Every now and then everyone finds themselves stuck in a rut, especially when it comes to the food we feed our family. We may have the best intentions and plan to make creative, home-made meals served at the table every night. But the truth is that busy lives, jam-packed schedules, and people with too much on their proverbial plate can mean we are filling our plates with what is accessible, quick, and easy. That may mean that you have the same five dishes for dinner over and over again or that you wind up spending more time in front of a drive-up window than in front of your stove. Whatever food rut you have found yourself in, the Fill Your Plate team is here to help pull you out. Here is a rundown of some of the great ideas and information are available that will help you stretch your food dollar and fill your plate.
Recipes for Real People
One of the things that leads to a stagnant menu filled with the same five staples is time and energy. We simply don’t have the time or energy to search through cookbooks filled with recipes requiring ingredients we don’t have on hand and may not even know where to get. The Recipe section of Fill Your Plate helps overcome this challenge in a couple different ways. First, it is packed with delicious recipes provided by people just like you using a variety of every day ingredients, many of which are grown right here in Arizona. Second, the recipe section lets you search for recipes based on ingredients. Let’s say you have pork chops in the fridge but don’t know what to do with them. With one click, you will get a list of delicious recipes using pork which includes at least six different things to do with pork chops.
What’s In Season
The Arizona Produce in Season section of Fill Your Plate is incredibly helpful for those who want to feed their families locally grown, in-season fruits and vegetables. A list of everything that is in season each month is provided which can aid with menu planning and provide a little inspiration if you are looking for some new things to try. Once you have some produce in mind, head over to the Recipe section for creative ways to incorporate that item into your family’s menu.
Find a Farm Product
Another great resource of Fill Your Plate is the Find a Farm Product section. No matter what farm product you are looking for, you are sure to find some great local producers with this feature. Simply select the product you are looking for and you will get a list of local farms and ranches that provide that item. By offering specific information about each producer, Fill Your Plate makes it easy to find someone near you who has what you need to put the delicious back in your dinner.
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