The Ingredients:

This recipe is simple to make with ingredients you have at home. With each ingredient able to be adjusted for personal preference and budget, this recipe allows flexibility for nutrition and price. To follow the recipe, use coconut flour, protein powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, dark chocolate chocolate chips, and coconut oil.

Substitution Ideas:

• Honey or agave can replace maple syrup, for personal preference.
• Different nut butters can replace peanut butter for allergies or preference. Seed butters, like sunflower seed butter, are a good substitute for those allergic to nuts.
• Chocolate chips can be milk, dark, or white chocolate.
• Most protein powders can be used for price flexibility, different flavor profiles, and personal preference.
  

Additional Protein Powder Notes:

Casein, brown rice, or paleo protein powder is preferred. Whey protein is not recommended, as the texture can be incredibly sticky and won’t form the bars well.
If your batter is too thick/crumbly, add water or milk until a firm batter remains.

We chose PB2 as our protein powder. Regular PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that you add water to to reconstitute. If you would like to use the protein, make sure you get the “Peanut Protein” version. We like this protein powder because it is protein derived from peanuts and brown rice, it provides 20 grams of protein per serving, and it uses monk fruit extract as a sweetener for a great no calorie natural sugar alternative.

Directions:

1. Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined.
4. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
5. Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
6. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional dark chocolate and enjoy!

Chocolate (optional):

Let’s be honest – the only thing that would make these simple protein bars better is a smooth, dark chocolate top. When applying, you can cover the top while still in the pan, or slice and remove to dip fully. The more, the better, right? Melt your chocolate chips with a spoonful of coconut oil for a smoother finish, and place back in the freezer for a final set.

Nutrition, storage, and more:

When cut into 12 different bars, each bar contains approximately 20g protein. For peanut butter lovers this is it! The PB2 used creates a smooth consistency that makes your mouth water. The dark chocolate on top creates a dessert-feeling snack that is healthy and helps you achieve your goals. Protein helps build and repair muscle in the body, provides energy, and keeps you healthy. These are better cold so throw them in the freezer or fridge depending on your needs. If you need a snack in an hour or two but don’t have time to go home, you can take one out of the freezer and it will thaw by the time you want to eat. If you want one as your heading to class take one out of the fridge and eat it on your way!

Nutrition:

Serving: 1 Bar
Calories: 150kcal
Carbohydrates: 5g
Protein: 20g
Fat: 7g
Sodium: 109mg
Potassium: 150mg
Fiber: 3g
Vitamin A: 9IU
Calcium: 20mg
Iron: 1mg

References:

thebigmansworld.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-protein-bars-keto-sugar-free-vegan/

No-bake Protein Bars

Author: Wednesday Group 4 Courses:Breakfast, Gluten Free, Plant-based, Snack, Vegetarian Recipe Keys: M macro-friendly H high-protein C college-student

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: minutesSet Time: 25 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:12 barsCalories:150 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

The recipe is high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber. For college students or college athletes, it is an easy on the go snack that can be prepared in advance and taken anywhere. College students/athletes are pressed for time and often go without eating or turn to fast, less nutritious options. This is a great on the go, nutrient dense option!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 cups protein powder
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

1. Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. 
3. In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. 
4. Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
5. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional chocolate and enjoy!

Notes

• TO STORE: Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Protein bars store well in the refrigerator, too! Let them sit at room temperature for several minutes before enjoying. 
  TO FREEZE: Freeze in a sealable container for up to 6 months. 

Keywords:easy, gluten-free, make-ahead, meal-prep, nutritious, protein, Quick, simple

Energy bites are more than fast food. The peanut butter packs a punch of protein, while oats help stabilize blood sugar, provide antioxidants linked to heart health, and improve digestion through their fiber content. Omega-3 fatty acids have links to brain and heart health, chia seeds are a terrific source of healthy fats to support cell function and nutrient retention, and taken together the ingredients have more health benefits than can be listed here.

The recipe price is low, and it can be easily adapted based on local ingredients, seasonal flavors, or whatever you have on hand for a fast, delicious, and nutritious snack any time of the day. All of the ingredients for the energy bites can be found in a grocery store.

Cost Breakdown

Additional Budget Friendly Tips

• There is no fresh produce or ingredients in this recipe, so the quality of the ingredients comes down to price and personal preference. This also makes it easy to save by buying in bulk and storing the ingredients, or making a large batch of the energy bites and freezing them.
• Other options to reduce price include shopping around, exploring local farmers markets, or dropping by the SNAC pantry. The food at the pantry is subject to change, but staples such as peanut butter and oatmeal are almost sure to be found there and the option can shave several dollars off the recipe cost.

Recipe Making Process

• To make the recipe, simply gather together the ingredients and measure them out, then follow the recipe to combine and shape the energy bites. Collecting and measuring the ingredients prevents the nasty surprise of an impromptu grocery trip and simplifies the process over all.

• The tools needed for this recipe include measuring cups, a tablespoon measure, a mixing bowl, a spoon, and a cookie tray. A rubber spatula can also be helpful for handling sticky ingredients such as peanut butter and honey, or a quick spritz of cooking spray to the measuring cup before measuring out the ingredients works just as well or even better as it means one less dish to wash. The final tool vital to this recipe are your own hands!
• A scooper can be used to measure out and shape the finished dough, but approximating the amounts and molding the bites by hand works just as well without the need for extra tools.
• If the dough is sticky, feel free to pop it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to let it firm up before shaping the bites. Adding a bit of water to your hands, no more than is needed to make them damp, can also prevent sticking.

Reflection of the Process

When done correctly, these energy bites can’t go wrong. The energy bites should turn out perfectly every time, with evenly mixed balls that stay intact for as long as they last. While not the prettiest looking snack, these energy bites make up for appearance in taste and speed. The chocolate chips melt in your mouth, mixing with the peanut butter to create a delicious flavor with just enough sweetness. The flax seeds, coconut, and oats add a satisfying texture to every bite.

The recipe is easy to make, so easy that one person commented it felt like cheating, and takes less than twenty minutes to prepare. For a bit of extra multitasking, listen to a recorded lecture, run through some notes, or use the time as a well deserved study break.

Overall, remember that this recipe is for the person making it. While the recipe is terrific as is, feel free to make changes to the recipe based on allergies, taste, and seasonal ingredients. If peanuts aren’t a good option, peanut butter can be replaced with almond butter or another similar choice. Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be replaced with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, M&M’s, or anything else in the pantry. This recipe is easily adaptable to all tastes and occasions. There’s nothing stopping you from giving it a try!

There are quite a few vegetables that need to be chopped, but we will discuss proper cutting techniques and tricks in the recipe description that will help you cut each ingredient quickly.

Making Cowboy Caviar is a super fun and easy process. Once you figure out different knife cuts and the proper way to hold your knife, it is really quite relaxing. Getting to spend a little bit of time just cutting veggies can be fun! The quick and easy preparation process makes this recipe a perfect choose for those times you are in a rush or need a quick healthy side dish to bring to a party. It is also very budget friendly if you are looking to save money. You just need to buy a few vegetables and in addition to few other ingredients that you probably already have at home. This recipe can be very versatile. The vegetables in this recipe can be switched if you don’t like them or if you have other vegetables at home you are wanting to use up.

This dish is very delicious, nutritious, budget friendly, and simple to make. It tastes very fresh and would be great to use for your next home barbecue. It is best served chilled with tortilla chips.

Cost Breakdown

Tips for Making this Budget-Friendly

• The Student Nutrition Access Center food pantry on the USU campus typically has canned beans and corn.
• Buy generic products such as Great Value or Kroger to reduce ingredient cost even more.

Making Cowboy Caviar and Knife Skill Tips

Tip before cutting vegetables: Hold the knife between your thumb and pointer finger on the bolster. Then wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle.

Step 1: Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Gather the vegetables and other ingredients that will be put into the dressing.

Step 3: Rinse and drain the beans and corn.

Step 4: To cut the bell pepper, gently cut around the top. You do not want to cut all the way through the pepper. Turn it upside down so the stem is facing downward. Cut along each of the sections of the pepper (there will be three or four, depending on the pepper). Gently pull each section away from the pepper. Slice each section into four thin strips. Then dice. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 5: Cut the top of the onion off, leaving the bottom intact. Cut the onion in half. Beginning at one side, make cuts all the way across the onion. Then turn the onion and make perpendicular cuts. You should have small, diced onions. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 6: Slice the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds (you can leave some in if you like more of a kick). Cut the jalapeno into thin circles and proceed to mince the jalapeno until you are left with very small pieces. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 7: Chop the cilantro. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 8: Cut the avocado in half, throwing away the seed. Peel the skin gently off. Flip the avocado so the rounded side is facing up. Make thin slices lengthwise all the way across the avocado. Then turn it 90 degrees and slice all the way across the avocado. This should create little cubes of avocado. See the video for a more detailed visual.

Step 9: Add all the ingredients into the bowl with the dressing and mix well.

Eat with your favorite bag of chips, as a side for a hamburger, or just straight out of the bowl!

There are many ways to get protein in your diet without having to rely on meat! This dish includes black beans, which are an excellent source of protein. Black beans contain eight grams of protein per serving, and they also have plenty of fiber. Meat can take a long time to cook, so this dish is a great option for when you’re wanting to make something that is quick and easy. There are only a few ingredients, which also makes it very simple to make. The most difficult part of this was adding in all of the many spices, but they make for a wonderful taste! These tacos are very filling and sustaining. They are also a great way to get in your servings of vegetables, and most of the vegetables in this dish are able to be locally sourced. 

The cost for this entire meal was $10.14. This meal made four servings, so the individual portion cost is $2.54. It was much cheaper because we did not include meat, yet it still had a great amount of protein. 

Here is the cost breakdown:

Additional Tips to Save Money:

• Grow your own vegetables, or buy them from a farmers market
• Use block cheese and shred it instead of buying shredded cheese if you already have a block
• Make your own tortillas! Or you could eat this meal with chips or rice instead if you want.
• Visit the SNAC pantry at USU

Pasta primavera is generally served at dinnertime but can be prepared for lunch as well. In the U.S. we tend to put a greater emphasis on the last meal of the day. So, if you plan to serve this for dinner, you may consider adding a side dish. Warm garlic bread goes well with most pastas and can be an enticing choice. The veggies in this dish make it colorful and nutritious. It is a great dish to share with people of any age. This meal may be served with grilled or shredded chicken to add flavor and additional protein. Or if desiring to eat vegetarian, it can be easily converted by substituting the poultry stock for an all-vegetable one.

Cost Breakdown

This pasta primavera is easy to prepare and pleasing to the eye. It is a wonderful way to sharpen your kitchen skills and boost your confidence in cooking. As a college student, it may be hard to establish cooking self-efficacy. But having a collection of reliable recipes you can return to will make you a more competent and effective cook. It is a perfect dish to return to time and time again. Since most items are cooked together in one big pot, it requires little prep work and minimal clean up. You can easily impress your dinner guests or save the leftovers for later. It only takes about 20 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to prepare.

Recipe Lightning Round

Reflection and Tips

Our goal in selecting and preparing this recipe was to appeal to the increasing number of college students and to the emerging young adults everywhere. We searched for a dish that included all the major food groups, could be prepared quickly, and that is budget-friendly. This recipe says that it makes 6 servings, and we found each portion to be quite generous. That makes this dish perfect if cooking for a group of roommates, or if you plan on saving/freezing it to be eaten over the period of several days or a few weeks. It’s the ultimate food planner’s choice.

Several skills can be learned and implemented throughout the preparation process of this dish, thus increasing one’s kitchen abilities and level of self-confidence. You will learn the different ways of cutting vegetables, and how to implement dry and moist heat cooking methods – through sautéing the onions and simmering the pasta to al dente. You will also mix up a creamy sauce and learn about appropriate seasoning.

We learned that there is minimal clean up required after cooking this pasta primavera. It is fun to cook with a group so that certain individuals can be chopping the vegetables while others prepare the broth and additional ingredients. As your noodles are simmering, you might consider preheating the oven and preparing a nice cheesy garlic bread to serve on the side.

As we were preparing this meal, we discovered some of the best ways of cubing cucumbers. Make sure to create a flat edge on each side to avoid rolling during the cutting process. We also substituted the chicken broth for chicken bouillon which we dissolved into hot water. It turned out fantastic and was much cheaper. After pouring in the broth, you may find that it doesn’t completely cover the noodles. Don’t worry about that. The vegetables shrink down, and it all softens and comes together quite nicely. Also keep in mind that you’ll be adding more liquid to the pot when pouring in the cream. We decided against adding the can of peas, and as a result the dish tasted fresher and lighter. We didn’t run into any difficulties preparing the meal or performing the cooking techniques, but we did have a slight problem with managing our time. We started preheating the oven too late and ended up broiling our garlic bread rather than baking it. That alteration allowed us to serve all components of the meal at the same time and while they were still hot.

Overall, we loved this dish because it is healthy, allows access to all the major food groups and does not go over budget. It smelled amazing and tasted just as good. It is a comfort food that can be served on almost any occasion. We would not make any alterations to the recipe; flavors were all there and it worked out quite nicely.

RESOURCES:

We found this recipe for Garlic bread very useful! https://bit.ly/FNGarlicBread

How can I start eating healthy when I’m in college?

I sent out a survey to some college aged individuals who attend various universities (primarily Utah State University and Texas A&M students) to figure out what most people struggle with to make a balanced diet. Most of the responses showed a high intake of meat and refined grains (think white rice, normal flour, white bread, etc.) and a low intake of vegetables and whole grains. Vegetables are jam-packed with nutrients our body needs. Whole grains are important to provide us with healthy carbs and fiber; certain grains are also a great source of protein and other nutrients. Young adults should be getting about 3-4 servings of vegetables a day. Young adults should also be getting about 8 servings of grains at least half of which should be whole grains. How can I start eating healthy when I’m in college?

So how does a college kid, or anyone low in time and on a budget, start to replace their high intake of meat and refined grains with vegetables and whole grains? One easy way to start is by changing the grains you buy. Many grains are in a similar price range as white rice but are much better for your diet. This recipe uses the grain quinoa but other grains like couscous, farro, amaranth or even brown rice can be used. They also take about the same amount of time to cook as white rice (sometimes even less time)

Vegetables can be a bit trickier because they can be expensive if you don’t plan them outright. The first step in figuring out how to incorporate vegetables is knowing what is in season. Along with buying in-season, vegetables (and fruits) can be bought out of season for a cheaper price if they are bought frozen or canned (if you buy canned make sure to look for a low sodium/sugar added option). You can also try buying vegetables that can be used for multiple recipes or snacks that week so none of them go to waste.

What is sustainable eating?

Sustainable eating is a practice that helps support sustainability in our food systems. Having sustainable food systems is important for the continued production of foods we have now, the cost of growing and producing food products, the environment/ global warming, our future generation’s ability to produce food, and more. Though sustainable eating is important, it does not mean you have to go completely vegan, eat organic foods, and never go to chick-fil-a again. There are many other ways to help with sustainability without completely changing your life or spending a ton of money.

Plant-based diets and meals are a growing popularity to help with sustainability. There are some amazing recipes online on how to make plant-based meals. Meals that are planted based tend to naturally be more nutrient-dense and include more fiber/vegetables/whole grains. An easy way to start implementing this is participating in meatless Monday or reducing your animal product intake to only 1or 2 meals a day.

Another way to save some money and help with sustainability is by buying local products. If you are living in Cache Valley a great example of doing this is buying dairy and dairy products that are produced/manufactured in the valley. This also goes for produce, meat, poultry, eggs, and pretty much anything that would have to be transported a long distance. Reducing the need for transportation helps with sustainability in multiple ways. Buying vegetables in season also helps with sustainability in part because of transportation but also because additional resources are needed to grow out of season produce.

Cost Breakdown

Ingredient	Amount	Ap Unit Cost	Recipe Ingredient Cost
Chickpea	1 Tbsp	0.72/ 16 oz can	0.72
Olive Oil	1 Tbsp	2.52/ 16.9 oz (~33 Tbsp)	0.08
Garlic Powder	1 tsp	0.318/ 1 oz (1 oz~6 tsp)	0.06
Italian Seasoning	1/2 tsp	0.286/ 1 oz (1 oz~6 tsp)	0.02
Salt and Pepper	To taste	–	–
Total Recipe Cost	–	–	0.88
Cost Per Serving (1)	–	–	0.88

Ingredient	Amount	AP Unit Cost	Recipe Ingredient Cost
Quinoa	2 cups uncooked	2.59/ 1lb (0.41 lb~ 1 cup)	2.12
Vegetable 1 (cherry tomatoes)	16 oz (48 tomatoes)	1.48/ 10 oz (~30 tomatoes)	2.40
Vegetable 2 (large cucumber)	2	0.87/ cucumber	1.74
Hummus	3/4	2.98/ 14 oz container (~28 Tbsp)	1.32
Lemon juice	6 tsp	.98/4.5 oz (~27 tsp)	0.24
Salt and pepper	To taste	–	–
Feta Cheese (optional)	6 oz (~12 Tbsp)	5.88/12 oz (~24 Tbsp)	2.94
Roasted Chickpeas (optional)	1 serving (1.5 cups)	0.85/ 1 serving	0.88
Total Recipe Cost	–	–	7.82
Cost per serving (6)	–	–	1.30
Total Recipe cost (with optional ingredients)	–	–	11.64
Cost per serving (with optional ingredients) (6)	–	–	1.95

Cost of Eating Healthy/Sustainably

There are so many different ways to save money on food out there so for now I’m going to focus on ways to save for this recipe. Buy vegetables in-season really is a change saver. For this recipe, the two vegetables used are cucumbers and tomatoes. Both tend to be in season July-November. But this recipe can be used year-round with other vegetables. For example, broccoli and carrots are both in season when cucumbers and tomatoes are not and could be used for the two vegetables. Another way to save money is buying things in bulk and not buying name-brand products. For this recipe, the quinoa could be bought at a store like Winco which has a huge bulk foods section where you can get the exact amount of what you are looking for. You can also buy in bulk for the seasonings, salt, and pepper. When trying to reduce the cost of lemon juice and feta cheese the best option is to buy the cheapest brand. If you are making the option roasted chickpeas an easy way to reduce the price is to buy dry chickpeas in bulk instead of canned but this does require extra time and knowledge on how to cook dry chickpeas.

This meal is a healthy and sustainable option that is filling and not too expensive. Shown above is a cost breakdown of the main recipe and the optional addition of roasted chickpeas. The grain bowl costs only $1.95 per serving and might be less depending on what/when ingredients are bought.

References and Resources
Here is a link with some additional things that can be done to help sustainable
food systems. https://www.greenamerica.org/good-food-gone-local/9-ways-
support-sustainable-food None of these has to be done to 100% to be helpful if
you can only implement some of these things occasionally it is better than
nothing.

This link talks about sustainability and plant-based eating.
https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/food-systems/the-case-for-plant-based/ and
this link give some recipes for those living a college lifestyle to start plant-based
eating. https://theveganatlas.com/16-easy-vegan-meals-to-make-in-your-
college-dorm-kitchen/

This website has a chart to see what common vegetables are in season.
https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/vegetables-month-infographic-
eatmoreveggies/

Here is a great resource for replacing rice with other grains.
https://longevitylive.com/anti-aging/grain-alternative/

This website has a resource where you can figure out your specific
recommendations for different food groups and has general tips for adding food
groups into your diet. https://www.myplate.gov/

https://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/123403-consumer-sustainable-
eating-considerations-continue-to-rise
https://www.eatsamazing.co.uk/family-friendly-recipes/snack-ideas-
recipes/easy-garlic-herb-roasted-chickpeas-recipe

One of the main issues for college students is not having enough time to eat healthily on
a budget. With this in mind we decided to make a recipe full of vegetables that tastes good, helps students get the nutrients they need, and doesn’t take much time or money. This Budget-Bytes vegetable fried rice recipe is something simple that many students will go out of their way to buy at a restaurant. However, fast food options cost more per serving (ours is only $1.13) and take more time than you would realize, due to driving there and waiting in line.

On the flip side, we were able to get this done in about 30 minutes, even faster than a
takeout delivery! Like we mention in the video linked below, this recipe really isn’t too hard to make. The recipe instructions are straightforward and all it takes is washing and cutting the vegetables, cracking/whisking eggs, heating oil, and sauteeing it all together with rice! We’ll give you more details below

This recipe can be done even quicker with various strategies like prepping vegetables
beforehand or using pre-minced garlic and ginger paste (or the powdered forms). Another thing that helps is to make the rice ahead of time (the day before) and refrigerate it overnight. Something interesting to note is that leftover/day-old rice is actually better for this recipe than fresh rice because it’s less sticky.

Cost Breakdown

Take a look at the cost breakdown for this meal:

Preparation Techniques

All the preparation and cooking techniques for this recipe are super simple- great for
college students just getting into cooking. All you’ll need is a knife, cutting board, stovetop or induction burner, a few bowls or plates, and one pan (or wok, if you have one). Once the
vegetables are cut up, the process is pretty quick moving! So go ahead and get in the zone to chop those veggies and get cooking! If you wanted to dirty one less bowl, the rice could be pushed to one side of the pan after toasting with the garlic and ginger and you can scramble the egg on the other side of the pan.

Take it to Another Level

In our kitchen, cooking sustainably and keeping it budget-friendly is important to us!
So here are a handful of possible options to lift some weight o your wallet while still enjoying what you eat:

• Sustainability: Use whatever vegetables you have that may go bad in your fridge! Broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, cabbage, and zucchini would all make a great addition to this simple veggie-lled recipe! You could also add in some leftover chicken, ham, or even lunch meat for some extra protein.
• Easier additions: A frozen stir-fry mix could replace whole, fresh ingredients to make prep easier and cut down the cost even more! If grating ginger is too much of a hassle, feel free to replace the fresh ginger with the powdered form or ginger paste (although it can be quite expensive), the same thing with garlic (possibly a jar of minced garlic).
• Budget-friendly options: As mentioned above, a frozen stir-fry mix would be cheaper than buying individual, fresh vegetables. The SNAC pantry on campus has lots of groceries available to students for free! Rice is a staple in the SNAC pantry and could cut down the cost even more. SNAC also carries a variety of produce, meat, and canned goods that you could substitute to make things even cheaper.
• Tips and tricks: use long grain white rice to avoid clumpy, sticky, fried rice. If you prefer spicy fried rice- feel free to add sriracha, chili powder, or red pepper akes when cooking your vegetables! If you want a lower sodium meal, make sure to use a low sodium soy sauce as well as watch how much salt you add in. The seasonings we used were super flexible, so feel free to measure with your heart, and add in what you like!

References: https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetable-not-fried-rice/

This meal can be enjoyed as both as a quick lunch or dinner, only taking 5 minutes overall to prepare and about 10 minutes to cook. Stir fry is a simple Chinese sautéing method that has been used for years. Stir fry is a very beginner friendly meal and great to feed a whole family (serving 10) or can be reduced simply to feed just an individual. We recommend in late summer and early fall because more fresh vegetables are harvested, but can easily be enjoyed year-round.

Cost Breakdown

This McCormick vegetable stir fry recipe by Chef Janice is very budget friendly because each of these vegetables are fairly inexpensive. The spices can be purchased as generic brands which makes them a little cheaper. Here is a cost breakdown:

Tips to make this cheaper:

• Generic brands may be more budget-friendly than purchasing name brands for the sauce, oil, and seasoning.
• It may cost less to buy two (8 oz) bags of sugar snap peas rather than purchasing the 16 oz bag.
• Purchase a small bottle of vegetable oil rather than a large.

References: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/salads-sides/stir-fry-vegetables?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhoqtwNno-wIVKAGtBh199QU1EAAYASAAEgLcEfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Cost Breakdown

About the Recipe

I was excited to try this recipe, as I have cooked tofu before for soups, but never thought to incorporate it into a salad. About half the ingredients are fresh produce, which were very easy to find in a grocery store, and all the other ingredients were fairly easy to find as well. The original recipe called for optional sriracha in the dressing, but I decided to omit it for the sake of cost and preference. I had vegetable oil on hand, so I substituted that for canola oil in the recipe for personal ease. Some ways to make this recipe more budget friendly include buying generic brands when possible, buying produce in season, and if desired, omitting certain ingredients to cater to personal preference. One of the best parts of this recipe is that it is using tofu in place of meat, which is more sustainable versus consuming meat. Another way to make this recipe more sustainable includes composting the vegetable scraps.

This meal was fairly simple to make. Chopping all the vegetables did take some time, but it wasn’t unmanageable. For the sake of this assignment, I prepared a mise en place for a picture, but when I make this recipe again, I would start pan frying the tofu first and then chop all of the vegetables so that they aren’t sitting out as long. Other than that small detail, I didn’t have any issues preparing this meal. Once the tofu was done and I blended the ingredients to make the sauce, I was able to easily throw everything together into one big salad bowl.

Overall, I really enjoyed this recipe. To serve, I used a bowl and put about two large handfuls of spinach in, then added the vegetables and tofu on top. To eat, I mixed everything together. I prepared this meal alone, so for the other three servings this recipe made I put the rest of the meal in another bowl for me to save as leftovers. In the future, I may omit the sesame seeds in the salad itself, but would keep them in the dressing. I recommend anyone wanting to try incorporating tofu and more vegetables into their meals to give this recipe a try.