Column: How to manage nutritious meals amid dramatic rise in food costs

Worldwide, food systems have been challenged by limited supply and distribution due to the pandemic, the Ukraine war, Midwestern avian flu and climate change. These have resulted in increased food costs in nearly every food category, and realistically, prices are not likely to decrease soon. Yet regardless of how high food prices soar, to maintain health, our bodies still require that we consume adequate calories and more than 40 essential nutrients. Here are ideas for how to affordably feed ourselves, along with vital cooking information.

Question: What should we consider when trying to lower food costs?

Answer: The most expensive food nutrient is protein. Yet the importance of protein to health is often understated. Proteins determine body structures and regulate thousands of critical chemical reactions. This nutrient is so essential that the sole purpose of DNA is to instruct our cells to make the unique proteins that our bodies need to develop, reproduce and survive. Therefore, when a person consumes too few calories — and protein is used for calories rather than the many critical functions of protein synthesis — over time, there is a net loss of body protein that can result in muscle loss and decreased immune function, among other things.

Proteins are composed of amino acid building blocks, and a protein’s quality is based on how well a food can supply adequate amounts of these essential amino acids to meet functional needs. Animal protein sources have higher protein quality than plants and contain more essential vitamins and minerals. Additionally, animal sources are more digestible than plants.

And highly important amid escalating inflation: Animal proteins are generally more expensive than many plant-based proteins.

Meanwhile, as the price of most protein sources continues to climb, legumes remain more affordable. Legumes produce seed-bearing pods; common legumes include soybeans, kidney and pinto beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), black beans, azuki beans, lentils, split peas and even peanuts. Still others include cannellini beans, cranberry beans, black-eyed peas, fava beans, navy beans, etc. There are even more!

Legumes can be incorporated into both omnivore and vegetarian fare. Combining animal proteins with legumes can stretch the protein dollar; for example, add tofu to pork or beans to chili con carne.

The protein quality of legumes can be improved when served with grains, such as lentil curry over rice or bean burritos. Legumes also can easily be added to soups and stews.

Q: Are there any concerns with adding legumes to the diet?

A: One concern about legumes is that they contain a naturally occurring toxin that can interfere with thyroid function. Research decades ago found that simply seasoning a legume dish with iodized salt neutralizes this toxicity. Unfortunately, kosher salts and common salts, including sea salt, do not contain enough iodine to offer this protection, and restaurant foods rarely include iodized salt.

Something else to note: Most raw legumes have other toxins that cooking can make safe.

Q: What else can lower costs?

A: Affordable processed and fast foods can be nutritious, such as canned and frozen foods, and dollar meals. Also, shop around — build a shopping list off of supermarket sale items and let lower-cost ingredients drive meal planning.

Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.