Shopping Healthy on a Budget

Shopping Healthy on a Budget

If you want to shop healthy on a budget there are some things you want to buy and some things you want to leave alone:

Here is a list healthy foods that won't cost you a bundle:

Fruits and veggies in season Try to buy locally if you can, this has the added bonus of being vitamin and mineral packed and may cost you less.

Dried beans/legumes These are protein powerhouses you can substitute for meat and get great nutrition (if you are not keto and can handle the carbs). They are also very inexpensive.

Rice, oatmeal, barley, grits Choose brown rice (don't forget to soak before cooking also choose your grits carefully) for an added nutritional boost of fiber. These foods add versatility to your diet along with great nutritional value depending on your nutrition goals.

Frozen produce The great thing about frozen foods is that you don't have to worry about discovering a science experiment in your vegetable bin. They are always on hand, they have been semi-prepared
and will cook up quickly. Look for sales then stock up. Packaged appropriately and stored in a freezer operating at 0°F or lower they will maintain good quality for a year.

Sweet Potatoes  Potatoes are great nutritionally they add versatility to your diet and they're cheap!

Meat, chicken & fish Buy high quality and cheaper cuts (don't go boneless, skinless, etc), purchase whole or larger pieces and learn to cut it up or debone yourself, also try to catch sales. Plan your menus around the sales that the grocery stores offer and then try a new recipe to keep it interesting. Try slower cooking methods for tougher cuts.

Dairy products Milk, cheese and yogurt are healthful products that happen to be on the more expensive side. You can make your own yogurt, even your own cheese to help cut cost. Purchase higher quality milk and watch your portion size. Remember a serving size of cheese is 1 ounce, if you buy a 1 pound block of cheese and divide it up into 16 portions as soon as you get home, you will know exactly how much you are consuming at any one meal.

Fats & Oils We cook with coconut, avocado and olive oil as well as butter and ghee. You can catch all on sale. These oils store well in a cool dark space and butter freezes very well. Again quality counts.

Also if you want to save money when grocery shopping, don't go hungry. Everything looks good when you are hungry and you are more likely to blow your budget and potentially purchase something that isn't even good for you.