photo credit: CoreForce
Like seemingly everything else these days, food costs have gone through the roof in recent months. Between the rising cost of transporting food from the growers to the market and the increased expenses related to manufacturing foods, it’s no wonder that your food expenses have started to take up a larger and larger share of your monthly budget.

Fortunately, there are some foods that seem unfazed by the crazy inflation that is invading our lives. Working these foods into regular rotation in your meal or snack plans will allow you to insulate yourself from price increases that could wreck your budget. Here are a few examples, as well as some suggestions for how to incorporate them into your family’s diet.

Chips – First of all, snack chips are great additions to your children’s school lunches. But you can use them as more than snacks. You can also add them to dinner dishes like casseroles like Betty Crocker’s Chipotle Red Beans and Rice Casserole to give your dinner a little extra crunch.

Potatoes – While many different types of produce have become increasingly expensive, the price of potatoes has remained pretty flat. Potatoes can be used to make many different dishes such as mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, baked potatoes…you see where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Pasta Noodles – Pasta is one of my favorite foods, so I was thrilled to see that it hasn’t really been afflicted by rising food costs. Adding an inexpensive jar of sauce (caught at a sale price) will help you create a dinner your entire family will love.

Chicken – Unlike expensive beef, chicken has experienced a relatively stable price. There are as many ways to prepare chicken as there are stars in the sky. Add mayonnaise to baked chicken to make chicken salad for sandwiches. Or bake in a creamy sauce for a lip-smacking entrée. And, who doesn’t love friend chicken? Peruse your favorite cookbook for more ideas.

Flour/Sugar – Staples that are used in baking are very economical choices while you’re grocery shopping. Forget spending tons on pre-packaged desserts. Instead, you can bake your own cookies. Flour will also stand in as an inexpensive breading for meats.