Before I even get started on the list of ways you can get the most bang for your buck when you’re trying to eat a healthy diet, let me say one thing. I’m not here to pretend that eating healthy is cheap.
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I hate it when I read articles that claim “eating well doesn’t have to be expensive!” Yeah, well, I’m calling your bluff, Mrs. Article Writer, whoever you are.
Without a doubt, eating a clean diet is more expensive than eating junk. There’s no way around it. I challenge any one of my readers to prove me wrong.
The month before last, my husband came to me and said that the grocery budget was out of control and I needed to figure out how to spend less. He was right. I really focused on spending less and last month I came in under our alloted food budget. These are some of the things I did to help stretch our budget without compromising my food integrity.
5 Easy Ways to Stretch Your Healthy Food Budget
#1: Utilize a meal plan.
The first few months of my pregnancy, I got away from meal planning. I was sick and tired and just didn’t have it in me. Inevitably, the amount we were spending on groceries also went up. Once I got back to planning, I was able to get the budget under control again. When you carefully plan your meals, you are more likely to only buy what you need and use what you buy.
#2: Don’t waste.
The first thing I did when I realized I needed to get the spending out of control is remember to shop from our pantry first. I made it a point to use the foods I already had on hand as much as possible rather than buying so many new ingredients all the time. I often would forget about certain things I had in my pantry or in my freezer, so making a point to really look at what I have before shopping is a huge help.
I also made sure that we were always eating up or utilizing our leftovers in some way. This takes planning, but is worth it when you are eating food rather than throwing it in the trash!
#3: Eat less meat.
When I got pregnant I also started eating more meat. Meat, especially clean, healthy meat, is expensive. I’ve forced myself, especially in the last month, to get creative and put more time into making sure I’m getting the protein and other extra nutrients I need for my pregnancy from cheaper, plant sources.
#4: Eat a lot of the least expensive healthy foods.
When I started focusing on staying within our food budget, I began relying on certain foods more. There are some nutritional superstars that also happen to be inexpensive. Here are a few examples:
- Lentils! So cheap and packed with nutrients. They’re a great source of protein, fiber, and iron.
- Beans. I stopped buying the expensive Eden Organic cans I insisted on using before and am using dried beans much more often. It takes more planning, but cooking beans is not hard. They are cheap and nutritious.
- Sweet potatoes. These babies happen to be on the Clean 15 list, so I usually go with the conventionally grown variety. They are also one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat!
- Eggs. Even though the farm-fresh eggs I buy are more expensive than most ($4.00 a dozen), these are still a cheaper protein source than meat. And they are filled with lots of nutrients!
Make these foods the stars of your meals, and you’ll be saving some dough.
#5: Shop at multiple stores.
I hate this advice. But it works. I wish I could do all my shopping at one convenient store and get everything I need at the best prices. Well, where I live that store doesn’t exist. I’ve sought out which stores have the best prices on certain things and shop, during any given 2-3 week span, at 4 different stores.
- Kroger: My local big-chain regular grocery store is where I get the bulk of my food these days. They have a good selection of organic produce at the best price in town, and better prices on things like coconut oil, organic yogurt, bread, etc.
- Dorothy Lane Market: This is the local equivalent to Whole Foods. They carry a lot of food from local farms and have a nice selection of harder-to-find items. They carry Organic Valley cheese and butter, which is my preferred brand so I get that there. They are also the only store that carries Eden Organics canned beans, so when I need canned beans I get them there. I also buy my farm-fresh eggs and local meat here. This store also happens to be closest to my home, so I wish I could do all my shopping here. When I do, my wallet feels the pain!
- Trader Joe’s: When I go here, I stock up on organic peanut butter, organic, no sugar added jelly, nuts, dried fruits, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Those are the main items I rely on TJ’s for, but I occasionally get other things from them as well.
- Health Foods, Unlimited: They have the best price on oats, so I try to get them here. I also buy our vitamins here.
Again, eating a healthy, clean diet is not cheap. I’m not trying to tell you that you’re going to spend less than your neighbor who’ll buy the less expensive, but pesticide-laden apples. With a little thoughtful planning, however, you can stretch your healthy food budget farther than you imagined.
Question: What are your tips for eating a clean, healthy diet on a budget?
love this post!!! Great info and tips!!!
I definitely buy in bulk. I’m planning a post on it because there are so many things I’ve bought in bulk lately! Costco has a ton of organic stuff in bulk, like quinoa, that I stock up whenever I go!
Thanks for this post- it has reminded and motivated me to try to find the deals when I go shopping!
I’m definitely going to look into the possibility of shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club. I’m not sure where they are in relation to where we live, but it sounds like even if I have to drive a bit it might be worth it!
I love your site! You have great recipes and tips for those that try to eat healthy! I married into a vegetarian family, so we rarely eat meat at home (only when it’s cooked outside on the grill). I would suggest trying to find a nice black bean burger recipe or try using TVP (texurized vegetable protein) burgers. I just recently made your watermelon/avacado ice cream and it’s wonderful – I did add a small amount of unsweetened almond milk as I thought my smoothie maker was going to burn up if I didn’t. 🙂 Thanks for sharing all your food knowlege with us.
Thank you, Connie! I think I married into the opposite of a vegetarian family. hee hee 🙂 I’ve tried TVP and wasn’t a big fan. I do make a beet veggie burger that my husband loves. It’s been a long journey finding good veggie meals that he likes, but he’s come a long way.
This is exactly what we have been doing for the last year or so! It really does work to keep the price of eating “clean” down. We shop at 3 places as well: a regular grocery store w/ a decent organic & health food selection, a local orchard/farm which has a small store where they sell their fruit and produce plus things like cheese, milk, jam, coffee, etc from local producers; and a bulk foods place we hit once or twice a year for huge bags of oats, barley, sugar, flour etc. We also grow a good bit of our own food even here in suburbia. One thing you didn’t mention is to keep an eye out for bargain produce (“seconds”) at farmers markets. Often the seconds just have a small blemish or are on the brink where they need to get used within the next few days before they go bad. They’re usually discounted 50-70% . Buy a bunch and then freeze, can, or cook up a storm! We recently scored a big basket (10 or so) of bell peppers for $1. Around here (southeast PA) organic peppers are so expensive – $4 for two! So we diced and froze those peppers and now we’re set for awhile on just $1. By the way, the main reason junk is so cheap is that the government subsidizes corn and soy – the primary ingredients in junk in the forms of high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, etc -and big business over small farms. Be sure to support legislation to reform the farm bill so more money goes to fresh veggies and small family farms.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Organic peppers are expensive here in OH as well, so I’m jealous of that deal you scored! I’m going to have to scour my local farmer’s markets more. I haven’t gone much this year because we belong to a CSA, but I didn’t even think of looking for such bargains.
I love this kind of discussion, I too find that some of my friends have much smaller grocery budgets but I’m not okay with what they choose to eat… We spend $120/week for a family of 5, however that does not usually include any of the canning that I do, nor does it include the 1/2-1/3 of beef that we buy each year from a friend of ours. (Which, if it is an option, is a great idea for getting local meat from a trusted source.)
I also make my own bread (it isn’t fancy but it’s whole grains and simple ingredients) and most of our baked goods. I agree with using farmer’s markets and CSAs especially if you find one you like that has good prices. And I think it’s worth shopping the ads for what is on sale and/or in season and adjusting your meal plans to include those foods.
Making my own bread is a goal of mine! It would save so much money as the bread we buy is over $4 a loaf and still is full of too many ingredients (even if it is better than some of the options out there). Thanks for reminding me that I need to work towards this.
I have to watch the budget so much moreso now that I’m feeding tots each day! Why do groceries have to be so expensive!?
totally with you! We lived off rice, beans, carrots, eggs, and tomatoes when we were on a big budget. Still healthy, just less variety. Good post!
Wonderful tips! It sure does take a lit of planning to save money AND eat healthy. I’ve found by eating less meat, meal planning and shopping at a couple different stores I can hit my weekly budget.
If you dont mind me asking, how much do you end up spending in a month? I’m always curious 🙂
Our budget is $150 a week. I’m always curious about how this compares to other families. Last month I was under budget and hoping that trend continues!
I should add that this includes my husband’s lunches, as he eats at home most days of the week.
Though I have million dollar tastes… some of my fav foods ever top the least expensive foods list!!!! heck yess!!!!!!
HIIIIIII STRANGER!!!!
Aaah it’s so nice to have you back! 🙂
It seems as though grocery budgeting is what everyone is thinking about right now, including me! Ever since going organic, it has definitely been hard to stick to a budget, if any at all because my #1 priority has been to find fresh, wholesome, organic food and worry about how much it costs later. Why do stores have to make it so hard to buy clean food for your family and so easy to buy inexpensive junk food? That show on TLC called “Extreme Couponers” makes me feel terrible because they can buy $1000 worth of groceries at one time and pay under $5 and sometimes get PAID to buy it. But the groceries they are buying are usually prepackaged junky foods. Are there any good organic coupon websites/papers out there?
I know–it’s so frustrating that all of the coupons are for processed junk. I don’t know of any specific websites that offer organic coupons, but I do know some companies that offer coupons on their websites. I’ve used coupons from Organic Valley: http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/?gclid=CKzjk63gw6sCFcECQAodzXpezg and Stoneyfield: http://www.stonyfield.com/user?destination=node%2F859
This post is so timely! I was just talking with the hubs about needing to get back on our grocery budget. Thanks for recognizing the fact that it is more expensive to eat healthy. Really makes me mad that junk is so much cheaper…..anywhoooo thanks for the great tips! Will be implementing them 🙂
I know this is kind of counters the “eat less meat” comment, which I agree with, but one of our biggest $-savers is using principally game meat, which is healthy, organic, and 100% natural. Also, although it is kind of counter-intuitive when it comes to healthy eating, I feel like I save a ton of money at Sam’s Club. In the last few years, they have been stocking a larger amount of organic produce (typically berries, carrots, salad greens, and spinach) for dirt cheap. Lastly, I would give a shout to getting a CSA. The price isn’t too bad for the amount you receive, and also, they give me SO much that I am forced to meal plan just to use up all those veggies!
That’s interesting about Sam’s Club. I’ll have to look into shopping there-I didn’t realized they carried organics. It would be great to get my spinach for cheap!
We belong to a CSA as well, March-December. Ours is only $20 a week, which I think is a good deal.
I wish I was better about eating less meat. As an expirement last winter to try and reduce our carbon footprint….my husband and I went on a vegitarian diet and stopped buying canned/boxed items. Those 10-13$ steaks I was buying really added up!
I THINK shopping local actually helps me save money, I break my shopping up I get my eggs, meat and produce from farmers markets or local farm stands. What is in season is how I plan our meals. Then I go to our grocery store for the basics… milk, TP, anything pre packaged.
Around here (New Hampshire) I’ve found the cheapest grocery store is Market Basket. Stock up on canned/boxed foods and your toiletries here once a month and you’ll save!
Also grow your own veggies if possible and at the end of the growing season can or freeze whats left.
But I won’t lie either… It’s not cheap!
We are part of a CSA where we get a box of local, organic veggies every week March-December. For us, it’s only $20 a box, which I think is really reasonable and saves us money. I didn’t add this to my list, though, because I’ve heard some CSAs are a lot more pricey. I guess it depends on the farm. I’d love to grow my own veggies…someday!
Great tips ! I have been frustrated lately with the fact that it’s so hard to shop on a tight budget while trying to feed my family healthy foods. Although it’s a struggle at times, I just can’t bring myself to feed my kids cheaper (but less nutritious) foods.
I too, tend to buy the Eden Organics canned beans. I’ve yet to try dried beans…mostly because they seem like so much work…maybe it’s time to cast my fears aside and just go for it.
It’s actually quite easy to cook beans, it just takes a long time so you have to plan ahead. I hate when I forget to do it and I’d planned on having beans for dinner!
I read an interesting article this week about this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share
I just read the article. I think if I wasn’t as committed to buying organic, it would ring more true to me. The example about being able to have a meal of roasted chicken, vegetables, salad, and milk for $14–that price would go way up if you’re talking organic chicken and vegetables. That’s why I made sure to use the word “clean” in my post. You can get some real foods cheaper than junk food, but not usually organic. I do agree with the aspect of the article that says it’s more work to make things from scratch and that’s why a lot of people turn to convenience foods. That’s very true, even for me with my canned beans. 🙂
This tips are great! I feel that I would make the biggest difference learning how to ‘meal plan’ I need to toy around with that and see how I do! Thanks for the tips Marya, now if only they were as easy to follow as they were to read 🙂 I’ll do my best!
Meal planning helps a ton! I do so much better at the grocery store when I have a list of things I need for specified meals. I’m much less likely to buy things we don’t need or won’t end up using.
Our grocery budget has been out of control lately, so this post comes at a GREAT time. Groceries tend to be my form of retail therapy, plus I’m “picky” (for the most part- I’ve certainly had my lapses) about how I eat and what I buy. We actually have a lot of great discount grocery stores in my area where, if I’m patient, I can find some really great, healthy food, but going requires planning (mostly because they are farther away than my regular stores) and my husband tends to want to grab gobs of things I’d rather not be in the house. However, when we DON’T stock up at the discount stores, we’re both often running out for whatever we want anyway, so…we’ve both decided it’s back to the discount stores (and farmers markets!) for us! We just can’t be spending what we’ve been!
You are SO right. It is more expensive to have a really healthy diet and I see no way around it. Junk food is so CHEAP, it’s unbelievable. And produce is expensive. But these are all wonderful tips, and a lot of these are things that I do all the time! Great topic!
I like the “eat less meat” tip, too. I have a ton of dried beans in my pantry. Mostly, thanks to my five year old’s overzealousness at the bulk bins. He was trying to help me and we filled a bag way too full of dried white cannellini beans. I do it like Candy does. I cook them in my crock-pot, which is a big time-saver. I love all of your tips, really.
Great info! (I especially love the “Eat less meat” tip!) 😉 I have been using dried beans lately in an attempt to save a little cash, which is working out well. I cook a huge batch in the crock pot and then freeze them in jars.
You can freeze cooked beans?
Yes!
I need to start freezing beans. That would be such a time saver. Maybe next week. 🙂