Ever struggled to eat healthy on a budget? In this article, I’ll share my tips for purchasing high-quality food without breaking the bank! One of the most common excuses many people give for not eating real/healthy food is that the cost is too high. And they’re right—sort of. Organic foods definitely have a higher price tag, but does that mean that these foods are not an option for those of us on a strict food budget? Keep reading and I’ll show you my best strategies for how to eat healthy for cheap.
How to Eat Healthy On a Budget
The struggle is real and you’re not alone. But the more I learned about the negative side effects of many conventionally grown and processed foods, the more I longed to fill my refrigerator and pantry with nothing but organic and non-genetically modified groceries. But my desire did not always correspond with my wallet. That’s when I set out to find a better way to purchase the best food for my family.
How to Eat Healthy for Cheap
There is a very common and obvious way that many people save big on their monthly grocery bills: coupons. However, I rarely use coupons because I have found that most of them are for processed foods and hygiene products that contain less-than-desirable ingredients. Boo, hiss. While there are always exceptions, it seems that the majority of coupons found in newspapers and magazines just don’t support me in my quest to eat real wholesome foods.
Here are my top tips for how to eat healthy for cheap:
#1. Purchase Items That Are On Sale
This may seem obvious, but stocking up on healthy foods when they are on sale can save you a bundle. Purchase fresh organic produce on sale and freeze or can them for future use. Dry goods store for a long period of time in the pantry. An added bonus to this strategy is that you are preparing for any sort of event that may involve a food shortage. In other words, you won’t be standing in line at the supermarket with a thousand other people when the next blizzard hits.
#2. Strategize Your Shopping List
This tip is an expansion of tip #1. Study your favorite grocery store’s sale paper and make your list accordingly. Having a list keeps you focused and helps you to remember the sales that you want to take advantage of.
#3. Plan Your Meals
This tip can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. And once you’ve created a few weeks worth of meal plans you can simply repeat them. No need to reinvent the wheel! Need help planning your meals? Try a free online meal planner like this one.
#4. Go Vegetarian
Well, sort of. Cut back on the meat that you use in your recipes and you’ll save big since it is often one of the pricier items at the supermarket. Making a pot of chili? Instead of using a whole pound of ground beef, cut it in half and supplement with additional beans and a little beef broth for flavor. Making spaghetti sauce? Cut back on the meat and add in some finely chopped and cooked zucchini and carrots. In addition, cooking vegetarian meals is often a cost-effective way to eat well.
#5. Recycle Your Dinner
I’m a big believer in using what I have, and I apply this principle to saving money on groceries. Here’s how it works: Take leftovers from your meals and incorporate the leftovers into your future meals. For example, I purchase a whole organic chicken and “roast” it in the crockpot. The night’s meal includes roasted chicken, veggies, and a salad. The next day I place the bones and skin from the chicken in my crockpot with water, salt, and vegetable to make homemade bone broth. I then use the bone broth and the leftover chicken, along with vegetables, to make chicken soup. See how it works? I can squeeze several meals out of one whole chicken!
#6 Cut Costs Elsewhere
Be honest with yourself in order to determine if you can cut costs in other areas of your life in order to put more money toward high-quality organic foods. My eyes were opened when my husband and I first started budgeting. We realized that we spent far too much money on eating out and purposed from that day on to eat at home more often. Click here for a great resource to help you budget your money more effectively.
#7 Take Advantage of Online Grocery Shopping and Pickup
I don’t know about you, but I love using the online grocery shopping and pick up service offered by many supermarkets these days. Not only is it convenient, but it can also help you stick to your healthy eating plan and your budget. You’re much less likely to give in to the temptation of unhealthy impulse purchases when you shop from your smartphone. In addition, keeping an eye on your running grocery total makes it easy to stay on track when it comes to your monthly grocery budget. It’s a win all around!
#8 Cook From Scratch
This tip can sound overwhelming at first, but cooking from scratch can save your budget and your waistline. First, purchasing simple ingredients to make real food recipes means that you aren’t paying for convenience, which can save you a bundle. What’s more cooking from scratch means that you know exactly what goes into the food that you eat. Not to mention, it is pretty empowering to know that you created a meal from real food ingredients.
Remember What You’re Paying For
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the seemingly higher cost of organic whole foods. But we must ask ourselves to consider the cost of NOT choosing high-quality real food. I’ve always loved the saying, “Pay the farmer now or the doctor later,” and it couldn’t be truer! By purchasing organic foods, you are fueling your body with superior nutrition. A real food diet helps to protect us against diseases of all kinds. In addition, when you purchase organic whole foods you are voting with your dollars. Many people are quick to spend $5 on one cup of coffee that they will down in 15 minutes and balk at spending the same amount on a dozen eggs that will provide them with nutrition and several meals!
While I believe in purchasing the highest quality foods as much as possible, spending more on organic meats and produce is not always an option for everyone. With that in mind, do the best you can when you can. Non-organic chicken and vegetables are better than an out-of-the-box conventional frozen pizza any day of the week. Take baby steps toward a more natural way of eating and your body will thank you!
In this article, I discussed several tips to help you eat healthy on a budget. I hope that you will find them helpful in your pursuit of abundant health!
What’s your favorite way to save money on groceries? Let me know in the comments.
