After the holidays, we tend to think about losing weight and saving money; getting back on a healthy eating plan and back on a budget.

There's plenty of January advice about losing weight. We've put together 10 tips to help stretch the food budget.

1. Plan, plan, plan. Before you head to the grocery store, plan your meals for the week. Include meals like stews, casseroles and stir-fries that stretch expensive items into more portions. Check to see what foods you already have and make a list of what you need to purchase. Then stick to the list.

2. Get the best price. Check the local newspaper, online and store flyers for sales and coupons. Ask about a loyalty card for extra savings at the stores where you shop. Look for specials or sales on meat and seafood.

3. Compare and contrast. Locate the unit price on the shelf directly below the product. Use it to compare different brands and different sizes of the same brand to determine which is more economical.

4. Buy in bulk. It is almost always cheaper to buy foods in bulk. Smart choices are family packs of chicken, steak or fish and larger bags of potatoes and frozen vegetables.

5. Buy in season. Buying fruits and vegetables in season can lower the cost and add to the freshness.

6. Go back to the basics. Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut vegetables and instant rice, oatmeal or grits will cost you more than if you were to make them from scratch. Take the time to prepare your own.

7. Shop your wallet. Certain foods are typically low-cost options all year round. Try beans for less expensive protein. For vegetables, buy carrots, greens or potatoes. As for fruits, apples and bananas are usually lower cost options.

8. Cook once and eat all week. Prepare a large batch of favorite recipes on your day off and double or triple the recipes. Then freeze in individual containers and use them throughout the week. You won't have to spend money on take-out meals.

9. Get creative. Spice up leftovers and use them in new ways. Try leftover chicken in a stir-fry or over a garden salad or make chicken chili. Throwing away food is throwing away money.

10. Eat out less. Restaurants can be expensive. Save money by getting the early bird special, going out for lunch instead of dinner, looking for two-for-one deals or splitting entrees. Stick to water instead of other beverages.

Q and A

Q: I want to lose weight, but when I get too hungry, I overeat. How can I tell when to ignore the urge versus when it's time to eat before I'm too hungry?

A: It's not always easy to know the best time to eat, especially if you've spent years dieting and trying to ignore your body's hunger signals. The good news is that the skill of knowing when you are truly hungry becomes easier the more you practice, and this will not only help you lose weight but can play a key role in helping you maintain a healthy weight. Begin by training yourself to recognize degrees of hunger by rating it on a one-to-ten scale before and after you eat. (Ten equals stuffed, one equals feeling so hungry you'd gulp down anything, and five equals neutral.) With practice, you'll learn to recognize signals of hunger and know when to eat something before you get to the point of out-of-control overeating. For some people, it's stomach rumbling; for others, it's decreased ability to focus attention. You can also practice recognizing non-hunger urges to eat. For example, you might notice that you're sensitive to cues like seeing others eat or smelling pleasant aromas from a bakery. You may also learn that you use eating as an excuse when you need a break or as a way to cope when upset or tired. Behavioral therapists often note that this desire to eat when not hungry tends to come in a wave. If you aren't hungry, the urge will usually pass if you can distract yourself with something else for a little while. The problem is that most of us don't realize that and give in to the urge too soon. The bottom line is learning to tune in and trust your body signals. Keeping some form of journal can be very helpful to this process.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

This recipe for Chicken and White Bean Soup, from Cooking Light magazine, is easy on the budget and full of flavor.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

2 smoked bacon slices, chopped

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chopped plum tomato

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside. Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes. Remove chicken. Add onion and garlic. Cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, oregano and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring. Return bacon and chicken to pan. Stir in 2 cups water and broth, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil Add orzo and cook 9 minutes. Add beans and cook 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, vinegar and salt. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Per serving: 335 calories, 26 g protein, 35.4 g carbohydrate, 9.9 g fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 5.1 g fiber, 530 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.