Cheap healthy groceries?

wekickkittt

Okay, so my fiance and I don't have the best jobs and we have a lot of bills. Going shopping gets real pricey if you try to get all the healthy stuff. We end up buying a lot of junk, to save on costs. That can not happen anymore, no junk food in the house. I was wondering if there were any tips? recipes? Anything that could help would be wonderful! I want to start shopping either today or tomorrow, I just cleaned out my kitchen of all the bad things that could distract me.

rileysowner

First of all shop sales. The regular flyers from the stores should be looked at and then write down the stuff that you want to purchase that is at a good price. This is especially helpful if you can freeze or otherwise preserve food. We have a small chest freezer and tend to purchase all our meat on sale. We also tend to purchase frozen veggies, just make sure it is only the veggies no added cheese or salt. They are nutritionally as good as fresh, sometimes even better because they are frozen right off the plant rather than being stored and shipped during which time they lose nutrients. Also dry beans are very inexpensive. Cook up a batch and then separate them into servings and freeze them. They keep quite well and it saves time as they take quite a while to cook.

Pandorian

Buy bulk where you can... a 25lb bag of rice at a no-membership warehouse near me is $20, a 5lb bag of rice is $10 at most of my local grocery stores... double the price for 5 times as much food.
Buy a flat (12 or 24) of canned soup when it's on for $0.50 a can when those cans retail singly for $1.39, paying $6 for $16 worth of food goes a long way, if you have a couple of flats you may be able to extend use from one sale to the next.
Do not buy the "McCormick" type spice / herb jars, the spice jars with shaker lids are 3/$1 at a lot of stores here (empty, you fill with what you want) and buy in bulk. I buy summer savory, I can choose to pay $9 for 8 grams in a McCormick jar or I can buy 200 grams for $5... which goes a lot further?
Grow some herbs in a window planter, I've got a planter on my table trying spinach and a couple herbs, and another one growing Stevia, nothing touches the freshness of what you can pick yourself when you need it....

melsinct

First of all shop sales. The regular flyers from the stores should be looked at and then write down the stuff that you want to purchase that is at a good price. This is especially helpful if you can freeze or otherwise preserve food. We have a small chest freezer and tend to purchase all our meat on sale. We also tend to purchase frozen veggies, just make sure it is only the veggies no added cheese or salt. They are nutritionally as good as fresh, sometimes even better because they are frozen right off the plant rather than being stored and shipped during which time they lose nutrients. Also dry beans are very inexpensive. Cook up a batch and then separate them into servings and freeze them. They keep quite well and it saves time as they take quite a while to cook.

Agreed. Shop the sales, stock up when there are good sales. Frozen veg is cheap cheap cheap. Use meat sparingly and eat more veg. Buy cheap cuts of tough meat you can cook low and slow until fall off the bone tender (chuck roast, pork shoulder, etc.).

Junk is more expensive, as you need more of it to keep you feeling satisfied. I guarantee you brown rice, beans, and vegetables will last you longer and be much cheaper.

hypotrochoid

The discount meat bin is your friend. Every grocery store has one- Yesterday I picked up some nice flank steaks for 3 dollars. Total. Not by pound.

Frozen veggies are good too. And canned veggies are not the worst thing on the planet, either.

FaugHorn

I buy all my produce at a local hispanic market, it has a TON (better variety than a Wegmans even) of different veggies, grains, beans, rice, etc. and the fish and meats are really cheap as well. They have lower prices and better quality. Buy your food as close to the source as you can and it will provide more nutrients for less money.

blink1021

If you have an Alidi's grocery store in your area or close by it will help a lot on your bill it has for me. All their canned foods are under $1 and according to my nutritionist you can purchase canned fruit and veges just drain them and rinse off to get the salt and sugars that are on the food. There is also an assortment of fresh that is usually good prices you just have to be careful what you pick. They also have deals from time to time and specials plus their milk prices are half what they are at the grocery store. Walmart has Jennie O ground turkey under $2 per lb I buy it in the roll it tastes the same just without all that excess packaging. You just have to shop around and look for deals. Conserve on your meat and eat more beans for protein. You should get your sunday paper and look at the inserts it is a great way to see what is on sale and to make your shopping lists.

Behavior_Modification

eggs

dried beans

oatmeal

agthorn

Learn about produce seasons for your area, and only buy what's in season...if you want peaches and berries in January they're going to be super expensive, but they'll be cheap in June. Also most frozen vegetables are as good as fresh and usually cheaper (but not always - check the prices).

FitnessBarbie99

"If you have an Alidi's grocery store in your area or close by it will help a lot on your bill it has for me. All their canned foods are under $1 and according to my nutritionist you can purchase canned fruit and veges just drain them and rinse off to get the salt and sugars that are on the food. There is also an assortment of fresh that is usually good prices you just have to be careful what you pick. They also have deals from time to time and specials plus their milk prices are half what they are at the grocery store. Walmart has Jennie O ground turkey under $2 per lb I buy it in the roll it tastes the same just without all that excess packaging. You just have to shop around and look for deals. Conserve on your meat and eat more beans for protein. You should get your sunday paper and look at the inserts it is a great way to see what is on sale and to make your shopping lists."

I couldn't agree more! Aldi's is fantastic. I recently purchased a bag of sweet potatoes for $.99. Not sure how much it weighed, but sweet potatoes are really nutritious and my DH LOVES them. I got a very large bag of navel oranges for $2 -- believe me, I could go on...
They have very nice prices on low fat dairy and I find their frozen turkey meatballs to be a godsend. If you have some leftover rice and veggies, just toss in a few meatballs and some sauce or salsa and you have a quick and very inexpensive lunch to take to work.

ogosun

Groceries should not cost at all . You have to plan your meals and "make your own meal". Soups are so easy and cheap to make.
The power of the internet for recipes.

Don't buy sauces, they make your bill add up super fast. You seriously don't need that crap, its just adds calories. Cut down on meat and you will see your bill go down, buy more veg's, fruits. We can never starve in North America and can live cheaply on groceries.

AdAstra47

Depends what you consider "healthy." I cook with a lot of cheap hamburger (80/20 ground beef), and people who are avoiding fat consider that to be unhealthy. But I am avoiding carbs, not fat, and trying to get plenty of protein, so I think hamburger is great.

The people who recommended buying spices in bulk are spot on. Most spices will keep for a very long time, so you don't need to worry about buying more than you'll use. You can use the same cheap ingredients over & over every night, but if you spice it differently each time, it becomes an entirely new dish and you'll never get bored. And dry spices don't add the calories and sugar that bottled sauces usually have. You can find lots of recipes for spice rubs on the 'net.

I generally try to buy fresh fruits and veggies at my local farmers' markets. They have better quality produce and are usually cheaper, and sometimes you can haggle with them (especially if it's near closing time and they have a lot of stuff left). I try to use half of what I buy, and freeze the rest to use during the winter when the market is closed.

Also, check the shelves to try to find damaged & dented canned goods. Some stores will give you a slight discount if you point out that it's damaged. Even 5 or 10 cents a can adds up.

Just a general tip on thriftiness, from someone who has been unemployed and underemployed several times:
Consider the toiletries that you use. Most people spend *way* too much on things they don't really need: when it comes down to it, soap is soap is soap. Buy a cheap, gentle soap like Dove, in bulk, and you can use that to wash your skin and hair and to make a lather to shave. You don't need to buy separate bottles of shaving cream and shampoo and antibacterial hand soaps, or separate "men's" and "women's" formulas. That's all just marketing; chemically, it's *exactly* the same thing, just dressed up differently. So buy the cheap stuff in bulk and use that extra money for your healthy food instead.
Same with disposable items: instead of buying paper towels & paper napkins over and over, go to the thrift store and buy some real cloth ones that you can just keep washing up & reusing. I even use old-fashioned cotton handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex. Again, the more you save on those things, the more you can spend on your groceries.

Good luck to you!

agthorn

Depends what you consider "healthy." I cook with a lot of cheap hamburger (80/20 ground beef), and people who are avoiding fat consider that to be unhealthy. But I am avoiding carbs, not fat, and trying to get plenty of protein, so I think hamburger is great.

If you are concerned about fat or calories you can buy the cheaper packages of ground beef (80/20 or 75/25), drain it in a colander after cooking, and then rinse the meat off with hot water and pat it dry with a paper towel. The fat content ends up being similar to the more expensive 95/5 ground beef.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Tilapia!

IzzyandBri_mommy

I make my own hummus it is much cheaper and so good. I also make my own pita chips with reduced whole wheat pitas from the bakery
I also coupon for a lot of things, frozen veggies are awesome and I always have a coupon for those.

LovelyLibra79

Special K bars are cheap and tasty!
Tilapia and chicken breast are cheap and you can stretch the meals for a few days.

shana_phoenix83

Buy whole grain pastas (you should be able to find them for a couple bucks). Frozen veggies are cheap. I buy fruit when it's on sale (berries, bananas, etc.) and freeze them for smoothies- the varieties are endless. If you can find chicken or meat on sale, get a lot of it and cook it and use it all week- salads, burritos, soup, by itself with veggies, etc.

violon

Also, check the shelves to try to find damaged & dented canned goods. Some stores will give you a slight discount if you point out that it's damaged. Even 5 or 10 cents a can adds up.

badly dented cans carry with them the risk of botulism--

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/FAQs_Hotline_Preparation/index.asp#10

"While extremely rare, a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the worst danger in canned goods. NEVER USE food from containers that show possible "botulism" warnings: leaking, bulging, or badly dented cans; cracked jars or jars with loose or bulging lids; canned food with a foul odor; or any container that spurts liquid when opening. DON'T TASTE SUCH FOOD! Even a minuscule amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly. "

Alacey88

Bump... Need some advice for the new year!!!

mnwalkingqueen

I also have an Aldi's in my area.....love it cause the fresh produce is way cheaper than normal grocery stores including Super Targets and Walmart but you must look at what your buying for bruises and soft spots. I eat lots of egg whites, salads, fresh fruit, frozen veggie steamers(green giant usually $1).

AdAstra47

Also, check the shelves to try to find damaged & dented canned goods. Some stores will give you a slight discount if you point out that it's damaged. Even 5 or 10 cents a can adds up.

badly dented cans carry with them the risk of botulism--

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/FAQs_Hotline_Preparation/index.asp#10

"While extremely rare, a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the worst danger in canned goods. NEVER USE food from containers that show possible "botulism" warnings: leaking, bulging, or badly dented cans; cracked jars or jars with loose or bulging lids; canned food with a foul odor; or any container that spurts liquid when opening. DON'T TASTE SUCH FOOD! Even a minuscule amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly. "

Not eating food that unexpectedly spurts strange liquid or gases, or that has a foul odor? I think that falls into the "duh!" category. :laugh: Gotta love those government warnings. Protecting stupid people from Darwinism since 1776...

That's one of the arguments I use when I haggle: "If I buy this, it might be contaminated, I'm taking a risk here, so I think you should give me a discount on it. After all, you might not be able to find anyone else willing to buy it." But in reality, there's a big difference between a can that's "leaking, bulging or badly dented" and a can that has just has a small ding from being dropped or knocked around.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

eggs (relative to other proteins eggs are cheap)

dried beans

brown rice

frozen veggies

apples

bananas

bulk nuts

large containers of yogurt

rotisserie chicken or whole chicken that you cook yourself

whole wheat bread

large jars of peanut butter

whole grain pasta

Thena81

i go to walmart, i price match and they usually have the best deals anyway on fresh veggies and fruit. i dont buy meat from there tho, its been rotten too many times ;9( lol

floweringcurrant

The way that I can afford healthy groceries are:
#1 I am very lucky to be able to have a low income discount card at my local food co-op. I don't know how available something like that might be other locations (which is why I count my blessings!) but it might be something to look into.
#2 I buy things in a large amount and cook things in a large amount. If I bought ingredients for 6 different meals, I would be completely broke. Instead I will buy a big amount of brown rice and cook enough for the week. I will buy a big amount of salad greens, a big amount of kale, vegetables, fruit, etc. I will eat those things throughout the week until they are gone. This means I might have the same thing for lunch every day of that week but it makes if affordable and it makes it so way less of my food goes to waste. Also, freeze the leftovers! Freeze fruit you think might go bad and make a smoothie!

If you have something like CSA in your area, where you can buy boxes of produce every month, that's a great option too. Coupons, as well. And I know it sounds gross, but sometimes I go dumpster diving at local grocery stores. I have found loaves of perfect bread, packages sealed salad greens, avocados, limes, sweet potato, the list goes on. Hey, I'm a full time student and I do what I gotta do! It works for me Good luck.

ShadowSoldier23

Okay, so my fiance and I don't have the best jobs and we have a lot of bills. Going shopping gets real pricey if you try to get all the healthy stuff. We end up buying a lot of junk, to save on costs. That can not happen anymore, no junk food in the house. I was wondering if there were any tips? recipes? Anything that could help would be wonderful! I want to start shopping either today or tomorrow, I just cleaned out my kitchen of all the bad things that could distract me.

Canned fruits and veggies are not too expensive and go a long way. I tend to let fresh stuff spoil so I opt for canned most of the time. Sales/coupons are good too. It is expensive depending on what you are eating and what you are avoiding, but it can be done. Just compare prices.

MaggieMay131

Check all your local supermarkets' sale flyers. Go where the meat is the cheapest. This could vary from week to week, but in general, meat will be your most expensive items (and nuts - they can get pricey too). Costco also has a really good meat selection - if you have the room to store meat in bulk.

From there, just choose whatever veggies and fruits are on sale. Eat what's in season and you'll find your bills a lot lower. Also, a reminder to only shop in the perimiter of the store - produce, meat, dairy - if you go in the aisles you'll be bombarded with junk!

Good luck! I've cut my shopping bills by about $50 every week by starting to shop sales recently.

snords

Steamer Bag Veggies. You and your fiance can steam a bag and split the entire bag in two, which still isn't high cal/fat.

Spaghetti Squash- Split in half and bake. Shred squash loose from skin after soft and add 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce in each half. Top with sliced mushrooms and onion if you'd like.

Sweet Potato- Bake or mic until soft- very nutrition and very cheap per pound.

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese

Generic Plain Cereals that contain low-sugar: flakes, oats, chex

On-Sale fruit

Bag of onions- you can add diced onion to many meals to increase flavor without adding salt or other fake flavors

A box of sugar-free popsicles is a good snack.

gigiangelique

I will shop at 5 stores to get the best deals. Idk if you have a 99 cent store but you can get some great fresh produce and even some organic stuff there.

krisntraining

Depends what you consider "healthy." I cook with a lot of cheap hamburger (80/20 ground beef), and people who are avoiding fat consider that to be unhealthy. But I am avoiding carbs, not fat, and trying to get plenty of protein, so I think hamburger is great.

If you are concerned about fat or calories you can buy the cheaper packages of ground beef (80/20 or 75/25), drain it in a colander after cooking, and then rinse the meat off with hot water and pat it dry with a paper towel. The fat content ends up being similar to the more expensive 95/5 ground beef.

Really?? That's so good to know!

tgaul

bump

gp79

Groceries should not cost at all . You have to plan your meals and "make your own meal". Soups are so easy and cheap to make.
The power of the internet for recipes.

Don't buy sauces, they make your bill add up super fast. You seriously don't need that crap, its just adds calories. Cut down on meat and you will see your bill go down, buy more veg's, fruits. We can never starve in North America and can live cheaply on groceries.

I'd like to know where you're shopping. I shop at a military commissary and over the past 5-7 years groceries have risen significantly in cost.