-strengthening calcium.

19. Pumpkin Seeds

When it’s time to carve your pumpkin this October, don’t shovel those seeds into the trash—they’re a goldmine of magnesium, protein, and trace minerals. Plus, they come free with the purchase of a pumpkin.

20. Coffee

The old cup-o-joe has been thrown on the stands for many a corporeal crime—heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis—but exonerated on all counts. In fact, coffee, which is derived from a bean, contains beneficial antioxidants that protect against free radicals and may actually help thwart heart disease and cancer. While it’s not going to fill you up like the other items on this list, it might make you a lot perkier. When made at home, coffee runs less than 50¢ cents a cup.

Although that bag of 99¢ Cheetos may look like a bargain, knowing that you’re not getting much in the way of nutrition or sustenance makes it seem less like a deal and more like a dupe. Choosing one of these twenty items, or the countless number of similarly nutritious ones, might just stretch that dollar from a snack into a meal.

Source: @DivineCaroline