Easy on the Meat
I am an omnivore. I eat meat, all kinds-just not everyday and not a portion the size of my head. It's better for me, the planet and my pocket book this way. Try it out. Use meat as a flavoring, not the center of attention in dishes like pad thai or start a soup of kale and white beans by sautéeing a few strips of bacon or a couple links of sausage in the pot.

Dilute it
In the summer I can get black currant juice from a local farmer. I dilute it with seltzer for a light, tart, refreshing drink.

Buy Big
Oh, how I long for a chest freezer. You'd think that every suburban house would come equipped with one, but no. If you are lucky enough to have major freezer space, you might want to look into buying meat in sides or quarters. Fish, too, can be purchased in quantities that will save you dollars and trips to the store. Visit eatwild.com to find farmers that sell direct to eater.

Go for the Secondary Cuts
The center cut pork chop, strip steak, boneless skinless chicken breast-pricey AND boring-what a combo. Get familiar with cooking the odd bits. You don't have to go all Fergus Henderson and start frying up pig-tails and innards-though you could. Start with some of the braises such as the shanks, brisket, and oxtail. You'll get a silk purse for the price of a sow's ear.

Tickle the Tastebuds
Your taste buds can only enjoy food that touches them. Shred, grate, or dice highly flavored ingredients like sharp cheeses, cured meats, or smoked fish before adding to dishes to spread the flavor around.

Use Smart Fillers
The word "fillers" usually gives me the creeps when it comes to food, but not in this case. I use pasta, grains, beans, and lentils to stretch my key ingredients. Try adding chickpeas to your chicken salad. it tastes fantastic and is much lighter than the traditional version.

Buy Directly from your Farmer
You give them cash, they give you food. You don't pay for distributors, marketing, or retail space.

Stick to Unprocessed Foods
When time is short it's tempting to reach for the heat-and-eat package. But if you do, you won't be spending your money on the food-you'll be paying for the overhead involved in cooking, shipping and marketing such food; not to mention the science that goes into creating it and making it last on the shelf. When you're tight for time scramble an egg, griddle up a grass-fed burger, or toss a salad. At least you'll know that you're getting what you paid for.

This is collective answer to questions I get about food and kids--what to feed them, how to get them to eat, and what to do about food in schools. Well, this past month, I've run into two great women who are leading the charge to change our kids' eating habits for the better. Check them out:

Chef Ann Cooper is one of the leaders of the real food movement. She has worked in New York and is now based in California, reforming the Berkeley school food system. Her efforts aren't confined to the cafeteria, this self-described "renegade lunch lady" has put together a curriculum that includes school gardens and cooking classes for the students. Check out her new book, Lunch Lessons to learn more.

Nothing like bad food to start a fire in the belly. The sub-standard fare at their kids' schools prompted Susan Rubin and Amy Kalafa to form Two Angry Moms, an organization that has set its sites on changing cafeteria food. Their film is slated to debut this summer.