[Spirit Deer]

I decided to find out exactly what we're paying for when we buy a 5 ounce can of tuna in water.

I drained the tuna and pressed out the liquid till it was quite dry. I weighed the result in the can, which came to 3.3 ounces. I dumped the tuna out and weighed the empty can, which weighed 7/8 of an ounce.

That means the tuna weighed 2.6 ounces, or about half the weight advertised on the can.

It takes about six cans of drained tuna to equal just over a pound. So I think I'm going to have to re-think tuna as being a cheap food. I think I can buy steak for less. Although a can of tuna seems to go further than the same amount of steak would.

It seems to me there is a lot more liquid in canned veggies and beans these days, too. Some days I wish I did not have such a suspicious mind.

 

[Hamada]

Bought some tuna after avoiding it for a years this spring. Then heard that it was showing high levels of something other than mercury. (forget what the high levels were for So I stopped eating it again. Really would rather not have to worry about eating tuna since it can be inexpensive. Plus I enjoy a tuna salad or tuna casserole. I do purchase canned salmon which seems to have a good amount of meat in it. Sure there are bones and skin to also add in as waste if you do not eat them.

Understand about the suspicious mind. Feel that way about fast food places now. Can't help but think there is something in the food that can make you want to eat more. Mainly the hydrogenated oils and high fructose syrups. I had purchased a tea from starbucks and it had that aftertaste that their coffee has. Which made me think why, and what are they putting into their drinks.

But it just comes down to the all mighty dollar. Just doesn't help us frugal people when we try to eat healthy, have a good stockpile, and think we are getting a bargain. Interesting about how much is just waste in the can of tuna.

 

[SueBee49]

Spirit Deer, I always drain my canned tuna and then press it through a very fine tea strainer to get all the excess water out because I don't like the taste of that water. Not because I have a suspicious mind, but it did impress me long ago that a can of tuna was really just a bit more than a heaping tablespoon! Like shoiji, tuna salad is one of my "go to's" and I love tuna casserole with macaroni. (Truth is, I love macaroni). So no, tuna is not cheap but at least you can stretch it.

(Thanks! Now you're going to have me weighing out my tuna next time to figure price/lb.). :lol:

 

[Spirit Deer]

Doing that little test was a great eye-opener in another way though. When I make a meal, that can of tuna is often the only protein in the meal, especially if it's something like tuna salad for sandwiches. We eat the sandwiches and after my little experiment, I realize how little protein a person really needs to feel full and satisfied. Which means we're waaaayyyyyyy overeating meat and other proteins.

I don't think they're really adding anything special to make people crave more food. It's the bad carbs that do that. I'm completely convinced of that after doing South Beach Diet for a few weeks. I was pretty strict especially for the first month, and I WAS NEVER HUNGRY. It wasn't because I was eating a lot either. I actually ate a lot less, especially snack foods. I've been somewhat less strict since June 1 when I started SBD, and I've lost thirteen pounds with no exercise and no real effort and lots of messing up. IOW, I haven't really put any effort into it. I can tell almost immediately if I've had the wrong carbs because I'm hungry again much sooner. So in the past I'd eat more tasty carbs and be hungry again right away, ad infinitum. It's a vicious cycle, and I feel very happy to have learned how to break that cycle.

SueBee, let us know your results if you do weigh it out!

I love pasta too but I'm switching to whole wheat and I'm also going to learn to make my own. White pasta is one of those foods that spike blood sugar and make a person hungry again too soon.

I use a strainer made for cans. Love that! It fits inside a tuna can so I can press on it to squeeze the water out. The one I use in the house is stainless steel but looks just like this one. I use the plastic version in the camper.

 

[SueBee49]

I haven't gotten the SBD book yet. Want to check the Half-Price store before purchasing, but I know exactly what you mean by the wrong foods making you hungry faster. That's part of the reason I've never been a fan of things like smoothies or Carnation Instant Breakfast, etc., for breakfast. If I drink those things, I'm starving within 2 hours but if I have a boiled egg and a slice of toast I seem to just drift along until lunchtime or even longer without even thinking of food. Sometimes when I have tuna salad, I might eat that for breakfast. Or leftover beef...most anything.
And FWIW, since my little sugar episode about a week ago, I've majorly limited all forms of sugar. I mean seriously major limitations. No tea, no soft drinks, no cookies/cakes, etc. And I've felt much, much better. Last night for dinner, I decided to pass on the chicken soup and instead, had a bowl of oatmeal with butter, milk and just a smidge of sugar. It tasted so sweet! Almost too sweet.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Yup, stuff like sugar and salt are acquired tastes. It can be tough to un-acquire those tastes, but it's worth it.

I'm not a fruit lover but since starting SBD, I find I'm eating a lot more and wanting to eat it, much more than I did before. Part of that is because not eating bad carbs limits choices, but some of it is just craving fruits more than I ever have.

My go-to sweet snack is sugar-free pudding pops though. Homemade, of course.

Have you checked here for the SBD book?
www.half.ebay.com

It turns up often at GW and other thrifts, too, which is probably the cheapest place to get it. Or try Freecycle. If it was me, I'd get it from the library first and read it. Not everything works for everyone, and you might decide it's not for you, so getting it from the library might save you some money.

 

[SueBee49]

I don't tolerate artificial sweeteners at all so those types of things are out of the question for me. I really haven't had any problems this past week giving up the sugar although you got me to thinking that I have eaten more fruit than I normally do. Maybe that is satisfying my sweet tooth? But far better than simple white sugar I would think. To tell you the truth, I felt so bad I think it almost caused me to have some sort of aversion to really sugary stuff. I really felt bad. Scarey bad. And don't want to go there again.

 

[Ali Lee]

I can't remember the last time I bought tuna. The can keeps shrinking. But, I do miss tuna casserole & a tuna salad sandwich. If you're looking for a book. try online... Better World Books. A good program & free shipping. I have gotten several books from them already. My SIL has bought some of his college texts from them.

 

[craftypam]

spiritdeer; I have a kitchen scale and am going to check next time I open a can of tuna, but I don't think the can counts in the weight of the item. And I don't know if anyone is interested and it might be too much tuna at one time; but Sams club sells a large can 66.5 oz for $9.46.

Also; I buy books online all the time and you can go to Dealoz.com; bestwebbuys.com or addall.com. They check several sites including half.com. I find that abebooks.com has the cheapest shipping for most items. Either free or $3. Most of the other sites are $4; except half.com charges 3.49 for paperbacks.

 

[SueBee49]

It takes about six cans of drained tuna to equal just over a pound. So I think I'm going to have to re-think tuna as being a cheap food.

Ummm...maybe not. I was in the grocery yesterday and fresh tuna was selling for $24.00 per pound in the fish market. Of course, that was the fancy yellow-fin tuna that I've never eaten but makes me wonder what kind of "tuna" I'm really eating from the can. Regular price here for the small can of Starkist is about $0.78 so at 6 cans/lb, that would be about $4.68/lb.

Here is a link you may be interested in:

Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered

You have to look foods up by category, IOW, fish...then search for tuna, canned in water, etc. You can change the weight/volume. I generally use the 1 oz. portion offered. Play around with it - lots of good info on there. Tuna, chicken, beef all offer just about the same protein content. For me, I find if I think in terms of "servings" vs. cost, I come out better. For example, I can easily get only 2 servings of tuna salad from one can, but can stretch that casserole out to several servings.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Craftypam, no, the weight of the packaging does not count. But the water apparently does, because that has to be part of the 5 oz. listed on the label. I suspect it's the same for stuff like canned veggies and that's probably why it seems like there's more water in a can of veggies now. They're putting less veggies in a can, adding more water, and charging more so we're getting less food and don't realize it. With the can, the tuna weighed 3.3 ounces but I deducted the 7/8 oz. weight of the empty can.

SueBee, I do look up nutritional info online quite a bit. I also have a book with nutritional info for thousands of things, and a program on my PDA (yes, I still use one) that has a nutritional database I can add to. Very handy.

I avoid hotdish AKA casserole these days. The base used to stretch those is usually rice, pasta, or potatoes, none of which I can eat except for very small portions if I don't want to regain the weight I lost over summer.

 

[Ramona]

I wait until Market Basket has a $1 - $1.25 sale for solid white albacore tuna, either Bumble Bee or Starkist or Chicken of the Sea.

 

[Libby]

White pasta/rice = narcolepsy for me Tasty lil buggers too!

SD - care to share your recipe for a good sugar free pudding pop? The one's Ive tried are so horrible!

SB - the trick with smoothies is adding protein in them and fibre. If you do only frozen fruit, yoghurt & honey its going to be empty carbs. When I used to make them for breakky during my commute to work I'd use fruit, yoghurt (nowdays try using greek yoghurt for the protein), wheatgerm/ground flax seeds/chia seeds, and pb or protein powder. It took me a long time to finish it and I was pleasantly stuffed til lunchtime and beyond.

I used to eat a lot of tuna but in between realizing we were out of tuna 6 months ago and buying more for the cupboard, they're all still there so I guess I don't care for it as much as often? Never thought to weigh it but always questioned the amount of water in the can...it took forever to drain! Now I know why

 

[frugalfranny]

That means the tuna weighed 2.6 ounces, or about half the weight advertised on the can.I

It seems to me there is a lot more liquid in canned veggies and beans these days, too. Some days I wish I did not have such a suspicious mind.

I don't think it is such a 'suspicious mind' as it is THE TRUTH..............I will often mix it with boiled eggs for a sandwich and I can tell it has much less tuna than it used to according to how much sandwich filling it makes. Doesn't matter if it is albacore..........or the dark stuff.........still much less tuna-more water. I have quit eating it so often.

Amazing!! isn't it??...............everything is shrinking.............except my waist!! :laugh:

I too have backed off the 'white carbs'..........but started eating more protein.......lost weight too.

This one ought to just MAKE YOU GAG.................our fair is on now......and a friend just told me that they are DEEP FRYING BUTTER this year.......and people are buying it!!! Think she said they are charging FIVE BUCKS for it.........not sure on that............but..........:thud:

 

[Spirit Deer]

Yeah, I love all the white rice, pasta, etc. too. I like dark breads though.

For pudding pops, I just mix 2 cups of skim milk with whatever SF pudding flavor I want (butterscotch is the current fave) and then pour in the molds and freeze. Pistachio is good too. And chocolate.

State fair food is deep fried everything. I hate to say it but deep fried butter sounds good to me. I love butter! I probably wouldn't buy it though, especially if it's that expensive.

 

[Libby]

I've heard that the deep fried butter is in a batter/coating so the butter melts right into it thus making it tasty like 'melted butter' :laugh:

Imagine chocolate covered bacon, bacon chocolate clair and deep fried chocolate bars - my stomach just turns at the thought of those though I love those things on their own.

 

[frugalfranny]

I've heard that the deep fried butter is in a batter/coating so the butter melts right into it thus making it tasty like 'melted butter' :laugh:
.

Maybe I should re-consider going to the fair! The thought of it just.......BUT.......I love butter too...........but deep fried? Now Libby has me curious........

my MALE neighbor brought me some HOT HOMEMADE ROLLS (2) (still steaming in the bag!) a couple nights ago and I almost couldn't get him out of here fast enough for me to get to the kitchen and get butter on them!!! :laugh: Yes......a guy......and he makes bread from scratch on a reg. basis!! Love that kind of neighbor..........now if I could just get him "trained" to share more often!! :laugh:

 

[SueBee49]

I'm not sure how we went from canned tuna to deep fried foods, but I'll join in.

Every year there is a big hullabaloo in this area about what the State Fair of Texas is going to offer as the "winning" deep fried selection. Cooking contests, things on TV...all sorts of stuff. The "cooks" work on this all year long. Last year, I tried one of the deep fried concoctions and really don't remember what it was - just that I wasn't impressed and didn't eat it. Nonetheless, take a look at this link:

25 Deep-Fried Foods From the Texas State Fair - Mental Floss

And no, butter isn't in the crust. It is actually balls of frozen butter, battered and fried. Deep friend bubblegum, anyone? Actually, the deep fried PB&J might pass. Whatever...people go bonkers over this stuff.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Conversations meander in real life, too. That's half the fun!

Minnesota is well known for its deep fried fair food, too. Deep fried pickles anyone? Or Snickers?

We have a male friend who routinely makes bread too. In his Dutch ovens. Using charcoal as the heat source. Too bad he lives in Texas, because it's really good bread! I know enough guys who bake and cook I don't think of it as being unusual.

 

[Hamada]

Have tried the fried oreos and they are great on a cold day. Looked at all the fried food and just glad I can't have gluten anymore since I would just have to try to recreate some at home. No, will not be trying gluten free fried food .... YET! The ones with bacon look really good.