Italian Food Is Easy to Prepare And Economical

Just about everyone loves Italian food. But what you may not realize is that Italian food is not only easy to prepare, it is also very economical. It does not cost much to purchase spaghetti and sauce at a discount grocer. If you go with an off brand, which is usually just as good as a main brand, you can usually get both items for less than $2. That is less than $2 to feed a family of four - you cannot beat that!

You can add things to Italian food to make it more filling, although pasta is generally very filling. One thing that you should add to your Italian food is vegetables of some sort. Many Italians like to have salads that contain mostly vegetables instead of lettuce. You can dress a cucumber with tomatoes and olives and make an Italian salad. These items are usually also very inexpensive. If you use balsamic vinegar as the dressing, it is low fat and very low calorie. A can of olives, a cucumber and tomatoes will usually cost you about $2 at a discount grocer.

Bread is a staple in most Italian food diets. In recent years, Americans have been warned off of bread because of the carbohydrates. However, you need carbohydrates to maintain your strength. Instead of white bread, why not go with whole wheat bread? If you make your own (which is easier than you think) you need whole wheat flour, a pinch of salt and yeast. You just need to dissolve the yeast in slightly warm water and then mix it with the flour and a pinch of salt. You can knead it yourself or use a mixer with a kneading blade. Allow it to rise in a bowl with a towel or cheesecloth over the top. Punch it down and then knead it again and bake it. You will have a loaf of bread. If you have a bread machine, it will do all of the work for you. The cost of making a loaf of bread is less than $1 and it will add greatly to your Italian food dinner.

Many in the Mediterranean countries do not eat a lot of red meat. They prefer fish or chicken or sausage. You can usually get hot Italian food sausage at a discount grocer for under $2. You can bake it in the oven on a cookie sheet, turning it every so often, and it will add greatly to the meal.

You can easily make authentic Italian food for a family of four for under $10 and have enough ingredients to make another meal. This is especially true if you make your own sauce. Italian food is not only easy to make, but it is also very economical.