Eating Healthy on a Budget

When you have a tight budget, eating healthy and staying within your means can seem nearly impossible. However, healthy eating on a strict budget can be a realistic feat. See our tips below to maintain a set budget without skimping on nutrition.

1. Eat Seasonally: Produce prices decrease in summer and fall months due to local purchasing and increased availability. Farmers markets are a great option for quality seasonal produce at a decreased price. Focus on hearty greens, winter squash, and root vegetables in the winter and tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and fruit in the summer/fall.
2. Make a Grocery List: In my opinion, planning a weekly grocery list is the #1 thing to do to save money at the grocery store. If you’re like me, without a grocery list you buy what looks good to you. This often results in over-purchasing, purchasing things that aren’t needed, and forgetting your essential items. Plan your weekly meals, make a grocery list, and end up saving money. It works!
3. Limit waste: Repurpose leftovers into a second night’s dinner, plan meals that use similar ingredients so that the entire bunch of broccoli and the whole onion are consumed, and either eat your leftovers for lunch the next day or freeze them for a future meal. Rice bowls, salads, and burritos are helpful for catching the remains of last night’s meat and vegetables.
4. Be Choosy about Organics: Save your pennies by being selective on what items to buy organic. For a guide check out “processed foods: what’s ok and what’s not” on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics webpage.
5. Vegetarian Meals: Try having weekly vegetarian meals. Examples may be minestrone soup, lentil curry, or a quinoa burrito. Plant-based protein, like quinoa, beans, lentils, and tofu, are cheaper than meat products. Plus, the fiber in these products can help you stay full longer!
6. Look for sales and plan meals accordingly: If your local grocery store offers a savings card be sure to sign up, and check the weekly circular to see what's on sale. Stores often have their own app, which makes it easy and quick! Consider planning your weekly meals around what's on sale.
7. Drink more water: Purchase less sugar sweetened beverages and drink more water. This will be beneficial for not only your pocket book, but also your health!
8. Buy in Bulk: When items you frequently use go on sale, consider buying extra for storage. This is a great idea in summer/fall when most of the produce is in season. Buy extra and freeze for later use. (Just don’t forget it’s in there!)
9. Make from scratch: Making homemade meals is cost friendly, tastes good, and is healthy! The downside is that it takes more time. Consider making a double batch and freezing one batch for use on a busy night.
10. Organize fridge and pantry: Who has purchased something at the store, only to find out you already have 5 in your pantry? (Me!) Keeping your fridge and pantry organized will help you know what you have on hand and can avoid double purchasing items. This will also help you use up items in your fridge before they spoil.

I hope these money saving tips will help someone out there. My personal experience tells me that these work!

​Please comment with any experiences you have with saving money at the grocery store.

Written by: Vanessa Winegar RD, LD