Money-Saving Way to Stretch Hamburger
Save Dollars by Doubling or Tripling Ground Meat!
By Mary Curtis
How much do spend on food?
The average family (2 adults plus 2 children) spends about $600 per month on groceries or about $140 a week (or even more)!
With food prices expected to increase this year, families will feel crunched as their budgets are strained to continue putting nutritious meals on the table.
One way to help win the battle against rising food prices is an easy protein-packed supplement that you can add to any ground meat including hamburger.
By adding textured vegetable protein (also called t.v.p.) as a supplement to any ground meat, you will be able to double (or even triple) the amount for just a few cents. You'll realize savings without sacrificing nutrition or flavor (t.v.p. is neutral in taste and picks up the flavors of what it's added to). What's more is that you'll be able to freeze extra meat mixture so you can realize savings through "bulk" buys.
Unlike oatmeal which has been used as a ground meat supplement, textured vegetable protein is high in body-strengthening protein so you wonç¨ lose any nutrition by using less meat.
Unlike ground beef (hamburger), textured vegetable protein is lower in calories and contains no dangerous cholesterol or harmful fat. By supplementing t.v.p., therefore, to ground beef, you'll reduce calories and fat intake for you and your family and realize healthier waist-trimming results at the same time.
Textured vegetable protein (t.v.p.) is very easy to use and takes less than 3 minutes to prepare. It is a soy product, made from de-fatted soy flour, and is available in most major supermarkets. You can also buy textured vegetable protein online. Because t.v.p. comes dehydrated, resembling little nuggets, it will keep in your cupboard until you are ready to use it.
To Double Ground Meat:
Cup for cup, you will be using t.v.p. like you would ground meat, essentially while cutting the ground meat in half.
So, for example, if you normally make burgers using about a cup of ground meat, you can cut back on the meat by about half a cup and, to supplement, you'll use about a half-cup to t.v.p. Likewise, if you make a meatloaf using about 2 cups of ground meat, cut back by about a cup of meat and supplement with about a cup of t.v.p.
If you buy hamburger, or other ground meat, in bulk (i.e., 3 to 5 pounds, or more), just "guesstimate" the amount of t.v.p. to add to the meat; about 2 cups per pound. After you mix is all together, you can freeze 1 or 2 pound portions in freezer bags, just like you would normally.
To Triple Ground Meat:
To increase ground meat to about three times the original amount, just add 2 parts t.v.p. to 1 part meat. As above, if you buy hamburger or ground meat in bulk, just roughly measure the number of cups. Then separate in the t.v.p.-meat mixture into portions, like you ususally would, and freeze in freezer bags or appropriate container.
It's EASY! Here's all you do:
This takes less than 3 minutes):
- Measure the amount of dried t.v.p. you want to use and place it into a large mixing bowl. As explained above, you can roughly "guesstimate" this amount figuring that a pound of hamburger comes to about a cup or so.
- You should already have your ground meat out in a bowl or container.
- Add the meat to the dried t.v.p. and begin mixing together either with a spoon or your hands. Mix until it is even and distributed. Now, you're ready to proceed as you normally would with your favorite dish or with freezing.
- Caution About Freezing:If you are using ground meat which has been previously frozen, NEVER RE-FREEZE RAW MEAT! You must cook the meat thoroughly if you want to freeze it. This applies to all meat, whether or not you add t.v.p. or any other supplement or ingredient.
By cutting the ground meat you would normally use in half, or even less, you will be able to stretch your money through these trying times. You will also reduce calories and fat to fit into that favorite outfit!
T.v.p. can also be used by itself, without the ground meat, as a great-tasting meat substitute. Just re-hydrate it as described above, using about 1 cup water to 1 cup dried t.v.p., and use it just like ground meat! Click here for more info.
Click here to watch my short video that shows you how to prepare t.v.p.
Mary Curtis is author of The Practical Vegetarian and other books and articles.