Tips to make eating healthy cheaper

swift13b

Seconding an earlier suggestion of checking out budgetbytes.com and making a meal plan. I'm only feeding myself but I do meal plan/prep to help cut costs and save time. All the recipes I've tried from budgetbytes have been really good, though the prices don't mean much to me as I'm in Australia. Just in general you'll find that making a meal plan (and sticking to it) will help save you some money. Also, when meal planning, look for recipes that use simple ingredients instead of all the fad health foods. I can't really talk though, I have so many bags of nuts/seeds/dried fruits that I've bought for recipes that I really need to use up.

You've already mentioned buying fruit that's in season - that logic applies to veggies too. Whatever is on sale is usually what's in season and in its peak. There are some veggies I always buy frozen like broccoli, corn and cauliflower and then there are somethings I know to avoid and sub for something else in recipes (like red bell peppers can be twice the cost per kg of green peppers but I hate the green ones, so I just use a different vegetable all together). Sometimes I'll check what's in season before planning to make a veggie-heavy meal, just in case whatever I need is out of season and will therefore be expensive.

Finally, depending on where you live and what you have access to, you can probably save money by a. shopping at a cheaper grocery store like Aldi/Walmart, b. buying local produce at a farmer's market or c. using coupons or all those wonderful apps you have access to in the US to give you cash back.

Orphia

smnovosad1 wrote: »

We don't have the best eating habits as a family. We eat out a lot, which I am trying to change, and the kids eat a lot of cheap stuff like spaghetti, Mac and cheese, pizza. I always include fruit -- whatever is cheapest during the current season.

I have started to try to eat better myself, to make me healthier and to lose weight while retaining muscle. I have been buying egg whites, avocado, whole grain breads, stevia, PB2, protein powder, protein bars, Greek yogurt, almond milk, etc. I still don't have a supply of what most "healthy" people seem to have in their cupboards -- I am forever reading recipes I want to make and then I run into dates, ground flaxseed, or something else and I don't have it? But I've only been working on this for 2 months.

My problem is apparently our grocery bill went up $150 last month and my husband is upset. He blames all the "crazy" things I'm buying for the increase. The stuff I'm buying isn't mainstream and doesn't go on sale like the other stuff we get. I know people are going to say it is cheaper to cook/eat at home, but cooking/eating different things seems to be negatively impacting our budget.

I know it's all about choices, and we may have to allocate more money to food, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about how I can make healthy food more cheaply?

Thanks so much!

Flaxseed is a total fad and should be mocked at every opportunity.

Ignore anyone who is trying to promote a food as "healthy".

All food nourishes in one way or another.

Eat the foods you love within your calorie limit.

Being restrictive just makes it more difficult to lose weight.

scolaris

I agree with @jkhoffe; are you sure that $150 'increase' isn't actually just a reallocation taken from a savings on the eating out side of the equation?
If it really does represent new food spending, some of this will probably reflect the establishment of a broader pantry & even out over a few months.
I'm not the best person to give advice on bare bones food budgets. We've never eaten out much & have always viewed food as a health care expense and entertainment expense as well. Nobody takes expensive supplements or medications, and we invite folks over to eat with us a lot. Plus my husband & children participate in endurance sports like trail running which means everybody needs to eat well and often!
My biggest weekly shop is at Costco. I also hit a nearby Asian market and Latin market for things Costco doesn't stock. Prices on fresh veg at ethnic markets is usually very cheap! I like a variety of organic dairy items that I can only get at whole foods but I don't buy a lot else when I'm there. There are two small local grocery stores that I follow for sales. One in particular has great deli prices and very good local fish contracts on salmon, dungeness, etc in season. I usually buy whatever they have featured in their sales flier that week.
So I shop several different stores each week to keep total costs down. I meal plan & do the biggest shop on Saturday, then hit the smaller places thru the week as my job as a school sub takes me to different parts of town.
I use or freeze every last scrap. Food waste is a pet peeve of mine. It's sloppy, expensive & bad for our planet! A few years ago I went through our family recipes & really streamlined what we cook because I felt like I was chasing my tail always cooking new recipes (and needing new ingredients!) Maybe that is happening a little bit here? Once you get some new routine meals established you may find you don't need to buy as much new stuff.
Best of luck to you! xo

scolaris

I really like the app Paprika for recipe storage. I've transferred all our recipes over to it, and it generates grocery lists as well.


I have to say I've never had much luck with coupons. We don't buy things like pasta sauce or salad dressing because I make those things from scratch. You don't find a lot of raw ingredients on coupon, and bulk prices usually beat coupon prices if you do.

jgnatca

@scolaris I have to say my coupon experience is much like yours. Coupons likely are more helpful for non food items like toiletries and food storage.

scolaris

I get the very best prices on food storage items at the restaurant supply outlet Cash & Carry. And it's not even a membership type place.
But we don't get coupon doubling anywhere in this market. That could be a game changer.

scolaris

Recently I've been stocking up on toiletries at Target. They run things like deodorant and shampoo on sale, and then offer a $5 target gift card if you buy four. The best part is you can spend the gift card on whatever you want! LOL

wizzybeth

I want to chime in and echo the posters who've stated you don't need to buy all that fancy stuff to eat healthy. You really can eat healthy on normal, everyday foods!!!

For a short while I got on a kick there I felt I needed to migrate to a more vegan diet - (a friend had me convinced, after giving me paraphernalia from the likes of Dr. Neal Barnard or Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Thank GOD MFP forums delivered me from that thinking - I love my friend but I can't go for that lifestyle) It was very expensive when you try to create these crazy-good sounding meals with crap you can only find in health food stores.

Honestly - just keep it simple. Chicken breast, tuna, lean beef meals. Nothing wrong with home made tacos, home made pizza....eggs are a miracle food.

The extras may be nice - but if you can't afford them, you can't afford them. Just go for normal stuff. Maybe once in a while if a particular recipe reaches out to you and screams "MAKE ME!" you can .

ALSO I really see no real beneift of PB2 over ordinary peanut butter.

toe1226

Costco, big bag of quinoa, a couple stacks of black/garbanzo beans, a big bag of brussel sprouts (they keep for a long time) and or broccoli, big bags of frozen fish or chicken breasts, big bag of carrots, almonds...and now you could stirfry for days!

Also, bulk isles.

I say don't pay atttention to some of the "fancy organic" products, if you like almond milk, buy it, but I wouldn't feel obligated to all that stuff...just stick with the basics, nuts legumes grains veggies - you'll be golden.

and kudos!

toe1226

also, what better way to spend money than improving the health of yourself and your family?!

Maxematics

wizzybeth wrote: »

ALSO I really see no real beneift of PB2 over ordinary peanut butter.

It's not a necessity of course, but I love powdered peanut butter because I'm getting the taste of peanut butter and 5 to 6 grams of protein for half the fat and around 1/4th of the calories of regular peanut butter.

zdyb23456

I don't know about your family, but we can't leave a restaurant without spending at least $50. We order waters and stick to cheaper menu items - we are a family of 5. Even fast food places we spend at least $20-25.

Cutting out 1 fast food outing a week, means an extra $80-$100 for groceries per month.

wizzybeth

synacious wrote: »

wizzybeth wrote: »

ALSO I really see no real beneift of PB2 over ordinary peanut butter.

It's not a necessity of course, but I love powdered peanut butter because I'm getting the taste of peanut butter and 5 to 6 grams of protein for half the fat and around 1/4th of the calories of regular peanut butter.

I struggle to get enough fat in my diet - LOL.

Maxematics

wizzybeth wrote: »

synacious wrote: »

wizzybeth wrote: »

ALSO I really see no real beneift of PB2 over ordinary peanut butter.

It's not a necessity of course, but I love powdered peanut butter because I'm getting the taste of peanut butter and 5 to 6 grams of protein for half the fat and around 1/4th of the calories of regular peanut butter.

I struggle to get enough fat in my diet - LOL.

It's useful for my low fat, high carb days but I choose real peanut butter for my high fat, low carb days.

Lounmoun

smnovosad1 wrote: »

We don't have the best eating habits as a family. We eat out a lot, which I am trying to change, and the kids eat a lot of cheap stuff like spaghetti, Mac and cheese, pizza. I always include fruit -- whatever is cheapest during the current season.

I have started to try to eat better myself, to make me healthier and to lose weight while retaining muscle. I have been buying egg whites, avocado, whole grain breads, stevia, PB2, protein powder, protein bars, Greek yogurt, almond milk, etc. I still don't have a supply of what most "healthy" people seem to have in their cupboards -- I am forever reading recipes I want to make and then I run into dates, ground flaxseed, or something else and I don't have it? But I've only been working on this for 2 months.

My problem is apparently our grocery bill went up $150 last month and my husband is upset. He blames all the "crazy" things I'm buying for the increase. The stuff I'm buying isn't mainstream and doesn't go on sale like the other stuff we get. I know people are going to say it is cheaper to cook/eat at home, but cooking/eating different things seems to be negatively impacting our budget.

I know it's all about choices, and we may have to allocate more money to food, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about how I can make healthy food more cheaply?

Thanks so much!

You don't have to eat all that stuff to be healthy. Healthy eating is making sure you meet your nutritional needs and avoid things that would be harmful to you personally.
Whole eggs, pasta, beans, lentils, potatoes, oatmeal, regular peanut butter, tuna, bread, regular milk, cheese, chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables in season, frozen vegetables and fruit, canned vegetables and fruit all have plenty of nutrients and can fit your budget. Buy store brand or generic items. Drink mostly water. Eat more meatless meals. Plan meals and make a grocery list that you stick to. Look for things on sale or use coupons. Look at cost per serving and see if a larger container is a better deal. Reduce waste and use what you buy.
http://www.budgetbytes.com has tasty, cost conscious recipes.

brower47

You don't need to buy unusual items.

lizwooshy

Meat - whatever is on sale (chicken breast, thighs, drumsticks. Ground turkey, pork loin or chops)

Veggies-whatever is on sale. Also frozen veggies are great to keep on hand for when you are pressed for time. Even canned are okay for a rainy day.

Fruit - ditto for what was said for veggies.

Greek yogurt is great, just stick with the store brand or whatever is cheapest.

Bags of potatoes, rice and beans are super cheap and versatile for many types of meals.

I get whole grain bread from Aldi for less than $1.5 a bag. I also buy and use whole eggs as opposed to egg whites.

Like many posters have pointed out, many of your items arent really necessary to lose weight OR be healthy. Just stick to the basics and you will be good:)

StealthHealth

toe1226 wrote: »

also, what better way to spend money than improving the health of yourself and your family?!

Best Quote EVER.