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?
Hi, there your article is really great. I will try to follow your tips. thank you so much for sharing the information.
I know this is an old post but glad to see someone else has a problem keeps a lower grocery bill when eating healthy. We eat all vegetarian at home, mostly whole foods, and I I still have trouble keeping the bill below $150. Usually it is closer to $170 each week. So additional things I try to do:
– Make my own vegetable buillion instead of buying prepared stock (leftover onion, celery and carrot with thyme and parsley in the slow cooker all day with a little water, then pureed with some nutritional yeast and frozen in ice cubes).
– Make beans from dried beans and freeze in 1 3/4 cup bags in the freezer (the size of a can of beans). I defrost by just rinsing in a collander under cold water.
– Make lots of soups, which can be filled with all of random veggies in your fridge and the beans and buillion in your freezer.
– Make breakfast foods from scratch in big batches (muffins, waffles, pancakes) and freeze for each kids breakfasts. Cheaper than healthy cereal.
Even when I try these things, I still can’t get below $125 at the lowest.
I’m going to have to try your tip of making vegetable stock–that sounds easy enough. Thanks!
Oh boy do my wife and I need to follow these ideas. The not eating as much meat won’t be difficult for her but a little more work on my part. I think the two ideas that go hand in hand are the “Don’t waste” and “Utilize a meal plan”. We end up throwing way to much away because we buy a bunch of healthy food with no specific plan on how and when to use it before it goes bad.
One other idea regarding money saving that I think should be mentioned, is incorporating these grocery shopping trips into other errands. All the extra trips to various stores add to your fuel costs each month. We try not to make special trips to the store, but rather stop on the way home from work for example since Trader Joe’s is on the way. This may be a “no brainer” but I thought it may be worth mentioning.
That’s a really good point about the fuel saving. It’s something I’ve been noticing more and more and need to work on.
I agree with so much in this post and the comments. Yes to Costco – much cheaper organic quinoa, almond butter, artisan breads (that I slice and freeze in meal size portions), organic applesauce, organic produce and organic butter. Yes to meat free, especially if you are one to buy ‘clean’ meats, which, sadly, are quite expensive. I find a ‘breakfast for dinner’ night with something like oatmeal or pancakes makes for a cheap dinner. I also have to curb my need for variety when tightening the budget. Yes it’s nice to have 4 different fruits with dinner, but really one will suffice. 🙂
Okay–you have convinced me. I’m looking into Costco this week! The almond butter alone might make it worth it!