Eating Healthy On a Budget

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Eating Healthy On a Budget

Unfortunately, eating healthy can be expensive. If you have a family, less food for more money is not an option. Here are some helpful tips to keep you and the family on the right track without breaking the bank.

1. Plan meals a week in advance. It’s not easy, but it will be well worth it. When I forget to take something out of the freezer in the morning, dinner turns into a fast food free-for-all. This kind of unhealthy eating can quickly become a habit.

On Sunday, decide on the weekly meals with your family. I have a magnetic board on my refrigerator where I write the daily menu. Take all of the meats out and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. This step eliminates the need to figure out what to eat for dinner each morning. If you are too busy to cook a full meal every night, prepare the side dishes all at once for the week.

There are menu planning services online that do your meal planning for you. You get a week’s worth of recipes and a corresponding grocery shopping list in your email. All you have to do is click and print – and head to the store. Eating healthier just got a lot easier. Plus, planning your meals saves you from those last minute trips to the fast food joints, which definitely add up in cost.

2. Clip coupons from the newspaper. Every Sunday when my husband buys the newspaper, I search out the coupons. Clipping coupons is a great way to control the amount of money spent on food. When you want to try that new cereal or energy bar, the Sunday paper will usually have a coupon for it. On certain days of the week, certain grocery stores offer double and/or triple coupon days. That fifty cent coupon for a box of cereal would then be worth $1.50. Coupons are an untapped resource of savings because many people refuse to take the time to cut them out.

3. Visit the local Farmer’s Market. Fresh varieties of fruits and vegetables maintain more of their nutritional value than canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. The place to find good quality fare is your local Farmer’s Market. The prices are reasonable and they offer a better selection than the grocery store. Fresh green beans and leafy greens can be cleaned and frozen at home for future meals.

4. Buy in bulk. Grocery store chains now provide at least one aisle dedicated to bulk food items. This is helpful for those who want to buy in bulk but don’t want the cost of a warehouse membership. The price per ounce decreases when you buy in bulk. Warehouse shopping clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco offer everything from luncheon meats to fruit juices to snacks in bigger sizes. For homes with children, buying large quantities will save costly trips to the grocery store in between the normal shopping times.

5. Leftovers, anyone? If last night’s dinner was tasty, try it again for lunch. Before fast food and vending machines, people carried their lunches in brown paper bags. Now, busy lifestyles foster bad diet choices that ruin our bodies and our budgets. After dinner, divide up the leftovers into containers so that they can be easily grabbed in the morning and carried to work. Your lunch will be delicious and there’ll be no need to pay for a burger or a honey bun from that vending machine.

Healthy eating on a budget is possible but it takes the cooperation of the entire family to make it work. Sit down with each family member to discuss these and other simple tips to get the most from your food dollars.