Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Jenny Kosiw is a fixture in my neighbourhood in the south Etobicoke area of Toronto. Hand-in-hand, she and her husband, Gord, walk their Labrador retriever here up to six times a day.
I often encounter Kosiw during those walks, and while talking about groceries with her recently, I discovered that the family of three has an interesting diet: The 64-year-old has been lacto-vegetarian for 45 years, while her husband and dog indulge in an omnivorous diet.
The couple approach their meals as a team, cooking from scratch, turning lentils, beans, vegetables and cheese into nutritious meals that satisfy daily protein, calcium and vitamin needs.
They also feed Sunny the meats and meals that Gord eats. Kosiw jokes that her husband has become a food tester for their dog: “If it doesn’t kill Gord, Sunny gets it.”
This cookbook writer makes traditional Hungarian dishes with local ingredients
How eating well inspires this retiree’s volunteer work and what she adds in her grocery cart
Every morning, the three of them share a smoothie of bananas, frozen cherries, mangoes, blueberries, protein powder and powdered peanut butter (PB&Me, which she typically purchases at Costco at $29.99 for three 453-gram jars).
“Sunny loves it. She wants her fair share,” says Kosiw.
Beyond breakfast, the couple has come up with ways to accommodate their distinct diets, which includes splitting their barbecue into two cooking zones – the right side for vegetarian foods, the left side for meat – to avoid cross-contamination.
Years ago, they invested in a dehydrator, which they keep in the basement and use to dehydrate some of the herbs and produce they grow: kale, basil, oregano and thyme, to name a few.
“The garden helps us eat nutritiously and save on groceries,” she says.
They also discovered a way to use the dehydrator to cut some costs on healthy dog treats: Gord sometimes cooks chicken breast, dehydrates it and makes treats for Sunny.
“We care about eating nutritious and quality ingredients in our own diets, and we want to give the same to Sunny,” says Kosiw.
How we save money on groceries: We use the Flipp app to see what’s on sale at different stores and shop when we see a good deal. I probably have eight 500-gram yogurts in my fridge right now from Liberté because they were on sale for $2 each. I like the thrill of the chase.
How we splurge on groceries: We sometimes go to London, Ont., to see Gord’s family. While we’re there, we stop at the Arva Flour Mills, where we buy over $300 worth of flour: spelt, whole wheat, unbleached and bread flour. It’s very good quality, and we store it properly to make homemade bread and muffins.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Staying away from sweets. I have a sweet tooth. We minimize it by eating dates, nuts and seeds. I make a really good carrot cake though, and every once in a while, I indulge.
How we’ve changed our eating habits recently: Being aware of buying more Canadian foods. It’s important to us.
Five items always in my cart:
- Pumpkin seeds – Bassé – $15 for 1.2 kilograms: Pumpkin seeds are very good for you and contain vitamins and minerals like magnesium. I enjoy the texture. It goes great in my homemade bread, and our Labrador enjoys eating them. We try to be well-balanced and get our vitamins through food.
- Halloumi – Phoenicia – $12 for 500 grams: I buy it from behind the counter at Adonis, a Lebanese grocery store. I pan fry it with a bit of olive oil and mix it with chopped fennel, garlic, lemon and dill. It’s also a source of protein for me.
- Lemons – $7.99 for a big bag: They’re very, very good for you. My husband gets kidney stones, and they help break down oxalates, so they’re good for getting rid of them.
- Cereal – Red River – $23.49 for three bags: My grandmother always had this cereal. I couldn’t find it for years, and then I found it at Arva, where we get our flour. I put it in my bread too, which gives a nice crunch to the bread.
- Plant-based burgers – Beyond – $14.99: I’ve searched for a long time for a good burger alternative, and I really enjoy these. Compared with the other options, they cook up really well and they look like a beef burger.
