Healthy Meals, Happy Wallet!
I often hear from people that it is too expensive to eat healthy. I agree, especially now, that it can SEEM as though it’s not in our budget to buy healthy foods. However, believe it or not, with a little thought and planning, healthy groceries can be a cheaper option than the fast food value menu. Here are some ideas to minimize the impact on your wallet.
Fruits and Vegetables: A Healthy “Must”
Buy in season! Shop your local farmer’s market for in season fruits and veggies. Not sure what to get? Check out this chart: https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/seasonal-produce-guide
Buy frozen. Frozen fruits and veggies are just as healthy as fresh; sometimes even more so.
Freeze any produce that is starting to get old. Leftover produce is a great addition to soups, pastas, smoothies, wraps, hot cereals and grain bowls. Don’t let your produce go to waste!
Skip the pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Prep these items yourself.
Don’t buy packaged salads; make your own. Purchase the greens, a bottle of dressing and your own toppings. This will give you more to eat and will cost less.
Protein
Plant proteins such as legumes, lentils, soy beans and tofu are by far your cheapest protein options.
Replace some of the ground beef in soups, stews, casseroles and other dishes with beans, lentils, crumbled tofu or mushrooms. This will stretch the meal and make it healthier.
Using plant proteins instead of meat, prepare several meatless meals each week. Better for you, your wallet and the environment.
Look for less expensive cuts of meat for soups and stir fries.
Use meat as a side dish rather than the main part of the meal. This costs less and is healthier.
Buy a whole chicken, rather than chicken breasts. Use the leftover bones to make broth.
The broth can be frozen and makes for an easy soup when combined with other leftovers in the freezer: meat, veggies and rice or pasta.
Season and marinate meats yourself, rather than buying preseasoned.
Try canned or frozen tuna and salmon rather than whole, fresh pieces of fish.
Grains
Buy in bulk
Large bags of rice are much cheaper than the “cook in the microwave for 1 minute” bags.
Leftovers? Rice and pasta freeze nicely. Don’t throw extras away.
Dairy
Buy large containers of plain yogurt, not single serving cups.
Buy blocks of cheese; slice and shred it yourself. It tastes better!
Compare the price of plant milks and look for what is on sale.
Oils/Fats
There is no need to replace your canola oil with expensive avocado oil. Avocado and olive oil are great for salad dressings and cooking, but seed oils are also PERFECTLY FINE for cooking. Plus, they cost less.
Use generic butter, cream cheese, sour cream and cooking sprays instead of name brands.
Snacks and Desserts
Chips, dips, cookies and crackers really add to your final grocery cost.
Make your own dips: hummus, spinach artichoke dip, ranch dressing, salsa, etc.
Even a box cake mix is cheaper than buying a whole cake or package of cookies.
Drinks
Invest in a good water bottle and skip all packaged waters.
Buy flavor packets if you need something with more taste.
Energy drinks, prebiotic sodas, canned coffee drinks and fancy waters add a lot to your grocery bill.
Make your own coffee drinks with creamers, vanilla, a small amount of brown sugar, or local honey. (Best for your health: drink it black!)
Flavor tea with lemon or honey.
Add frozen fruit to your water for extra flavor.
Buy whole bags of coffee instead of individual cups.
This is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Try less expensive brands to see what you like instead of gravitating towards the big name brands.
General Hints
Plan, plan, plan.
Make a menu, a shopping list and stick to it.
Incorporate leftovers into your weekly plan.
Meal prep on the weekends so you aren’t scrambling, and spending more, during the week.
Pack a lunch! Include lunch ideas in your weekly menu planning.
Leftovers come in really handy for lunch.
Grab whatever is available to make a balanced lunch:
Cheese, sausage sticks, hard boiled eggs, roasted edamame or chickpeas for protein
Raw fruits and veggies
Meat and cheese roll ups
Salad: greens or grains
Overnight oats: not just for breakfast any more.
Compare prices.
Most stores now have signage that tells you the price per ounce. Pay attention to this. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s the best deal.
Shop the weekly sale ads! (But still compare prices!)
Convenience costs.
Foods that are designed to be easy and quick will always cost more.
Eating out costs more.
Many people spend over 50% of their food dollar eating out. Eating at home is so much cheaper and healthier.
Have an easy “go to” meal that is always available for you to make, which makes ordering out less tempting.
Grilled turkey and cheese sandwich with raw veggies.
Pasta with leftover chicken, pesto and spinach.
Whole grain cheese quesadillas with beans and spinach.
Quinoa with tofu, veggies from the freezer and a vinaigrette.
Tuna melt: it’s easy to keep a can of tuna, hard boiled eggs and cheese on hand!
Bulk shopping: yes or no?
Yes, if you will actually use it all.
Consider sharing your bulk purchases with a friend to make sure nothing gets wasted.
Store deals
Many stores offer “points” or savings on non-food items, such as gas. Take advantage of this.
Organic vs conventional
Organic foods always cost more and typically are not worth the extra money.
Wash your fruits and veg and enjoy the cheaper price.
Real food vs. trends
Trends are costly; try a high protein sandwich instead of expensive protein bars.
Eat real fruits, veggies and whole grains vs. a green powder.
Limit waste. Learn to embrace leftovers!
Buy store brand or generic.
Find out when your local store has a “double coupon” day. Challenge yourself to see how much you save each week.
Don’t shop hungry. You will buy more than intended.
Bring your own bags; some stores will give you credit for this.
When thinking about the cost of healthy food, it’s often hard to consider the long term cost savings of a healthy lifestyle. But remember this - medications, doctor’s visits, missing work, sick kids and poor health all have a huge economic impact on families. So remember, make good choices now! If you’d like some additional help with your own eating habits, reach out. I’d love to hear from you!