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By Martha Filipic, OSU Extension

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Low-income Ohioans may be paying the cost of high grocery-store bills by sacrificing their long-term health.

"We're hearing over and over again that families are buying less milk and fewer fruits and vegetables," said Joyce McDowell, leader of Ohio State University Extension's Community Nutrition Projects.

McDowell oversees the Ohio Family Nutrition Program and the Ohio Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. These two federally funded programs teach nutrition, food safety and thrifty food shopping to thousands of low-income Ohioans each year. McDowell recently asked county-based staff members who teach these classes how their clients were handling increased strain on the budgets due to higher food and gas costs. Some of the responses:

• "Less veggies. More box foods." "It is hard to get milk, cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables." (From clients at a food pantry in Guernsey County)

• "They buy orange pop at 69 cents instead of a gallon of real orange juice at $4." (Extension educator in Erie County)

• "I already have many people telling me they will plant a garden this year (or even a windowsill garden) for fresh herbs and vegetables instead of purchasing them." (Family Nutrition Program instructor, Mahoning County)

• "One of my participants says she cooks things like soup, stews or spaghetti in bulk. She divides the food into several meals before serving. This ensures her family does not eat too much the first time it is served and she gets the right number of meals from the recipe." (FNP instructor, Clermont County)

In many cases, McDowell said, it appears that fresh fruits and vegetables and milk are among the first things to get cut from the budget.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels," a family of four (with children between the ages of 6-8 and 9-11) could feed itself for as little as $131.60 a week in February 2008. Though considered "thrifty," that's about 6 percent higher than February 2007, McDowell said.

"To be able to buy food that cheaply, it means eating all of your meals at home, cooking from scratch, watching portion sizes, and using everything. You can't throw away any leftovers," McDowell said. Ohio's community nutrition classes are putting a renewed emphasis on food preparation to help participants eat nutritiously on a budget.

"I know it's a dilemma for families, but I think that means we have an increased responsibility to help people with their food preparation skills, because that's how a lot of families will get through this period."

But in some cases, food preparation techniques can't help. "What I'm really concerned about is the milk," McDowell said. "Our clients continually report that they're not purchasing milk because it's too expensive. But we know calcium is readily absorbed by the body when it's consumed in dairy products."

According to a Surgeon General's 2005 report, the average American consumes far less calcium than recommended, leading to osteoporosis and other health problems later in life. The problem is likely to get worse as people purchase less milk, McDowell said. But she offers ideas for incorporating more calcium in the diet.

"At a minimum, parents need to encourage children to drink milk at school," she said. Milk is often available for free or reduced cost through school-based breakfast and lunch programs for children from low-income families. "Many more families are eligible for those programs than apply for them. Call the school and find out," she said.

In addition, dry milk is cheaper than fluid milk and is often available at food pantries. "If it's really cold, it's actually pretty good," she said. "But reconstituted dry milk also can be used in casseroles, sauces and other foods. That's a good way to work in some calcium at a low cost."

When fluid milk is on sale at a good price, McDowell recommends buying more than what you might normally purchase. But be smart: "Take a look at the 'use-by' dates. Sometimes they vary by as much as a week, so you can save some to use later without it spoiling."

Watching for sales on items in the fresh produce aisle is also a good habit to get into, but also be sure to look for fruits and vegetables in the canned goods section, too, she said. "Canned fruits and vegetables are often your cheapest option, especially the store brands," she said. They have a long shelf-life, so buying in bulk when they're on sale makes sense, she said.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines also recommend that half the grains in the diet should be whole grains. But whole-grain bread, pasta and other items are often much more expensive than those products made with refined grains. To work in whole grains, McDowell suggests making sure any breakfast cereals purchased are high in whole-grain content. Choosing oatmeal -- in bulk, not prepackaged and flavored -- and popcorn -- in bags, not packaged for the microwave oven -- are good, economical ways to work whole grains into the diet.

"In many cases, the less processed the food, the cheaper you can get it," McDowell said. And that's what families have to do to save money. For example, while egg prices have jumped recently, eggs still can be an economical choice for meals. "Eating an egg and a piece of toast for breakfast would be still be cheaper than a toaster pastry or a frozen waffle."

In addition, McDowell encourages families trying to cut expenses to examine portion sizes, especially when it comes to meat.

"Two ounces of (cooked) meat is acceptable for a serving," she said. "One chicken breast can go a long way." Bulk up meals with beans, bread, potatoes, fruit and vegetables so no one leaves the table hungry, she suggests. Or, serve meat in casseroles, fajitas, stews and soups to stretch it without family members seeing a smaller-than-usual serving of meat on their plates.

For more ideas, McDowell suggests that families consult the new MyPyramid Menu Planner, available at www.mypyramid.gov. "Even if you don't have a computer at home, you can get online at the library, set yourself up a password, and always go back to your personal Menu Planner page," McDowell said. "It's a great tool to help families plan a well-rounded menu to make sure they incorporate all of the food groups."

OSU Extension offers the Family Nutrition Program or the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (or, in some cases, both) in 71 of Ohio's 88 counties. All county offices offer general information related to nutrition and budgeting. To learn more, contact your county office of Ohio State University Extension, usually listed under county government in the phone book, or see the county office listing on OSU Extension's Web site.