Affordable way to buy fruits and veggies?

Ivana331
Ivana331 Posts: 230
in Food and Nutrition
We are going on our BIG shopping trip for the month and I am wondering what is the most affordable way to buy fruits and veggies? Fresh from the produce section, canned, or frozen? I know fresh is the healthiest, but I want to get the most for my money.

Replies

  • kriselayne1
    kriselayne1 Posts: 28 Member
    Well if you only go food shopping once per month than frozen and then canned but if you can buy your fruits and veggies locally like at a farmers market or fruit stand then I would say the prices are pretty reasonable but obviously that stuff will need to be eaten in a few days.
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    For short term stuff you are going to eat pretty quickly, farmers markets are great, and cheaper than the supermarkets. But if you are not shopping frequently, frozen is a good option. The frozen stuff is frozen when it is very fresh, so it does not lose nutrients.
  • head_in_rainbows
    head_in_rainbows Posts: 290 Member
    Fresh will go bad soon so if you can't buy them when you need them I would pick frozen over canned. Less added chemistry
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    I use them all in different ways. I use the frozen for meals like pot pie and stew. I use fresh for stir fry's and pasta dishes. The canned I save for sides and the "whats in the cupboard because I need to make dinner NOW!" meals.
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    Yeah we limit our shopping trips because if we shop every week or so we end up spending way more than we should and then the less important bills get put off, so once or twice a month works for us. I had recently bought fresh and ate it all pretty quickly or ziplocked what wasn't going to be eaten as quickly and so far I still have week old fresh lettuce. :)
    But I will definitely buy frozen, that makes sense!! :) I need to look up if there is a Farmer's Market nearby, I don't know of one, so we'll see. thanks guys!
  • bearsfanchick
    bearsfanchick Posts: 22 Member
    What about Aldi's Food Store? They have cheap produce but if you only go shopping once a month, I don't know how you would get fresh produce...
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    Fresh is more affordable and much healthier as long as you don't let it go bad. I go and grab my fruit and veg twice a week or so- I'm always stoked when I run out without a single thing going past it's peak (I'm finiky about the ripeness of my fruit.)
  • BrittSwimsJDRF
    BrittSwimsJDRF Posts: 50 Member
    For our family, we go to Cosco every two weeks (me, my hubby, and 2 boys). We buy fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, bananas, nectarines, cucumbers, cauliflower, brocclli, etc. I fill the sink with water, add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, and throw the fresh stuff in and let it soak for 10 minutes. I then rinse with water, and let the stuff dry. It stays fresh until we are able to eat it all, and it even helps take the wax off if it's been "shined". We buy canned green beans and corn for the nights we need something quick. But this is what has worked the best for us.
  • marz31
    marz31 Posts: 159 Member
    I discovered freeze dried Brothers All Natural fruits thanks to Jet Blue and I love those things. nothing added, shelf stable for a long time, so they can fill in the gap if you've run out of fresh or if you desire a crunch snack that isn't sodium filled processed corn or potatoes.....not cheap, but since I'm not going to waste any (like inevitably happens with fresh produce at my house), it's all used up. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies too, buying what's on sale is a good idea and I recently saw some tips on how to keep certain items fresh longer, so you could google tips like that and see what you find (something about foil on lettuce will keep it longer and other items).
  • mfp_junkie
    mfp_junkie Posts: 359
    Buy fresh what is in season, as the prices are probably the lowest. For the rest of the month, try frozen over canned. It's the closest to fresh, assuming the producer didn't add a bunch of crap to the veggies before packaging. Many flash frozen veggies have the same nutritional value as fresh, and they can last months in your freezer!
  • jplucheck
    jplucheck Posts: 275 Member
    Local Farmers Market
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    as long as it is not awkward when you freeze it, get fresh produce then chop/prepare it and freeze it. i do that with peppers, onions, broccoli, fruits, etc
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    What about Aldi's Food Store? They have cheap produce but if you only go shopping once a month, I don't know how you would get fresh produce...
    Well If i have extra money on the side I will go get fresh fruits and veggies, but just this week that I started I have had to go shopping twice! That is just too often and inconvenient for us, I need healthy stuff on the side when I run out of the fresh and don't have time to go shopping.
  • Sardine239
    Sardine239 Posts: 72 Member
    Buy seeds, plant them, water and wait and then, tada--you have your own for free-ish!

    I know this doesn't work for everyone, but we have tomatoes coming out of our ears!

    For us, with the things we don't grow, we buy in season. When grapes are in season and cheap, we eat a lot of grapes! When strawberries are in season, same thing! Bananas are usually a decent price year around, so we eat them quite often. With other things, we buy frozen. Not the best, but way better then canned, IMO.
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    as long as it is not awkward when you freeze it, get fresh produce then chop/prepare it and freeze it. i do that with peppers, onions, broccoli, fruits, etc
    Oh that is a great idea!!! :)
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    Buy seeds, plant them, water and wait and then, tada--you have your own for free-ish!

    I know this doesn't work for everyone, but we have tomatoes coming out of our ears!

    For us, with the things we don't grow, we buy in season. When grapes are in season and cheap, we eat a lot of grapes! When strawberries are in season, same thing! Bananas are usually a decent price year around, so we eat them quite often. With other things, we buy frozen. Not the best, but way better then canned, IMO.
    I wish I had the time and patience and know how to garden, that would be amazing and pay for itself in the long run, I am sure.
  • AubreySue81
    AubreySue81 Posts: 167 Member
    as long as it is not awkward when you freeze it, get fresh produce then chop/prepare it and freeze it. i do that with peppers, onions, broccoli, fruits, etc

    Thanks for this ^^ It's always the most obvious things that I don't even consider. Haha!
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    For our family, we go to Cosco every two weeks (me, my hubby, and 2 boys). We buy fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, bananas, nectarines, cucumbers, cauliflower, brocclli, etc. I fill the sink with water, add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, and throw the fresh stuff in and let it soak for 10 minutes. I then rinse with water, and let the stuff dry. It stays fresh until we are able to eat it all, and it even helps take the wax off if it's been "shined". We buy canned green beans and corn for the nights we need something quick. But this is what has worked the best for us.
    Is it cheaper in bulk? My hubby has been wanting to get a membership in Sam's club because his mom works there and could get a discount on membership I guess....idk. I wouldn't mind doing that.
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    Fresh is more affordable and much healthier as long as you don't let it go bad. I go and grab my fruit and veg twice a week or so- I'm always stoked when I run out without a single thing going past it's peak (I'm finiky about the ripeness of my fruit.)
    yeah I think fresh is yummier, but 8 shopping trips per month is just not feasable in my mind.
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
    What about Aldi's Food Store? They have cheap produce but if you only go shopping once a month, I don't know how you would get fresh produce...
    Never heard of them... hmmmm
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I like farmer's markets and find them to be less expensive than the grocery stores.
  • FiercelyBeautiful
    FiercelyBeautiful Posts: 590 Member
    price match!!!!!!! Sales ads and farmers market!!!!
  • herwholejourney
    herwholejourney Posts: 86 Member
    Some of the 99 cent stores have produce and the same frozen fruits/veggies that you would get at the store except obviously way cheaper!
  • pinkie1981
    pinkie1981 Posts: 30
    I dont know what you have around you, but to keep the cost down in my house I shop at road side stands, and also flea markets for my fruits and veggies
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    word. like i said some of them fruits can be awkward, like freezing watermelon may be weird lol. but yea just chop up and prep it, i got mass blueberries, strawberries, peppers, onions in the freezer that i got at the market up the street
  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member
    We do our shopping once or twice a month also because we live so far out. We do have a grocery store but it's crazy expensive.I buy some fresh and some frozen. We eat the fresh then move on to the frozen. If I do have to run in to town I check the discount bins and sales for fresh fruit and veggies. If I find a great sale on a veggie, often I will pre-cook it and freeze it myself. Rarely eat canned food.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    Farmer's Markets! Look for local Co-ops. There's lots of things out there, you just have to look :)

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