Going home is great for a lot of reasons. You can see the family, you can do some laundry and — of course — you can dig into some home cooking. The supply of good food at home seems endless. A college kitchen isn’t quite as bountiful, but the key to getting that kitchen full of food you want to eat is shopping smart.

Ideally you want your own kitchen filled with appetizing edibles so you can whip up something at any time, for you or for some friends. Realistically, students’ time and money budgets don’t always allow for buying expensive, tasty food. Navigating the aisles of a grocery store can be an overwhelming experience that leaves you with a lot of food you probably won’t eat and less money in your pocket. The dizzying selection of food can be a distraction, so you end up buying things you don’t really need at the time.

David Ziser, Wichita junior, wants to have better food around his place for when he decides to cook a meal. He doesn’t really know what to get at grocery stores and often ends up with more than he needs or things he doesn’t need. “Sometimes I have to be careful because there is so much stuff I want to get, but I have to watch my money,” Ziser says. Because he doesn’t have the luxury of time or money to buy everything he wants, he says that the food he usually buys already looks like it will when he eats it and requires minimal preparation.

Grocery Shopping 101

Using common, inexpensive ingredients is something that Dave Lieberman says is a must when making food at home. He is the host of the show Good Deal with Dave Lieberman on the Food Network, and also the author of the cookbook Young and Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food. He uses his experiences from college to come up with ways to get more bang for your buck when it comes to preparing food and has some advice on what to keep around your place. The key, he says, is to have a well-stocked kitchen. That starts in the grocery store.

Lieberman says when you enter the grocery store, first look around to see what’s fresh and what’s on sale. Then he says to find “long-life” staple foods, which are essential because they prepare a kitchen for any situation, from getting a craving for Chinese stir-fry to making a meal for friends that randomly drop by. In his book he lists items such as pasta, rice, canned chopped tomatoes, white and brown sugar and different types of broth. Before you lose your focus, Lieberman suggests concentrating on the fresh produce and meat section, because those items will usually cost you the most. One tip he gives is to look for chicken with the skin on and bone in. He says this kind is tasty, inexpensive and works perfectly in his recipe for roast chicken.

Finding fruit

Munching on fruit is a great healthy snack, so store some in your kitchen. It will not only benefit your body, but also your tongue and your friends will thank you when you make fruit salads, smoothies or parfaits with it.

Choosing fresh fruit is difficult for many students, and that should be included in everyone’s kitchen, says Nancy O’Connor, director of education and outreach at the Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St.

Ziser says he doesn’t put too much thought into buying fresh fruit because he assumes it’s too expensive. “Why buy it when I can get 16 ounces of frozen strawberry goodness for $1.50?” he says.

O’Conner says to buy the best fruit, take the time to browse the produce section and not base your purchases solely on price. She says the best option is seasonal fruit because it’s both easy on the pocket and pleasing to the palette. Big bags of Red Delicious apples beckon customers with promises of bargains, but don’t be fooled. O’Connor says that these are not the most delicious apples, and suggests students try varieties that they haven’t had before, such as Fuji and Pink Lady. These are in season now, as are pears, oranges and berries. Another way to save money on fruit, O’Connor says, is to only buy what you can eat and not waste any.

Next time you go to the grocery store, take the time to look around and see what it has to offer. Buy the basics, but don’t be afraid to explore. You might not recreate your parent’s kitchen exactly, but you’ll come out with food that you can enjoy, and your friends will, too.

Contact writer at:

mmasud@kansan.com