One objection to current recommendations that we eat more vegetables and fruits is, "sure, that sounds good, but it’s too expensive." But when compared to less nutritious foods, does eating more healthful foods cost more?

In reality, if you add more vegetables and fruit to your usual shopping list, and cut back on meat and fatty snack foods, your grocery bill should go down, not up. Creating a more healthful diet with less fat and calories and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as advised by the American Institute for Cancer Research, means adjusting the balance of your diet, not making it more expensive.

Comparing cost per pound, you will see that an extra serving of meat almost always costs more than an extra serving of a vegetable or fruit. A 1995 study conducted by Progressive Grocer Associates found that more than 16% of a typical family’s grocery money goes toward meat. Replacing some of the meat in your meals with other protein sources, such as dried beans, is a much cheaper alternative, and provides fiber, which meat doesn’t have, as well as protein.

As you compare prices in the produce department, you will notice substantial differences among various selections. Costs are usually quite different when a fruit or vegetable is grown locally and in-season than when it is out of season and shipped long distances. Just as you would probably not select the most expensive steak for your meat every day, you can opt for lower-priced produce most days and save the higher-priced, out-of-season selections for special treats. Fresh fruit is generally a much less expensive choice for snacks and dessert than cookies and corn chips, and is low in calories, but rich in the vitamins and nutrients we need for good health.

Remember the frozen and canned fruits and vegetable selections, too. Nutritionally, they are equivalent to the grocery store’s fresh produce, and at some times of the year, they can be more economical. During winter months when fresh fruit selections may be limited, dried fruits, such as apricots and raisins, can also be economical, nutritious snack choices.

Check your other purchases for more ways to make a healthy diet cost less. For example, while good nutrition means including plenty of grain products in your diet, and abundance of "convenient" pre-flavored rice and pasta mixes costs considerably more than an abundance of rice or pasta with a sprinkling of your own herbs.

Things are really happening in Portland!

For a long time it seemed like things weren’t changing at all. We knew the Town Hall was inadequate to business and human needs. The Police Department too. We knew that the Board of Ed location was not accessible for those with disabilities. We knew that the brownstone quarries were being completely ignored just a couple hundred yards from the business center of town. We knew that Portland had a rich history, but were not quite sure what it was. We knew that half the town is surrounded by the beautiful Connecticut River, but residents had little access to it.

A number of concerned citizens, together with local politicians and municipal employees, have worked hard to make some astounding changes, with still more to come.

The Town Hall offices and Board of Ed will soon be moving into the beautifully renovated Central School, a building that was long considered an eye-sore on East Main Street.

The quarries are in the process of being recognized as a national landmark.

Utilization of the quarries and related riverfront property is being explored by committees and residents for the future development of the town. A representative from the National Park Service has been assigned to help us formulate a plan. Meetings are on-going.

The merchants on Main Street formed an association called PRIDE to help develop the future of our central business district.

The Callander House museum is almost ready to open.

Portland On the Move… has been printing monthly articles about the town’s history to inform residents of their heritage, thanks mostly to Doris Sherrow and her wealth of historical expertise.

High School students have put Portland on the Internet. The site is bringing compliments from as far away as Canada. (check it out at www.portlandct.org)

Rte. 66 has undergone some much needed improvements.

And remember the Arigoni Bridge? A few years ago it was marred by rust. Today it looks as good as new.

The old Town Hall will soon be facing renovation. When it is completed, it will house the Police Department, Parks & Recreation, Youth Services and Social Services.

The town reservoir is being considered for public recreational use sometime in the future.

A new and comprehensive informational package is now available for potential residents or businesses.

The Portland Fair is returning sometime this year.

In the past few years we have seen an impressive increase of programs run by the Portland Library, Parks & Recreation, the Senior Center and Youth Services.