Food inflation - what is it? If you've been to the grocery store lately, you've no doubt noticed it. Food prices are rising - and fast.

We're getting less food for more money - a sure sign of food inflation. Manufacturers are either raising their prices on food or reducing the size of the portions you get - or both!

This was brought home to me the other day when I went to pick up a box of my husband's favorite pasta. It was $1.49 - just 6 months ago it was $0.99. That's a 50% increase. Ouch.

Why are food prices rising and what can you do about it?

Well, there are a few factors that are contributing to rising food prices. The failure of crops around the world (and for example the severe weather we've had in the U.S. midwest recently) means there's less food available. Rising demand from countries like China and India means there's more demand.

Higher oil prices affect everything from the planting and harvesting of the food to its packaging and transportation. And some people also point out to the quantitative easing in the U.S. which means that your dollar buys less than it used to.

All these things contribute to rising food prices - and unfortunately it doesn't look as if these things are going to change any time soon.

So what can you do?

Well, you have to think outside of the box. Times are changing and the people who adapt and prepare are always the ones who weather the storms of life best.

You can plant a garden and start growing your own food. You can try being creative with your recipes and start using cheaper options like rice as a side dish or beans.

This might be a good time to try newer recipes that don't cost as much to make - or even a few vegetarian dishes so you can save on the meat costs.

Stop buying the store-bought version of foods and try making them youself. This is especially helpful for people who have to buy specialty foods like gluten-free or diabetic foods - which can be very expensive.

For example I have a friend who has a gluten allergy who used to spend $8 on her favorite cookies. Now she makes a modified version of them herself with a recipe she found online. She makes them for about $2 and actually gets more out of the batch so she's saving a lot of money.

You can also sign up with discounters like groupon or livingsocial to get discounts on restaurants in your area.

And if you're really concerned about spiralling food prices, you'll want to build a storage of emergency foods. Many people are choosing to do this as a form of food insurance and long term protection.

For example, you can get packages of freeze dried meals like lasagna, beef ravioli, chicken with mashed potatoes, eggs and bacon - even blueberry cheesecake or freeze dried ice cream. You can stock up on freeze dried fruits and vegetables as well (which are great, healthy snacks for the kids anytime!).

The advantage to this is that freeze dried food keeps most of its nutrients and tastes better than dehydrated food. It also has a long shelf life - up to 25 years. And you can get meals for around $2 or even less per person. So it's a great way to stock up on food for emergency situations - or even situations like unemployment or food hyperinflation.

Whatever you choose to do, realize that there are ways to save and fight food inflation. Take some time and try to think outside the box for good deals on cheap food - you can even get the kids involved and have fun doing it!