Groceries

its VERY expensive to eat healthy. i dont know how some people can afford the organic stuff!!!! thats crazy!! i just do the best i can with the money i have.

Does anyone else find it expensive to eat healthy ?
I am bout ready to give up on this eating healthy thing because of the expens.
Any ideals?

I find it cheaper, just don't buy "diet" food. Buy lean meats, and fruit and veggies that are in season preferably local. This way you are not paying for packaging, marketing, and limiting the cost of shipping, so it should be cheaper.

i.e. Dried beans are cheaper than chicken nuggets in the freezer section

its VERY expensive to eat healthy. i dont know how some people can afford the organic stuff!!!! thats crazy!! i just do the best i can with the money i have.

You don't need to eat organic to eat healthy. Avoid prepackaged foods. buy dried beans very cheap and a great source of protein and complex carbs.

You don't need to buy organic, sometimes organic is the worst choice.
Shop at local farmers markets, their prices are typically better.
Buy in bulk and freeze

Now that I have the swing of things, my grocery bill is not that much different. But I am feeding a family of four, so bulk for a single person is only a weeks worth for me.

you don't have to eat all organic to eat healthy! produce (fresh or frozen) goes further and costs less than junk food. you just have to buy things that are in season so you're not paying extra for the shipping costs. you can also try farmers markets. they are nice because you only buy exactly how much you need and they have a great fresh selection. bags of frozen chicken breasts are cheaper than buying pre-made fried chicken from the deli. you can't just look at the intital cost - you have to look at how much is in each purchase. also, don't buy pre-made salads or things like that. it's much easier and cheaper to buy lettuce and spinach seperately. REALLY look at the label when buying things. oftentimes, the cheaper and generic brands are just as healthy or even healthier than the big brands that ADVERTISE being "healthy".

Farmer's markets are great! I got to them a lot. Fresh green beans are like $1 per pound and in stores they are a whole dollar more.

I have been on a budget for almost 10 years since I'm still in school. I can't really afford the fresh veggies and fruits but some of my go tos are eggs (I have eggs for breakfast just about every day), tuna, brown rice, nuts, bagged salad, yogurt, cheese, and chicken sausage.

We are members of a CSA., which is great! We pay $300 and get 5 months worth of produce - usually enough to feed our family of four, but sometimes needs to be supplemented (like the weeks when we only get greens or squash). I buy lots of frozen veggies rather than fresh during the winter. I don't buy organic because it would be too pricy for us. I basically shop from the circular each week (which is usually sales for the produce in season, certain meats depending on the time of year, certain brands of yogurt). One thing that has really decreased our bill is to cut out most meat. I do most of my grocery shopping in produce/dairy/dried beans and rice.

Its a lot cheaper than the side effects of eating unhealthy...

I posted a blog about this actually, I spend about 200 a month for my husband and I that is about 25 dollars a person per week. that isn't too bad at all. especially compared to all the surgeries and medication and things related to being unhealthy

Just don't buy the gimmicky "diet" things

buy a good selection of veggies, and then plan your meals around those veggies, for a week eat meals that include all of those.

Buy only those things in season.

Most stores have a "clearance" section of meat,. Don't be afraid to buy the clearance meat. the only reason it is there is because it has aged past when they are able to sell it. Meat is actually better if its a little aged. So stock up when you see deals.

If you cut out all the snack food and buy apples and nuts, that will cut down on your budget and you wont have tempting things around.

Pasta sauce is generally on sale, I buy safeway brand because it is low in calorie, with some whole wheat pasta.

Eggs and yogurt are cheap if you buy the tubs of yogurt and not the individual cups.

Beans and rice are Incredibly low in price,

Frozen veggies are sometimes better deal than the fresh stuff, and are lots better than buying canned.

Those are my little tips

Invest in some good spices and LOTS of onions and garlic, and olive oil and you have a pretty good list of foods to choose from for pretty inexpensive.

It takes practice but you will get there.

BUMP

NOPE, it's darn cheap!!

I spend max $150 a month for 2 of us and at least $30 of that is diet-pepsi (his vice, not mine). I actually made a giant list of all the healthy items I buy regularly after someone on MFP asked how that was possible if you need it.

totally agree its cheaper if you know what to buy!! I would however love to see what you buy!!!:blushing:

Agree with the others, I spend less this way!

I don't buy anything "diet" and very few things packaged. I base my menu plan for the week on whatever is on sale, and/or I shop at BJ's for meats. You can buy chicken breast for cheap at BJ's, salmon and ground turkey breast too! I make a lot of things that carry over to the next day either for lunch or dinner, so each meal is 2 meals. I don't buy pricey chips, candy, and junk food. I buy a lot of frozen veggies, like at Publix this week they are 10 steam packs of veggies for $10!

If you really want it, you'll find a way to make it work!