Tornado Potatoes Are Cheap and Easy to Make

Tips to lower your food costs

Author photo - Malaysian food market 2023

It’s great when you find a new way to prepare a standby. It’s even better when it’s cheap.

On a recent trip to Malaysia, we discovered these young men who were selling deep-fried potato twirls on a stick (Tornado Potatoes) for a dollar (Cdn).

You could add mustard, mayo, or chili sauce squirted on top as a flavorful treat. Tornado potatoes may be sprinkled with parmesan cheese or dusted with spices.

Very delicious. Of course, we went back for more.

Potatoes on a stick are cheap and easy to make. They are a great way to extend your food budget. 

• Potatoes are rich in the antioxidant, vitamin C

• They’re a great source of potassium, an electrolyte that your heart, muscles, and nervous system need

• They contain fiber, which supports your digestive system

How to lower food costs

One of the best things you can do to lower your food costs is to learn to cook.

• In Western countries, cooking at home is much cheaper than buying food in a restaurant. Meal kit delivery services aren’t much better cost-wise and you miss the chance to cook in bulk.

Here are some other ways to keep your food costs low:

Cook once, eat several times

If you’re going to work in the kitchen, make your time count.

It takes a bit of time to cook several meals at once, but cooking in bulk saves time and money. When you purchase bulk ingredients it’s much cheaper. 

Double the recipe, and freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions. This saves time in the long run.

Homemade is cheaper than store-bought

It takes planning, but you can learn how to save a ton of money by making simple things like dips and granola. 

Store-bought items such as crackers, trail mix, nut milk, and cookies cost a lot more than homemade ones. A good quality hummus can cost close to $9, and you can make your own for a fraction of the cost. Salad dressing is another great example.

Save vegetable scraps and peels and make a healthy vegetable broth. Freeze the broth in ice cube trays and you can add them to recipes later.

Repurpose leftovers

Food waste = throwing out money. If you want to save money, aim to never throw out any food. 

• Do a weekly fridge audit. Find containers of food that need to be used or condiments that are due to expire. Plan meals around these items.

• Add leftovers to scrambled eggs. Grate wilted veggies into spaghetti sauce

• When buying food, choose items that you know you can use in several dishes

• Use leftover juice pulp in your vegetable patties. 

• Add the juice from chickpeas as the liquid when you bake

• Use stale bread to make French toast or croutons

Food sales are your friend

When staples are on sale, stock up. Buy non-perishable items (rice, pasta, canned items) in bulk when they’re on sale.

Tis the season

Buying food when it’s in season is always a money saver. 

• Local fruits and vegetables are affordable when they’re in season. Buy in bulk and freeze for the winter months

• Shop at your local farmers' market

Set aside a cooking day

Plan your meals for the next week, ensuring that you use what’s in your fridge. Choose one day a week to do the bulk of your food preparation and make the most of your time.

• While you’re chopping veggies for sauces, put a meatloaf in the oven.

• If the oven is on, try and cook two major items at the same time.

• Do the prep work (chopping) for soups that you’ll make from leftovers.

• Use your stovetop while you’re baking. Blanch veggies for a healthy salad. 

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