Not sure what to have for dinner?

As a country, we've really gotten away from traditional cooking, and it shows in the amount of money we spend on fast food and the calories we consume.

Tricia Sloma heads to the kitchen for part 4 of our special series -- how to feed a family of four on a $100 a week.

Mealtimes are often missed opportunities for savings. Fast food and convenience items are attractive to families that are pressed for time and money.

"Our society now, if I'm not cooking, who's going to teach my children how to cook? And if they don't cook, who will teach their children?” asks Edie Sutton, Purdue Extension Educator. “And unfortunately, we're starting to eat too many convenience foods, and also foods that are high in fat, and high in salts and sugars, only because we didn't want to take the extra time or we didn't know how."

Edie says we owe it to ourselves to take some time to learn how to cook, to save money and eat healthy.

At the Cooking Kitchen at Martin's Supermarket at Heritage Square, Edie introduced us to batch cooking -- large meals that are divided and stored away for future family meals.

"Chicken, ham and turkey are great choices of meat when you want to do batch cooking."

Pressed for time? Edie says you can cut up a whole chicken and bake it in a crock-pot.

"You're maybe going to serve half of it,” says Edie. “Cut the other half and make chicken salad, a chicken loaf. You can do many things with chicken."

Edie says look for sales on ham as we approach the holidays, and don't be afraid of the bone-in hams.

"Not only can you bake it and make ham, you can always have the leftover ham sandwiches, but you can use that bone to make soup out of the bone," she says.

And right now, turkeys are on sale. You'll find them in area grocery stores for 99-cents a pound.

"We can eat the turkey and then maybe have three additional meals out of the turkey without just repeating the thanksgiving meal as leftovers."

Moms, this isn't just up to you. From healthier and cheaper snack choices, to trying foods prepared the old fashioned way, Edie says you'll have better success at trying these budget-minded meals if you enlist the help of your entire family on a Sunday afternoon.

"It's a great way to incorporate the family into the baking and cooking process, because they can help you on that Sunday afternoon," says Edie. "You could always make it a family project. Sunday afternoon the family gets together and make some of the afternoon snacks they'll be having the rest of the week."

Another good meal for batch cooking -- lasagna or other large casseroles.

While you're making dinner, try to make two and freeze it. You'll save time and money.

For money saving recipes from Edie Sutton, click here. For more helpful tips, click on the link below.

To read Part 1 of our special series, click here.

For Part 2, click here.

For Part 3, click here.

For Part 5, click here.