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Show Five smart way to fight problems of f foodfiation' Meat up 40 percent. Lettuce Let-tuce rising. Coffee steady. Nationwide, food prices looming a phenomenal 24 percent over last year's figures. fig-ures. With food prices spiraling upward, shopping for the family dinner today is as complex as trading in commodities. com-modities. Should one invest in steaks now or wait for meat prices to drop? Have fresh vegetables hit their price ceiling or will another drought or downpour in California send lettuce soaring soar-ing again? Is chicken cheaper than fish? Save with glafts packaging Regardless of how food prices fluctuate, there are steps you can take to fighl "foodflation." Here are five ways you can beat rising foe' prices, according to cc-sumer cc-sumer advisors and shopig experts: I. Plan ahead: Planour meals by the week arshop accordingly. Avoid H minute min-ute buys which Icrf to be more expensive, t't aside some hours to cok ahead. Store your casvroles or other culincry realions in glass containerund refrigerate. refriger-ate. You can mi your "meals in glass" byJc day and then take thcmvl, place them in a proper retainer and pop them in oven. Planning, shoppinmd cooking ahead will cuf.wn on your weekly grocerrtill and still give you - qualimcals. l. look for special sales: Yuir local store frequently of&s sales on your favorite n'liuct. Check newspapers 1 specials and stock up on tch staples as glass bottles if ketchup, mayonnaise, oils, vinegars, jams, syrups, dressings and preserves. Special discount coupons from manufacturers offer another way of saving on your weekly food bill. 3. Serve "encore" meals: Leftovers can become "encore" meals, side dishes PROPER PLANNING unci ulK nlioii to piicknuiriK arc two ways lo fight "focxlflution." or the makings for sandwiches. Store leftovers in a glass jar and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. If you have a specialty, prepare enough for two meals, a dinner din-ner and a lunch. That way you'll save cooking time and stretch your food dollars as well. 4. Think quality: Just because be-cause some items arc cheaper doesn't mean you have a bargain. If your family doesn't like the taste, you may be wasting food and that's no bargain these days. Smart shoppers look for value and quality bargains that last. Pood in glass containers, con-tainers, for example, store and rcscal in a snap. You can sec what you're buying. Remember, Re-member, glass jars cim't disguise dis-guise olive size, bean cuts or tomato color. wnen nuymg iainny sizes, remember that value is best protected by the strength, purity and rescala-bility rescala-bility of the container. You can always find your sauces, fruit salads and vegetables in glass containers that suit your needs. 5. Stock up on hevern,i;es: With the summer months coming, slock up on the hot- . (led beverages your family drinks whether it's wine, soft drinks, beer or juice. Wilh children in the house and guests dropping over, you'll need lots of liquid refreshment re-freshment that can be recapped recap-ped and stored to preserve flavor, fizz and freshness. To fight "foodflation" today, to-day, you have to develop a keen sense of value, not just price. |