Healthy Eating on a Budget

Miss_Mabee

Oatmeal. Beans and rice. Homemade soups and stews are a great way to eat all your veggies and stretch meats a lot farther. And lots of frozen fruits and veggies!

I have a couple laying hens that forage their own food so are almost free to keep and give me fresh eggs every day but I know this isn't an option for most people.

Miss_Mabee

Chaagy wrote: »

Look up on YouTube - Brothers Green Eats - and find his series on eating for $3 a day.

Ijust finished watching this series of videos after reading your post! Thank you so much for sharing. I have so many ideas now!

scyian

Meal planning ahead of your shop will help. For example, I'll buy a whole chicken and use it in different meals thorough the week. If a meal uses a half a can of something I'll incorporate it in another meal. It irritates me if I waste food. I will make a list and pretty much stick to it.

Look at adding in pasta, rice, beans, lentils, chickpeas into meals to bulk them out.

Make too much and freeze into portions. I'd do this more but I don't have a big enough fridge.

Look at cheaper cuts of meat. See if you can get a better price from a local butcher rather than the supermarket. If there are offers on meats then bulk up and freeze them until you need them. I do occasional buy meat substitute like Quorn but more for ease more than cost savings since I can cook it from frozen.

Frozen veggies are generally cheaper than fresh.

Seasonal fruit and veg will be cheaper then those out of season. Look at local growers. We have a local food assembly and everything is produced local so it's cheaper, fresher and good for the local economy.

Be creative. It's surprising how many meals you can make when you think there is nothing in the house to eat.

Herbs and spices can make good meals great.

OyGeeBiv

I cut costs by shopping in a produce market that also has a small fresh fish department. The produce is about half the price of the supermarket down the street, and I mostly eat fresh vegetables and fruits anyway. Freshly baked breads and rolls are really inexpensive there, as well as dried lentils and beans. I splurge and buy fresh salmon usually once a week because I love it so much and it's about half price compared to the supermarket.

MiltonAFC

Buy food in bulk. I can easily get by 7-8 days with about $50. It's the other things that I like but don't really need that add up in my list.... Sparkling water, snacks, etc.

cwolfman13

TaraTall wrote: »

So, people say that fast food is cheaper than eating healthy. I disagree (in the big picture) but also find that a lot of the meals call for food that can quickly add up at the grocery store. Beef and veggies/fruit skyrocketing right now.
What sort of things do you do to keep your budget in check when you grocery shop?
Sister recommended tofu, has any meat-eater opted that route?

I tend to eat more chicken and pork as they are much cheaper than beef. I personally don't care for tofu except for very particular dishes.

In season fruits and veg which means this time of year you're looking at things like root vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, carrots, etc. Also, frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh produce. For fruit in the winter I primarily stick to apples and grapefruit.

Other staples include dried legumes, lentils, brown rice, quinoa, oats, grits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggs, etc...

MsLindaC2015

This is what makes me so thankful for my freezer. Best money I ever spent. So I've been able to buy things on sale, use coupons, and go on a day when I get an extra 5% off. But even with that, a little common sense goes a long way. Why splurge on things you don't need or shouldn't eat and then go without the healthier options you'd like to have. I'm still learning this lesson but getting better.

seltzermint555

We don't buy meat (husband doesn't eat it and I just order it occasionally in restaurants) so that cuts a lot out of our grocery budget off the top. We sub with beans, chickpeas, lentils, eggs, etc..and since he will eat fish/seafood we do buy shrimp and fish but it's usually cheaper varieties.

Really I think planning is the #1 thing that helps us. Writing out a detailed list of about 5 different breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (a couple are repeated and we usually dine out 1-2 times on Saturday). Buying ONLY items to fill our menu list, and using up most items we have on hand. We purposely plan a mix of meals so we have easy/quick stuff for busy nights and more time-consuming options for lazier days, and very low cal (tofu veggie stir fry) along with more indulgent meals (Japanese curry and craft beer). This is helpful for us in staying on track with eating at home, and we still don't spend a lot. ALWAYS gotta have a freezer full of bagged frozen vegetables and staple items like rice, pasta, beans, etc. I'm a big fan of buying in bulk on things we truly use a lot of (oatmeal, peanut butter) and just grabbing the regular size for lesser used items (coconut milk). Bulk spices from the ethnic markets are a HUGE money saver.

We have almost zero waste in our household and we eat tons of fruits & vegetables. We are just very conservative in which ones we buy (in season, some for nearly immediate consumption within 48 hrs and then others that will last later into the week). I think that helps more than any coupon clipping ever could. I know my mom (just for example) goes to the grocery store with good intentions sometimes and then by midweek she has nothing that really "works" to make a simple healthy meal and winds up at McDonald's instead, and throwing out several pieces of bad produce. Cleaning out her fridge involves well intentioned frozen chili, casseroles, etc, and expired Lean Cuisines. We never really have anything like that in my house. If something is frozen it's usually thawed and eaten in a couple of weeks' time because we know we would be like "ugh" 3 months down the road and toss it.

vivmom2014

kshama2001 wrote: »

dw920 wrote: »

vivmom2014 wrote: »

I didn't change what I eat, I changed where I shop.

Aldi is king. Seriously has cut my grocery bill in half (just like they advertise!)

Yes! I LOVE Aldi! Ours is fantastic, clean, and full of really cost effective organic options. I once did price comparison with a few of our favorite meals (between Aldi, Walmart, and Bi-Lo, which was our local grocery store at the time) and Aldi was lower on EVERY single item by at least 40% and a lot of the items were better quality (meaning, I could pay less there for an organic option than I would pay for conventional at other stores). There are only a handful of items our store doesn't carry.

Huh. I just realized that little store I went to once was an Aldi's. Does your have organic or humanely raised meat and dairy, or were you referring to produce? Do they still not take credit cards?

Aldi accepts debit cards & cash - no credit. (Although my son in Richmond, VA said their new Aldi DOES take credit cards.) I don't buy meat, so can't answer that question - but I have found organic eggs from free-range chickens (the eggs cost $3.49, which I consider quite fair, considering similar eggs @ Whole Foods were over $7.)

There is organic produce. There's a whole line of gluten free foods, if that's your thing. Now they're starting to sell meatless options like chickenless patties and tofu, which for me is great. I've had them & they taste delicious.

I could go on and on... I need to be on their payroll as a spokesperson, lol.

kshama2001

Thanks!

kommodevaran

seltzermint555 wrote: »

We don't buy meat (husband doesn't eat it and I just order it occasionally in restaurants) so that cuts a lot out of our grocery budget off the top. We sub with beans, chickpeas, lentils, eggs, etc..and since he will eat fish/seafood we do buy shrimp and fish but it's usually cheaper varieties.

Really I think planning is the #1 thing that helps us. Writing out a detailed list of about 5 different breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (a couple are repeated and we usually dine out 1-2 times on Saturday). Buying ONLY items to fill our menu list, and using up most items we have on hand. We purposely plan a mix of meals so we have easy/quick stuff for busy nights and more time-consuming options for lazier days, and very low cal (tofu veggie stir fry) along with more indulgent meals (Japanese curry and craft beer). This is helpful for us in staying on track with eating at home, and we still don't spend a lot. ALWAYS gotta have a freezer full of bagged frozen vegetables and staple items like rice, pasta, beans, etc. I'm a big fan of buying in bulk on things we truly use a lot of (oatmeal, peanut butter) and just grabbing the regular size for lesser used items (coconut milk). Bulk spices from the ethnic markets are a HUGE money saver.

We have almost zero waste in our household and we eat tons of fruits & vegetables. We are just very conservative in which ones we buy (in season, some for nearly immediate consumption within 48 hrs and then others that will last later into the week). I think that helps more than any coupon clipping ever could. I know my mom (just for example) goes to the grocery store with good intentions sometimes and then by midweek she has nothing that really "works" to make a simple healthy meal and winds up at McDonald's instead, and throwing out several pieces of bad produce. Cleaning out her fridge involves well intentioned frozen chili, casseroles, etc, and expired Lean Cuisines. We never really have anything like that in my house. If something is frozen it's usually thawed and eaten in a couple of weeks' time because we know we would be like "ugh" 3 months down the road and toss it.

OMG, I used to be your mother, but now I am you! Except that I do eat meat
My normal garbage day routine used to include check and empty fridge of rotten produce and leftovers. I don't have to do that anymore. I feel so much more at ease around food now that I plan to just eat things I like (while still healthy), and (mainly) buy just what I intended to buy.

muscleandbeard

Rice, beans, eggs, bananas, ground beef, chicken.

bunnylolo

We check the flyer specials and build meals around that. For example, there is a local farm/store near my house that has sweet potatoes on special this week for .69/lb, whereas the other grocery stores and dept. stores like Walmart are selling them for 1.69/lb or more. It takes a little more time, but the money we save doing it this way makes it worth it. We also buy dried beans, flour and other staples in bulk, which stretches our dollars and use that in place of meat often. We buy frozen fruit and frozen veggies from Costco for stir fries, soups, side dishes, smoothies, to add to oatmeal, etc. In the summer, there are lots of local farmer's markets in my area and we take advantage of that because their prices are usually way better. Towards fall, we stock up to make homemade jams, soups, etc. before the markets close for winter.

ZeroDelta

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Aldi accepts debit cards & cash - no credit. (Although my son in Richmond, VA said their new Aldi DOES take credit cards.)

Aldi now takes credit cards at all US stores.

https://www.aldi.us/en/customer-service/faqs/method-of-payment/

hockeysniper8

I have cut back on red meat since prices have gone up. Buy bulk chicken from costco, sweet potatoes wherever is cheapest, canned tuna.

MissMonicaC4

I but meat from an awesome Mennonite family close to me. The prices are amazing and I adore them haha. The quality is nice and healthy. We but veggies from a farm here in the summer. Summer rocks haha but is so short in northern Ontario. Other times I watch the sales. I meal plan so I'm not buying extra junk. I buy in bulk when the price is right. And frozen veggies will work when fresh is too costly!

megzchica23

I know it isn't the best option but I buy the big bags of frozen chicken and tilapia and canned veggies. My fiance eats enough for 4 people so it just gets too expensive to buy tons of fresh stuff.