Carol Spurling, the Co-op’s very own Coordinator of Membership & Outreach and a serious foodie, recently forwarded a discussion from the Association for the Study of Food and Society listserv to me that all started with an article in the New York Times about Spam. Yes, that’s Spam, the canned ham product from Hormel Meats that is the butt of many jokes. The point of the article was that sales of Spam are booming as the economy tanks. Several members of the listserv commented on the fact that Spam, at $2.40 for a 12-ounce can (that’s $3.20 per pound), is really not much of a bargain at all, when you think about it. A list was included of no less than 18 different meats available at mid-range grocery stores for less than $3.20 per pound.

It is also possible to buy meat at the Moscow Food Co-op for less than $3.20 per pound. Choices include (but are not limited to) Country Natural Beef 80% lean ground beef (2.79/lb), Beeler’s ground pork (2.99/lb), Diestel Free Range whole turkey ($2.99/lb) and Petaluma Poultry free-range whole fryer ($2.66/lb). At just over the $3.20/lb price, you can get (again, among other things) the Co-op’s own bulk pork sausage ($3.49/lb) Petaluma Poultry Organic whole fryer ($3.45/lb), Shelton’s ground turkey ($3.50/lb), or for a little more, Beeler’s pork shoulder ($4.29/lb). AND, I’d like to point out, that all these meat options from the Co-op are much better both for the consumer and the environment than Spam.

One of the little factoids mentioned in the New York Times article is that 19,000 hogs are butchered every DAY in Austin for the Hormel plant. Rest assured that these are not the free-range hogs raised on family farms that one gets from Beeler’s Natural Pork at the Co-op. Rather, they are raised in CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), where they live in tiny pens and are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The $3.20/lb price doesn’t reflect the true environmental cost of Spam. It doesn’t include wildlife habitat lost to both feedlots and farms that grow feed for the hogs; it doesn’t include the huge amounts of petroleum expended as both fuel and fertilizers to grow the feed; and it doesn’t include the environmental harm caused by widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics that breed drug-resistant germs and are leached into our water supply. I could go on, but you get the picture.

It should be no surprise that it’s cheaper to buy minimally processed meats (such as a whole chicken or turkey or plain ground meat) than it is to buy a processed, additive-laden, canned meat product. The same is true no matter what type of food product you’re looking for. It’s cheaper to buy simple dried beans than it is to buy them pre-cooked in a can, and it’s cheaper to buy bulk pasta than to buy a boxed pasta meal. So if you’re looking for ways to cut back on your grocery budget in the New Year, think close to the source. Of course, it’s way more trouble to cook a whole turkey (or even brown some ground beef) than it is to simply open a can and dig in. But think of it as a renewed commitment to yourself, your family, and the environment. Cooking together with your family members is quality time spent together, and turns out a healthier meal than eating highly processed foods.

Buying and cooking a large piece of meat (such as a whole chicken or a roast) can also stretch your food dollars. Eat it one night as a main dish, and add leftovers to other dishes with veggies, rice, beans or pasta to make it last for several more meals. Cooking a big meal on a Sunday is a great way to start off the week, so that instead of getting take-out, you eat an inexpensive, healthy, home-cooked (leftover!) meal on Monday. And it doesn’t have to be complicated—stick a turkey or a pork roast in the oven Sunday, and reap the benefits the rest of the week. (Hint: if you cook lots of rice or potatoes or quinoa or whatever to go with your meat, it makes fixing leftovers even easier!)

I lieu of a recipe this month, and in the spirit of the new cookbook Cooking Beyond Measure by Jean Johnson, I instead offer some suggestions for ways to use (and stretch) your leftovers from Sunday dinner without a lot of hassle.

* One suggestion I came across recently that I really like, is to make potato or rice cakes with leftovers. Chop some leftover meat, and mix it with leftover mashed potatoes or cooked rice (if the mixture is dry, you might need to add some egg to make it stick together), add some cooked veggies, herbs and bread crumbs, form into patties, and cook in a non-stick skillet. Serve with mango chutney, like the really yummy mashed potato and risotto cakes from the Co-op deli.

* Curry: cut up leftover meat, warm in a curry sauce (which you can either make, or simply get from a jar) with some veggies, and serve over rice. The same principle works with barbeque sauce to make something like pulled-pork (or chicken, or beef…) sandwiches.

* Tacos or tostadas: shred leftover meat, warm it up, and serve with tortillas and fixings — lettuce or cabbage, salsa, sour cream, cheese, or whatever. Refried beans are a good, inexpensive (and kid-friendly!) addition.

* Soup: cook some aromatic vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, celery) in oil in a large pot, and once they’re soft, add cut up meat, broth, and other veggies, such as potatoes or squash (if these are already cooked, they will add flavor and body, or add uncooked chunks), greens, pasta, beans or rice, or whatever you have on hand. Don’t forget to add some herbs, too.

* Pasta: add leftover cooked meat to tomato sauce for something really simple, or sauté it with veggies and serve over pasta.

* Salad: save this one for summer — cold leftover meat can easily be added to salad for a light dinner — think chicken Caesar, chef’s salad with turkey, or a bread salad with flank steak.