Eating healthy on a budget?

julesgill

My husband works fulltime, but I only work PT and stay home 1/2 the day with my 2 1/2 year old (terrible 2's anyone? someone get me a fulltime job lol)
Anyways, what are you tips for buying healthy foods on a budget? TIA

julesgill

Oops, I guess I put this in the wrong category. Sorry.

yeabby

I just posted this on another topic but it applies.

I feed the two of us for about $200-$250 and we eat primarily local (dairy and meat) and organic produce.

There are some easy ways to save money. Go to farmer's markets at around closing time. Befriend your local produce stand owner. Convince them to make you deals on the produce that needs to be used within the next few days. Look into organic produce delivery programs. I pay $33/delivery, every other week, for 15-20 lb of organic produce that magically shows up on my doorstep.

I also believe firmly in saving money in other places so I can spend extra to eat local and organic. Make your own hand soap (about $3/gallon) and laundry or dish soap (both about 3cents/load). Dry your clothes on a rack instead of in the dryer. These are all super EASY and environmentally friendly.

bcattoes

Buy in season and on sale. Beans!! They are cheap, delicious and filling. When non-perishables or frozen foods are on sale, stock up. Farmer's markets or farm stands often have fresh vegetables for a lot less than the grocery.

sufikitkat

For fruits and veggies, buy as much as you can weekly or bi-weekly at your local farmer's market. It's is amazing how much food you can get for half the cost of the store! I am not sure where you are located in the states, but take advantage of grocery store sales, consistent low prices on store brand items, and coupons. Here in Buffalo we have Wegmans which is just an amazing grocery store. They have consistent low prices instead of weekly flyer savings and feature many organic items (or non organic such as canned vegetables) in their store brand making them much more affordable. I have a full time job, but it does not pay as much as my degree cost haha and I have food allergies but I am able to eat healthy on my budget by following all of these. Oh! And check out websites for brands you buy frequently like Kashi or Clif for example. They often have coupon deals and free samples via their sites all the time :-)

JDRBT

Here are a few tips I use!

1) FREQUENT LOCAL FRUIT STANDS/FARMER'S MARKET! My guy and I found a local fruit stand that can supply us w/ veggies and fruit for about 10 days for under $20! Even when we shop there, we lean towards what's on sale.

2) EAT FRESH! If there is a meat or fish on sale, go for it! Google some new recipes and figure out how to cook it! We stocked up on Chicken breasts (12 breasts for about $22) and Frozen Ahi Tuna Steaks (about $11). It should keep us in "protein" for at least 2 weeks! This was bought in bulk. We also have a few frozen veggies just in case we need a quick side dish.

3) EAT AT HOME OR BRING FROM HOME! Maybe keep 1 quick, healthy frozen pizza ( I like the Kashi Roasted Vegetable) for when you need a super quick meal fix, but other than that, consider prepping enough for lunch AND dinner. You can save a TON of money by not eating out! If you need a date night, look for some place with a great happy hour special. (We have a place here that makes AMAZING grilled fish tacos for about $3!)

4) TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE BREAKFAST. Believe it or not, 2 scrambled eggs, a Piece of double fiber bread toast (w/ honey - which has WAY more benefits over jelly, butter, artificial butter sprays, and peanut butter), and a piece of fruit will take you a LOT further into the day than most bowls of cereal. If you NEED a quick breakfast, aim to include fiber and protein (like a protein bar and a bowl of steel cut oatmeal).

5) SHOP AROUND! Get to know your local supermarkets. Figure out what is cheaper where. I rarely need to use coupons since I know where/when I can get what I need.

My recommendations in case there are any picky eaters out there - once you starting eating more clean, you'll notice subtle flavors more. You'll LOVE the way you feel and you're tastes will eventually adapt.