The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service recently reported that the price of groceries (food at home) has risen over 1% in the past month and more than 7% over the past year. They anticipate that grocery prices will increase by another 2-3% more in 2022. The cost of some foods has risen more rapidly than others, including fish, seafood, eggs, and milk.

Orozco and Miller presented the “Spend Smart, Eat Smart” app and website from Iowa State University Extension to parents at Sheboygan County Head Start/Early Head Start. The lesson included a QR code to download the app directly on the phones. The app and website have numerous resources to help a family with food budgeting, including a unit price calculator, meal planning sheets, food expense tracking tools, and a list of in-season produce. There are also many helpful videos and healthy recipes. This presentation was also a great opportunity to build relationships with the Head Start/Early Head Start staff and parents, since FoodWIse also teaches the children in the classroom during the school year.

Many young parents struggle with food budgeting, with lack of time, lack of money, and picky eaters at home. Meal planning can seem intimidating and unrewarding. This class helped parents realize that meal planning does not have to be time-consuming. Meal planning is not only for those with unlimited food budgets. And, finally, that meal planning can encourage even the pickiest of eaters to try new foods.