How to get in more veggies/fruits budgetwise?

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  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
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    Also, go on-line and look up the coupons that are associated with your grocery store. There are always "Special" coupons found only on-line!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,041 Member
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    Yeah, I agree with everyone else, frozen is best. I always get frozen fruits for my smoothies. As far as veggies I do the same, if I can't get a lot of fresh items. I don't like canned bc its usually high in sodium.

    Agree with all of that. And as far as canned veggies, they taste way too overcooked and funky for my tastes.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
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    If I had to seriously go cheap, I'd buy canned veggies, canned beans and canned fruit in water.
    I'd crock pot chicken, then cut it off the bone and put the cubed meat in a bowl mixed with some fruit, beans and veggies.
    That's my food for 2 meals, and I'd prepare a real meal for dinner - as best I could afford.

    This is not optimal but cheap and healthy considering the alternatives.
    Good Luck :flowerforyou:
  • blackmantis
    blackmantis Posts: 165 Member
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    Asian, Latin, Flea, and Farmers markets!
  • jsmith1352
    jsmith1352 Posts: 9
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    Same here! I have found aldi produce to be cheaper and last longer than Kroger and especially Walmart. Try to find the best aldi in your area b/c they are all a little different. some are larger and newer, and in nicer areas. The nicer the area, the better the food, from my experience.
  • tekwriter
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
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    I agree the frozen is an alternative to fresh if you need to do that. I also shop for the mark downs in the produce department. I got six tomatoes, 3 peppers, and 4 apples the other day for just cents by getting the mark down. I also shop the farmers market and local produce stands. I find I pay near the same price but the quality is better. You could also cut down on the meat and bulk up on the legumes and grains to have a little more produce money. It is certainly hard. We are on a budget too.
  • CassieRoark
    CassieRoark Posts: 21
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    A farm share or grow your own veggies in a garden or a pot garden for foods that will grow in pots.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    I used to buy fresh blueberries on a weekly basis. The package was tiny, they were expensive and would not last very long. I switched to frozen blueberries and never looked back! Try frozen fruits and veggies.
  • notreallytrillian
    notreallytrillian Posts: 77 Member
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    I agree with most others - I buy the bags of frozen veggies that you can throw in the microwave and steam. They're surprisingly good. If you have a large family to feed you might want to see if a friend with a membership to BJ's or Costco can get them for you there because the bags are HUGE at those stores. Don't forget to look for coupons, too! I know it sounds lame, but we're too cheap to buy a Sunday newspaper so on Monday evenings we go to the paper recycling center and pull out all the coupons other people have thrown away. We usually come away with TONS of useful coupns for everything from veggies to personal care items.
  • brit_ks_89
    brit_ks_89 Posts: 433 Member
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    portion control & FARMERS MARKET !
  • Tuten210
    Tuten210 Posts: 50 Member
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    As other people have stated, frozen veggies are affordable and always available. I personally shop at Aldi for produce... they have fresh produce, super cheap and it's really good :)
  • jporte
    jporte Posts: 164 Member
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    Here is a great way and you dont have to go frozen ---- buy the broccoli slaw or cole slaw vegatables (incl. carrots, broccoli, cabbage). It stays crispy and crunchy for days and its about half the price of bagged lettuce . $1.50 for a bag. Lettuce tends to go bad quickly and you lose out. I have had these go for 2-3 weeks. its has been a mainstay in my eating. I dont have to cut it up or anything.

    And also if you check out the Asian markets in your neighbourhood you grocery bill will be cut in half. If i spend about $25 at a regular store I only spend about $10-$15 at the Asian market. Mature meats do really well in the slow cooker and you can normally purchase it for about $1.99/lb (chicken legs, no bone)

    Great idea about the broccoli slaw or cole slaw. I eat salad almost everyday and it irritates me that a bag dated for next week will go bad the next day.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    farmers markets, international markets, frozen, or.. my newest fun spot for shopping: Aldi. If you have one around, go check it out. Grocery, just a bunch cheaper than the competitors.
  • NikkiHann17
    NikkiHann17 Posts: 126 Member
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    I feed a family of 6 off of very little a month. We do alot of sales where I can pick up a ton of veggies on the cheap and I freeze what I know we wont eat before it goes bad. For example yesterday I bought 6 fresh green peppers for 88cents. I cut them and put them in a freezer bag and will take them out as needed. It works great for my family. I also do alot of frozen veggies, usually not that expensive depending on where you shop.
  • AbbyLynne2246
    AbbyLynne2246 Posts: 24
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    One of the grocery stores I walk to put's almost bad food into large packages for a dollar! I buy a lot of banana's and other fruits that way. Saves a lot. Talk to your local produce and grocery stores, and see what they can do for you.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
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    Check out the lost leaders in the supermarket flyers and shop accordingly. Newspapers often feature a weekly article on what is cheap this week.

    Also check out the ethnic markets. We go to a Lebanese green grocer who runs a veggie only supermarket.

    I would look into raised beds in the garden for your back so you don't have to bend over. What a shame to live in Florida and not have a garden! Or see if you can't buy direct from a grower, or from someone who does have a garden. When you are growing your own food, you usually have a surplus to give away.

    people have been talking about frozen veggies. Check into the canned. Green beans and corn are pretty good.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
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    Often, I buy "last day" fresh veggies... which means I go to the grocery store daily... I work within a half mile of 3, so I walk there during my lunch hours & get whatever fresh veggie is on sale or on clearance for that day and that is what gets cooked for dinner that night.... so a BAG of FROZEN broccoli was about $1.50 and yet I got enough for last night's dinner for slightly less because fresh broccoli was on sale for 99 cents per pound....

    fortunately I also live near a bumch of farms where I can get fresh fruits & veggiesm making a quick pit stop on the way home from work
  • Itsallbs15
    Itsallbs15 Posts: 262 Member
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    . I found that by shopping the perimeter of the store (nothing in a box is my mantra) I was spending a lot on the grocery bill, but it virtually nothing anywhere else. I end up spending less total for the week, but a bit more at the store than I used to in the past.

    Just my two cents. Hope some people can give some other tips/tricks for you.

    This is exactly what I do. My husband and I buy limited boxed stuff (pastas and sauce with the occasional unhealthy snack) and ONLY if there is a coupon for it. Fast food or pizza is limited to once a month, if that. I still generally spend the same but now everything is "from the perimeter" of the store and its healthy. One thing that I am proud of myself for is that 95% of my meals come from the fridge or freezer. What I mean by this is that 95% of my meals are fresh or have to be frozen so that it doesn't spoil. Preservatives and artifical flavoring are very limited and threfore I am not spending the money on these things that are not beneficial to me.

    Another thing to consider is looking to get your hygiene products at CVS or Walgreens. There are ALWAYS coupons for shampoo, soap, makeup, etc and the drug stores have these products on sale or at a cheaper price then the grocery store. This will save you money use towards healthy fruits and veggies. And is all else fails, go with frozen, as so many have already mentioned.

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