Eating well on a valley winter budget
What is in season in the Willamette Valley from November to March, and how to build cheap, good meals around it.
Winter produce in the valley is cheaper and better than most people expect. Farmers markets in Salem, Corvallis and Eugene run through the cold months, and most stalls take SNAP.
In season now
Squash, carrots, beets and potatoes
Cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts
Leeks and onions
Apples, pears and hazelnuts
Building a meal
Fill half the plate with vegetables, a quarter with beans, eggs, fish or meat, and a quarter with a grain or potato. A tray of roasted roots and a pot of beans made on Sunday becomes three dinners.
Three cheap staples
Dried beans cost a fraction of canned and freeze well once cooked. Frozen vegetables are picked ripe and lose very little. Oats are the least expensive breakfast there is.
If you are managing diabetes, kidney disease or a heart condition, ask your doctor before making big changes; some of this advice shifts.
This article is general information, not advice about your own health. If something worries you, see your doctor.