Knowing how to identify, select, prepare, cook, and preserve food allows you to make healthy choices, while taking into account your budget, preferences, and the foods that are available.
Cooking workshops for fun, efficient meal preparation
Participating in cooking workshops is a simple, fun, and welcoming way to improve your skills. These workshops encourage the adoption of a varied and balanced diet and can address different themes, such as:
- The transmission of traditional culinary techniques.
- Food preservation.
- Grocery budget management.
The Timiskaming First Nation meal preparation workshops are particularly popular. They are held every two weeks, with 15-20 participants per session. Participants prepare meals as a group and take their dishes home, making healthy and practical eating easy on a day-to-day basis.
Useful tips to spend less on your grocery staples
Grocery shopping while sticking to a budget can sometimes seem challenging, especially when trying to eat healthily. However, with a few simple tips and efficient planning, you can reduce your bill while filling your cart with a variety of nutritious foods. Here are some tips:
- Take advantage of buying groups: Find out whether your community offers this service. Buying directly from suppliers or wholesalers can significantly reduce costs.
- Make an inventory of your food: Check what you already have before you go shopping to avoid buying items you already have.
- Choose in-house brands: They will generally be cheaper than the more well-known brands. When possible, compare the price per 100 g to choose the most economical option.
- Take advantage of discounts on long-lasting foods: When non-perishable foods you love are on sale, buy one or two extra to maximize your savings, if your budget allows it.
- Focus on staples: Buying individual ingredients is often cheaper than buying prepared meals or fast food.
- Keep food that needs to be eaten soon in plain sight: Keeping leftovers and perishables visible helps reduce waste.
- Plan your meals and snacks: Make a list of meals to prepare or eat over the next few days to stay organized and avoid making impulse purchases.
Store your food properly to enjoy it year-round
When you know how to properly store food, you can prep in advance and enjoy later. Different methods can be used depending on the type of food and your needs.
- Drying: Fruits, herbs, vegetables, and meat.
- Canning: Sauces (e.g., spaghetti sauce), seafood, broths, jams, etc.
- Freezing: Bread, meat, poultry, fish, berries, vegetables, etc.
- Room-temperature storage: Flour, cereals, broths, crackers, peanut butter, pasta, rice, vegetable oils, preserves, etc.
Don’t hesitate to ask an elder for advice on traditional preservation methods. They could also teach you about hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and using medicinal plants. This knowledge makes it possible to preserve food while valuing cultural and traditional practices.
Additional resourcess
https://files.cssspnql.com/s/P5Zrnx1yrH5NLCU?_gl=1*fx5gsn*_ga*OTE0NzA5MjkyLjE3Njc5MDIzNDQ.*_ga_906VEPXQGV*czE3Njc5MDIzNDMkbzEkZzEkdDE3Njc5MDI0NDQkajIwJGwwJGgw
Guide_Trucs pour une meilleure conservation des aliments
https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/articles/food-chemistry/614-a-beginner-s-guide-to-canning