“Eating healthy is so expensive!” cries the consumer at the intersection of budget-conscious and health-conscious.
It can be, no doubt about that. Organic fruits and veggies cost more than non-organic. Grass fed beef is more than grain-fed. Cashews are more than peanuts… etc., etc., etc.
Despite the higher costs, however, eating healthy still doesn’t HAVE to be expensive with a little planning and intentionality. Here are some tips and a sample meal plan for a day that costs less than $10.
Step 1: Put an initial investment down on a stocked pantry. This includes being stocked up on things like herbs & spices, tomato paste, canned fish, canned organic vegetables, canned soups, beans, oils, raw nuts, etc. This allows you to have a nice stash of dry goods to pull from to make what you just bought at the store for a few dollars into a delicious, fulfilling meal.
Step 2: Start planning, and favor those plans over any in-store sales. The ultimate way to save money on groceries is to have a plan. Know what you will cook, what you will snack on, make an ingredients list, get those ingredients and stick to your plan. Stores have sales for one reason… to get rid of product. They know it will entice you, but unless that sale item is already something you need (because you have a plan), then don’t get it! What happens is you end up with 46 fruit cups and nothing to do with them–which is a waste of money at the end of the day, even if they were on sale.
Step 3: Don’t be afraid of the frozen section–as long as you do it right. Sometimes, you can save a good bit of money by buying a big bag of frozen wild caught salmon, or organic peas & carrots, or frozen berries for things like smoothies. It’s going to be much cheaper than the fresh versions of these foods, but just as healthy–and it lasts longer. Just don’t use the frozen section as an excuse to get pizza and TV dinners. Get whole foods only.
Step 4: Talk to an in-store nutritionist. Many grocery stores have someone on staff trained in helping customers not only eat healthy, but do so while getting the most bang for their buck. Check with your favorite grocery store to see if they have a nutritionist on staff. And if not, find a store in your area that does. It’s worth the time and effort.
Step 5: Get better at cooking. If you learn how to do the basic things–grilling, sautéing, steaming, how to cook vegetables, etc., then you can really start expanding your kitchen repertoire. This opens up a lot of possibilities for reducing costs as well.
Step 6: Get serious about shopping. It helps to be hyper-intentional. ~Assuming you have your meal plan (see above), also take into consideration the portion sizes you will need and only get that amount (or as close to it as possible). This saves money while reducing waste. ~Also, before you go to the store, check their website to see what specials they have. You might even do this during the planning process and design your week’s meals around what the store has on offer in terms of sales. ~Think about one ingredient you can use more than once. For example, buying a whole free range organic chicken could turn into a roasted chicken one night, chicken soup another night and chicken wraps a third night.
An entire day’s meals for less than $10
Breakfast – Bulletproof coffee because you are intermittent fasting, right?
Lunch – Tuna lettuce wrap. Get a can of tuna, a big piece of romaine or butter lettuce, two teaspoons of mayo and salt & pepper and wrap it up.
Snack – An apple and a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
Dinner – Lemon chicken, veggies and a side salad. 4 oz. chicken, a TBSP of butter, half a lemon, a TBSP of chicken broth, mixed greens, 5 cherry tomatoes and some balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Simply plan your week similarly, usually Sunday evenings are best for that sort of thing, and you will be able to keep eating healthy a nice addition to your budgeting arsenal.
