9 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget

With our New Year’s resolutions at hand and empty wallets after the Holiday season,  a big question many have is “how can we eat healthy on a budget”?  Who better to ask than a Registered Dietitian who offers “Meal Planning on a Budget” sessions in person, via phone or web. Meet Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, LDN the Owner and Registered Dietitian at Inspired Wellness Solutions, LLC. She has been kind enough to share 9 great tips on how you can eat healthy on a budget! Enjoy!

9 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget

Plan ahead!

I use this method which I find is very helpful:  Sit down with the grocery circulars on a day when you have an hour to focus on meal planning.  Scan the circulars to see what the major sales are that week, go through your recipes to find ones that utilize the sale items, and choose 7 of those recipes for that week.  Make your list based on that.  It time to plan ahead, but when you do this you’ll have a defined list that makes the shopping itself quicker and less costly.  It also helps to utilize produce much better – you know exactly how much you need for each of your recipes, so you avoid just purchasing random produce and risk is going bad before you use it.

Do the prep yourself

We often pay for convenience.  Precooked grilled chicken costs much more than it’s uncooked counterpart, and often contains additional sodium.  Pre-sliced veggies from the produce department are much more expensive than their whole versions.  If you can plan the time to do these prep type tasks yourself, you’ll save money at the store.

Stock up in season

For produce, look for items that are in season.  When this is the case, there are more available, they tend to be lower priced, and they can be more nutritious.  Plus, you can buy extra and freeze them yourself to use later on.

Look for frozen and canned produce choices

Frozen fruits and vegetables are excellent economical choices.  Produce is frozen at the peak of freshness, so it is just as nutritious as fresh choices (and often cheaper, especially during off-season times).  Canned fruits and vegetables can be good choices too, but you’ll need to be a good label reader.  For fruits, looked for ones packed in juice, not syrup.  For veggies, check for “no added salt” varieties.

Choose meatless protein sources

Meat is often one of the most expensive items in our carts, and in our country most of us eat too much of it.  Meatless protein sources include beans, nuts, peanut butter, tofu, lentils, etc.  By eating a plant-based diet just one day a week, you can improve your health (saturated fats found in certain meats can increase your risk of high cholesterol) and save money.  In addition, more energy and resources go into processing meat, so cutting it out just one day a week can positively impact our planet too.

An easy switch:  whole grains for refined grains

Most of the grains we buy can easily be substituted with their whole grain versions for little impact on taste and texture (depending on the meal, of course).  Many are now priced similarly to refined grains.  If you make a stir-fry with white rice, try using brown rice instead.  If you’re making a pasta dish, try whole wheat spaghetti rather than white spaghetti.  If you don’t like the slightly different taste right away, try a half refined/half whole grain mixture to start.

Compare brand name vs. store brand. 

Typically, store brand items are priced lower than brand name items.  However, you may sometimes end up spending less money when you look for a brand name product and combine it with a coupon.  Don’t forget to also check in-store flyers for coupons for store-brand items.  For example, supermarkets like Shaws and Whole Foods both put out coupon booklets that contain coupons for store-brand items.  Just last month, Shaws provided a coupon for $1/1 Everyday Essentials item, their line of goods.  With pasta only priced at $1.19 to begin with, you could score boxes of whole wheat pasta for only 19 cents with the coupon.

Use coupons wisely

Search out coupons for your favorite products.  I’m sure you all know by now that coupons are available each week in the Sunday paper or available online.  But you can also try contacting your favorite companies and ask for them – many will mail you out a few!  A key to eating healthy on a budget, though, is to avoid what I call the “but I have a coupon” complex.  For example:  my family doesn’t really need another box of cookies to snack on, “but I have a coupon!”.  Even though it might only cost 50 cents, is it worth it to be detrimental to your own health or your family’s health?

Eat a healthy meal before shopping

Before you venture to the grocery store, make sure you’ve eaten a healthy meal, or at least a healthy snack.  When you’re stomach isn’t grumbling, you’re less likely to reach for the unhealthy snacks.  Good for your wallet and your health.  If you do happen to arrive at the grocery store and are starving, consider buying a piece of fruit or a nutritious bar to tide you over while you shop.

If you’re striving to become healthier, lose weight, or exercise more….check out the Inspired Wellness Solutions 2012 Challenge.  The 2012 Challenge is a dynamic yearlong program where participants are sent 20 emails each month with quality nutrition and fitness information, followed by challenges they can complete to earn points!  There are exclusive giveaways each month, highlighted recipes, and at the end of the year the top 3 participants will win cash prizes. 

We are happy to announce that 2 lucky readers will win a free 1 year challenge membership (valued at $75/each). Find out more information here.