Jerry the Blogger

I'm proud to say we purchased our Halloween candy ahead of time this year (as opposed to five minutes before trick-or-treaters start knocking on doors in our neighborhood, which we usually end up doing). And so far, fingers crossed, we haven't opened the bags yet!

This doesn't mean I haven't snuck a "fun-size" candy bar or two in the past few weeks. They're hard to miss and pass up. However, I don't think eating healthy means you have to completely avoid all sweets during this treat-filled season. An occasional piece of candy is fine. Better yet, I like to look for ways to enjoy the tastes of the season without sacrificing nutrition.

Pumpkins are actually a fantastic food to incorporate into your diet. They're loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Pumpkins also are a good source of fiber and are relatively low in calories. Plus, they taste delicious.

So if you have a few extra cans of pumpkin around or want to use fresh pumpkin from the farm, take a look at some of these sweet treats from the Start Making Choices recipe database.

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert: A creamy light alternative to traditional pumpkin pie prepared with low fat vanilla ice cream.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Cake: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice combined with pumpkin and raisins make this a real fall treat.

Pumpkin Biscuits: Flaky pumpkin biscuits subtly enhanced with a touch of brandy extract.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding: Bread pudding made with cinnamon raisin bread and pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cake: A quick-and-easy cake using cake mix and canned pumpkin.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Like most people these days, my wife and I have been trying to live more frugally and find ways to save where we can.

One of the biggest chunks out of our monthly budget is groceries. All those items in your cart can really add up! Also, a lot of folks think eating healthy adds even more dollars to the total bill. But we've found that it's absolutely possible (and not too difficult) to stick to a nutritious diet and keep grocery costs down to a reasonable amount.

Coupons are one major way to save. Sounds obvious, but you might be surprised how much savings you miss out on when you don't clip (or click) to get lower prices on your favorite products. Using coupons, I sometimes save up to $50 on my grocery bill. That's no small change! I get coupons from lots of places, including the newspaper, websites, packages, store shelves. Don't forget to check the Coupons page on Start Making Choices -- you never know what deals you'll find.

Making a shopping list ahead of time (and shopping on a full stomach) helps save money, too. When you're organized and prepared, and not desperately searching for anything and everything to eat, you tend to make healthier choices. Whenever I go with a list in my hand and food in my stomach, I leave the store with more nutritious foods, less junk and a lower grocery bill. Try it for yourself, you'll see.

Buy in bulk when your top picks on are sale. Of course, it doesn't make sense to buy 40 cans of beans if you don't like beans. But if you use a lot of Hunt's tomatoes in your cooking or eat Healthy Choice meals for lunch every day, stocking up on those things makes a lot of sense. And saves lots of cents when your store has great deals on them!

Do you waste a lot of food because you buy too much at once and it goes bad before you can eat it? We used to do that. Now, we try to limit ourselves to only the perishable items we can consume in three or four days. That way, we don't have fruits and vegetables wilting in the produce drawer. They're fresher, we eat them sooner, then we buy more. It definitely cuts down on food (and money) waste.

These are just a few ways we've been able to keep our healthy grocery costs down. What are your favorite ways to save?

Colds and flu, particularly H1N1 or "swine flu," are all the buzz right now, aren't they? Our family has been fortunate, because so far we've only had to deal with minor colds. Colds are no fun, but at least they're not as serious as flu.

Other than the obvious ways to help reduce our chances of catching a cold or the flu -- getting flu shots and washing our hands frequently -- I wondered if we could do anything else to improve our odds. It turns out that the foods you choose to eat may help stave off sickness.

I did some research, and a number of trustworthy sites recommended different nutritional solutions to prevent cold and flu. But one in particular gave some good, specific tips for how to eat to stay healthy.

According to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, here are some foods (and drinks) to seek out this cold and flu season:

• Water: Drink lots to keep hydrated, which helps mucous membranes stay soft and moist, preventing tiny cracks that allow viruses and bacteria to enter. Who knew?
• Yogurt: The probiotics found in yogurt's live active cultures ("good" bacteria) can help keep the gut and intestinal tract low in disease-causing germs.
• Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables: Plant-based foods are high in antioxidants and phytonutrients, which may boost your immunity. Shop for broccoli, red onion, blueberries, grapes, oats, barley and tea. And don't forget Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! popcorn contains lots of antioxidants.

We're definitely going to heed this advice and eat right. Colds and flu, stay out of my way!