If you're trying to eat healthier, but you don't want to spend a fortune on healthy foods, these tips for eating healthy on a budget are for you.
Let's face it, eating healthy is already a difficult challenge for most people, but to do so while on a budget can seem completely impossible.
There are several simple solutions that can help your family eat better and save you money at the same time. You also won’t be nearly as tempted to eat out so many times per week.
Check out these tips to help you eat healthy while on a budget.
1. Plan Out Your Meals
Planning out your meals for the week is an excellent way to save your family money. It’s also a great way to avoid eating fast food so often. I'm all about meal planning and have found it to be super helpful in keeping our family eating healthy. I tend to plan our dinners for the week and I also do some meal prepping to make everything easier. I typically purchase a whole chicken from Costco (or sometimes 2 or 3) and use the meat for soups, salads, and sandwiches during the week.
Once you make a plan, scan your cabinets and fridge to see if you already have some of the ingredients that you need to create these meals. This may help you cross off a few items off your list and also help you use up some of the foods that may be close to expiring.
2. Stick To Your Grocery List
After you’ve planned out your meals and made a list of everything that you need, it’s time to go shopping. While it may be tempting to throw some “good deals” in the cart, don't do it. Impulse buys end up costing you extra money and may also result in food waste. the
There are some great mobile apps that you can download to your phone that make your handwritten list a thing of the past. I can't even tell you the number of times I've left my shopping list at home on the counter and ended up buying a bunch of things I didn't need and forgetting the very things I went to the store for. Making a grocery list in an app means you don't have to worry about forgetting your list at home.
If you don't feel like downloading an app, consider using the Notes app if you have an iPhone. My husband and I have a shared list in notes and I've added the little checkboxes next to the items that need to be purchased so that if one of us is out and about we can check things off the list.
If you lack self control when hitting your local grocery stores {and I'm talking to me here too}, I'm a big fan of Instacart. I'm a huge fan of the amount of time I save by avoiding a shopping trip, the amount of money I save by avoiding impulse buys, and the amount of junk food that doesn't end up in my house. Let's face it, most people aren't impulse buying fresh fruits and green beans. 😂
3. Avoid Shopping While Hungry
Have you ever made the mistake of taking a trip to the grocery store with an empty stomach? If you have, you may have noticed that you not only spent a lot more money than usual but that you also put more processed foods in your cart that were of very little nutritional value. It's so much easier to make a healthy choice when you're stomach isn't growling and you're not feeling hangry.
4. Stock Up on Sale Items
One of the best things that you can do for your budget is to stock up on sale items that you k now you'll eat. While you’ll be spending more upfront, this keeps you from paying full retail on these items later on when you need them. You might even want to pay attention to a few of your favorite store’s ad flyers each week to stock up on their sale items that your family uses often.
I regularly stock up on pantry items like black beans, rice, condiments and salad dressing when I find them on sale. If I find ground beef on sale, I buy as much as I can afford and then cook it and freeze it to use in recipes over the next few months.
Do not buy items just because they're on sale. Only buy items your family likes and will use…otherwise you're wasting food and money.
5. Focus On Shopping for Whole Foods
Did you know that the perimeter of most grocery stores is where you will find a majority of their whole foods? This is exactly where you need to be shopping if healthy eating is a priority.
Unfortunately, these food items are typically more expensive than what you will find down the center aisles. If you focus on filling your cart with whole grains, lean meats, salad greens, and other unprocessed food, you'll find that your food budget will be spent on nutritious foods.
6. Skip The Processed Foods
Like I mentioned above, when you’re trying to eat healthier, your grocery store’s center aisles are where you need to be extra cautious. Why? Because that’s where all your favorite snacks and processed foods are kept.
Not only are these food items bad for you and contain hardly any nutritional value, but some of them are fairly expensive. So the less money that you spend on these items, the more you can put towards healthier foods that also may not be very cheap.
But if you have to buy certain processed foods down these aisles, be sure to avoid grabbing everything that’s at eye level. They typically put more expensive items at eye level and put items with a lower cost on the top or bottom shelves.
7. Buy in Bulk
Shopping for certain items in bulk can save your family a huge chunk of money. This includes staple foods such as brown rice, beans, oats, and barley, all of which can be used to make nutritious meals for you and your family. Dried fruits and nuts are great snack items that can also be purchased in bulk, but keep in mind that the sugar count is extremely high on dried fruits and you lose a lot of the nutritional benefits of fresh fruits.
8. Buy Generic
When you’re eating healthy on a tight budget, buying generic foods from your local grocery store is a smart way to shop. Most grocery stores sell them alongside the national leading brands. But what may be surprising to you is that many of them are of the same quality as your favorite brands, only cheaper.
Make sure you pay attention to the ingredients list and compare it to the leading brands so that you don’t end up with something completely different or something that has some “surprise” ingredients. Also, many generic brands offer satisfaction guarantees so if you try it and you're not a big fan, you can return it and get your money back.
And if you have an Aldi near you, make sure you check it out. We love Aldi brand foods and their lower prices save us a ton on our grocery bills.
9. Stick To In Season Produce
Did you know that many fruits and veggies contain the most nutritional value shortly after being picked? Did you also know that you can save a ton of money by purchasing produce that is currently in season?
We love getting our seasonal produce from Misfits Market. We have found that we can purchase organic produce for less than the cost of the grocery store or local farmers market. Don't get me wrong…I love farmers markets but in the past year I've found that many of my favorite farmers markets aren't operating as regularly and many of my favorite vendors are nowhere to be found…so I've been sticking with Misfits Market.
You can save $10 on your first purchase when you sign up with this link.
10. Buy Frozen Fruits and Veggies
If you enjoy fresh fruits and fresh vegetables but find that they always seem to go bad before you can eat them, then you may want to consider buying frozen fruits and veggies. Throwing out spoiled produce all the time is no different than guiding your hard-earned money through a paper shredder.
So don’t hesitate to shop for your favorite fruits and vegetables down the frozen aisle. You’ll still be getting most of the nutrients as you would with fresh produce, but then you can also enjoy them whenever you want. Buying frozen is cheaper too, especially when these items are no longer in season.
11. Opt For Cheaper Meat Cuts
Meat prices have gone up a ton this past year. If you stick with purchasing your regular cuts of meat, you might find that your grocery bill has become astronomical. If you purchase cheaper cuts of meat and cook them in your slow cooker, you'll find that you can still enjoy tender delicious meat without breaking the bank.
12. Look For Other Protein Sources
Another option to help offset the rising cost of meat is to seek out other food sources to get your protein. Some examples include legumes, eggs, hemp seeds, canned fish, and other canned meats. Not only do most of these items have a long shelf life which keeps them from spoiling so quickly, but they’re also much cheaper to buy than fresh meat.
I love having hard-boiled eggs on hand to add to salads or to grab for a quick and easy breakfast! If you have an instant pot, it's easy to make perfect hard boiled eggs with the 5-5-5 method.
13. Cook Enough to Have Leftovers
As long as your family doesn’t mind eating leftovers, cooking larger portions is a great way to save you both time and money. Leftovers can then be used to create a completely different meal, whether you use them to make a salad, burritos, stir-fries, or to make stew. You can also portion your leftovers into smaller sizes to make the perfect healthy snack.
If you have leftover veggies, throw them in a freezer bag to add to soup down the road. Leftover hamburgers? Chop them up and use them as the meat base for chili or for goulash.
You can also double the recipe you're making and freeze one right away to pull out during a busy week down the road. This can help you avoid thinking that you have no choice but to eat out when you’re not feeling in the mood to cook a meal from scratch.
Eating healthy on a budget is possible. You can still find foods that are full of nutrients that won’t break the bank while walking past the ones that do your body harm. It really just comes down to making smarter decisions while you’re shopping at the grocery store.
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