Healthy foods ARE more expensive.

pkw58

In Houston, I shop Costco, HEB and Fiesta only now. The other grocery stores (Krogers Albertsons,Target) haver really good sales, but in general, the stuff I buy regularly is always more costly.

I am addicted to avocados, but when in off season, i just get my fix on them at lunch when I am eating a business lunch!

Also, I have learned to buy Greek Yogurt (fage 0%) in the large tub rather than the individual servings.

I have learned to only buy what we need and look for what is in season and it seems like I keep getting more and more basic. I don't need Jelly for our toast anymore, we get our sweet fix with fruit at breakfast. I don't buy a large thing of fresh berries unless I intend to eat them in the next 24 hours - I just buy the flash frozen ones on sale. I buy bananas and peel and freeze half of them immediatly for smoothies later.

I am going to try the delivery option on fresh fruits and veggies...

BTW, because I am not "mindlessly" buying junk food and stuff "just in case" our grocery bill has done down about 25 to 50%...

dad106

The reason why it's so expensive, is because A. it's out of season, and B. it's a specialty item... Mango's and Avocado's generally aren't in high demand in the US.

Try buying in-season fruits/veggies, and I think you'll have a better outcome.

jesswait

I would try farmers markets. All organic and locally grown, usually fairly priced. I live in Washington BTW

not sure or never heard of farmers markets and what they are. I'll google it, thanks. I live in Nevada here lol

http://nevadagrown.com/eventcategory/farmers-markets/

I don't live in Nevada, but where I live I spent about $30-$60 a week for two and we only shop at healthy food stores/farmer's markets. I also third the suggestion about Asian food markets, the prices are really reasonable in most of those.

impojr

Vegetables and that don't seem to be too steep at the moment, where I am at least.

But spelt flour and coconut oil on the other hand - and other healthies of that nature - are so expensive I really can't find a way to purchase them without anxiety of having no more money

Cr01502

Eat different types of fruits and vegetables when they are season and they will be a lot cheaper.

It is summer where I am so things like tomatoes and avocado are really cheap and at their peak, however I never buy those things in winter as they are way too expensive and the quality sucks.

This. And buy frozen. They are generally cheaper and full of nutrients.

xLexa

If you have an Aldi they are really reasonable for fruits and vegetables too. I always get to thee checkout and expect to be spending $60 and its usually half that. If I bought the same things in Walmart would have been closer to the 60mark.

jesswait

Vegetables and that don't seem to be too steep at the moment, where I am at least.

But spelt flour and coconut oil on the other hand - and other healthies of that nature - are so expensive I really can't find a way to purchase them without anxiety of having no more money

Have you looked at online stores? Amazon has a rather extensive grocery section, since it's winter you would not need to worry about it going rancid. As far as flour, I like http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/flours/ because wheat-free flours tend to be more expensive where I live. http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/grains/spelt/flour.html

rml_16

ALL the apples weren't that price, guaranteed.

Buy what's in season and it's cheaper. Check the frozen section -- also cheaper and better nutrients.

Meat is expensive. Did you never buy meat before?

coliema

I would try farmers markets. All organic and locally grown, usually fairly priced. I live in Washington BTW

not sure or never heard of farmers markets and what they are. I'll google it, thanks. I live in Nevada here lol

They have them in Nevada. Definitely google it and also see if there are any health food stores in your area - like Whole Foods, etc.

Farmers markets are the best! I love going to those, I also recently met someone where I work that has a huge garden and we make a deal that way and I buy veggies from him. Also I live in the "country", so there are tons of farms and barns, and 85% of them have a garden and sell their veggies on the side of the road in front of their house for cheap!

kuntry_navy

find a local butcher for meat instead of a grocery store. you can usually get thicker cuts for the same price as something pre-packaged

Lyra89

3 dollars on an avocado, or 3 dollars on a soda & a chocolate bar? I know what I'd choose for a snack... :indifferent: Your health is most important!

JustANumber85

Well you have a few choices: Aldi, Save A Lot, Farmers Market, IGA are all really cheap. Even a food pantry gives fruits/veggies now.

I shop all those and I do go to Kroger. I do not buy organic.

toddis

I know my walmart doesn't carry organic, but your mights have?
At mine its 97 cents for an avocado and about 1.68 for a pound of apples.
At my organic market its about 3 for an avocado and 3 or 4 for apples..

As with any grocery shopping, look for the deals that week (beware deals on produce
usually mean it's about to go off). Check out the frozen fruits and vegetables.

WendyTerry420

It depends on what you call "health foods." Foods that are specifically marketed as being "healthy" are typically pre-packaged. They are as expensive as TV dinners, which are about as expensive as McDonald's. As far as fruits and vegetables, they are less expensive when they are in season. When winter hits, you are better off buying frozen veggies and limiting your fruit to crops like oranges and bananas that are still being harvested through the winter.

I don't buy anything in the "health foods" section of stores because they *are* more expensive. However, I buy things when they are on sale, such as a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $1.50. I wait until I see avocado for a dollar each before I buy them. Also, I agree with the other posters about Walmart. It's *not* a good place for groceries. They are cheap on most of their stuff, but go to a real grocery store for food, especially perishables.

We are typically spending $100 a week for a family of four by simply not buying pre-packaged foods and sticking with "real" food. Previously, we were spending closer to $150 a week. So in my case, I've been able to save money while eating healthier.

WendyTerry420

trust me i cant eat clean 100% of the time. because i love to have something unhealthy once in awhile too. But i do love healthy foods and im trying to find a good balance too. Plus by the price of clean eating i cant eat healthy all the time. I just want to try to eat clean MOST of the time. Thanks for your advice!

See this link regarding "eating clean:"

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

The frozen foods section is your friend. As is a slow cooker. Compare fish prices between frozen and fresh. Where I live, fresh can often be cheaper, but I live on the coast where people bring the catch in 7 miles from my house. In Nevada, get frozen. As for veggies and fruits, buy frozen. You can do a lot with frozen produce. If you can't afford the mango, get frozen mango. There's 3 or 4 of them in the bag and somebody else did the work of cutting it up.

Chicken and meats are cheaper frozen, but be careful with the additives. Some are ice coated, but some are laced with sodium. Chicken is about half the price frozen. And lean cuts of beef are cheaper, with the exception of ground beef. 93/7 ground is more expensive than 80/20 because of the cuts of meats used. Roasts and butts and flanks are cheaper and are great slow cooker foods. Legumes are dirt cheap.

And have you priced a box of Popeye's Chicken lately (or KFC, etc.)? Spent over 70 bucks to feed 6 people. I could have spent less than half to feed them a much healthier chicken dinner cooked in a slow cooker or even grilled on the barbecue.

Mokey41

You don't need to eat organic and frozen is your friend when it comes to veggies. They flash freeze vegetables within hours of picking so they actually have more nutrition than the fresh stuff that's been riding around in a truck for days. You don't need to buy a lot of meat. A small piece sliced up and added to a stir fry or salad goes a long way. Frozen fish fillets, look for the cheaper kinds, here I can always get Pollock fillets at a very reasonable price. A can of tuna can go a long way in a casserole with some noodles. Canned beans or lentils are cheap, filling and provide protein. Rice has to be about the cheapest food on the planet if you buy a bag and cook it yourself (not instant rice). Potatoes & eggs are cheap for the nutritional value.

You have to shop around and not get hung up on wanting a mango or a certain type of apple. I'm in a place were not much is actually local produce and I can get apples for $1/lb but they aren't the fancy types. Tropical fruits aren't even on my radar most of the time unless there's a super sale.

You also have to remember that you're eating less of most things if you're staying in your budget. Even eating a lot of healthy food will still lead to weight gain.

sammniamii

I've stopped buying alot of "fresh" produce from Walmart - they have gotten pricey (winter) and what they do have doesn't look great. As of late I've been getting veggies from Trader Joe's and local Farm Fresh. I want to visit the Fresh Market (really high end supermarket, whole food like but even more $$) or the new Whole Foods store but as of now, they are out of my price range.

Head of broccoli - 1.99
Head of cauliflower - 2.29
Brussel Sprout stalk - 3.29
bag of onions - 1.99
fresh garlic - 1.59
bag of avocado - 2.99
kale (Farm Fresh) - .99 a bunch (Walmart sometimes has it as well same price)
when i can find them, asparagus - 2.99 a bunch
mushrooms - 1.99 a 10oz container (3.29 @ walmart for 16oz)
shredded carrots - 1.99
can of artichokes - 1.99 or 2.29

and this doesn't count meat - I do try for frozen meats, which is cheaper.

mommymeepa

I didn't have time to read all the comments, so don't know if someone said this or not.

Due to having Crohn's Disease I cannot eat a lot of fresh produce for various reasons.

I only eat canned veggies and fruit for the most part.
I get veggies with no salt added and fruit either in liquid or no sugar added syrup.

Fresh is always the best way to go, but any fruit or veggies is better than none.
Stock up on canned goods or frozen and buy fresh when you can.

I have a single mom friend, who is on welfare, and she eats VERY healthy. She reads the ads, shops at a store called Aldi's, and probably does her shopping at three different stores. It's worth her time and she is proving that even a single mom on welfare can eat healthy, so when people tell me it's too expensive, I don't believe it.

Get informed, read ads, be willing to drive to more than one store, and you can eat healthy for not a lot of money.

Like someone else said you will save money in the long run because if you don't start taking care of yourself you WILL end up with health problems.

Great job on getting healthy. You can do this.

katy84o

I can't believe that in Nevada you are being charged $3 per avocado, you live so close to California where a lot of them are grown! I live in VA and my local organic market has been selling avocados for $.99 all summer, fall and now into the winter.