I get a LOT of questions about how to eat healthy and live a healthier lifestyle while not spending an arm and a leg.. so hopefully this blog will help reduce the cost of your next grocery bill so you have no excuses to eat healthy ;)
Trust me.. I GET IT. No one wants to spend $10 on a nice healthy meal when you can get a 12-pack of ramen noodles for $1.94. BUT... lets address why these packaged convenience foods are so cheap. It's because they are highly processed with filler ingredients and very little nutritional value. We need to try to avoid these foods (such as ramen, microwavable meals, packaged junk food, etc) as much as we can because they are loaded with cheap nasty chemicals, preservatives, sodium, and sugar that are bodies don't need.
Here are my top 10 tips on saving money at a grocery store so it doesn't hurt your budget!
1. Buy frozen fruits and veggies
Buying frozen fruits and veggies instead of fresh is a game changer! Not only does it last way longer, but they are picked and frozen at their peak ripeness, so chances are they could have more nutritional value. And they can be so much cheaper!
Examples at Walmart:
11oz fresh blueberries are $2.98 and frozen are $1.70
6oz fresh raspberries are $3.46 and frozen are $0.97
12oz fresh broccoli florets are $2.58 and frozen are $1.30
12oz fresh green beans are $2.50 and frozen are $1.30
2. Don't buy organic on everything
Yes, you read this right.. you really don't need to buy organic on everything! There are certain foods that are safe to buy non-organic, such as bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, mango, cauliflower, etc. These are called the "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen" and you can get both of the lists here in my free guide! Not buying organic on all your produce can really save you some serious bucks, especially when it's not necessary!
3. Look for discounts/ marked down items
It makes my day when I am going produce shopping and I see my usual pack of spinach or avocados marked down! The store has to discount their items because the best by date is getting close to expiring. This doesn't always mean the food is bad, though! I have picked up plenty of discounted produce because the best buy date is expired, but it still looks perfectly fresh and fine! Take advantages of those when you can, but make sure it is not spoiled and gone bad.
4. Don't let your produce go to waste
Kind of going back to the first tip.. be smart about what you're going to actually consume and try to buy frozen when you want it to last longer. I know it's easy to come home from the store with bags full of fresh fruits and veggies but only for them to go bad because you don't eat them in time. Try to have a plan on what you want for that week and only buy what you know you can eat before it goes bad.
5. Plan your meals/ grocery trips
Following up with the last tip, planning makes a huge difference! If you go to the store with a plan and list of what foods you're going to be eating for the week, it will be easier to not overbuy, which will reduce produce going bad and keep your bill lower. Also try not to go shopping when you're hungry so that you're not temped to buy even more food that sounds good in the moment! Try to make a list and stick with it.
6. Buy in bulk
Sometimes buying certain items in bulk can save you a lot of money! For example, a 32 oz bag of dry brown rice at Walmart is only $1.37 but 8.8 oz of microwavable ready brown rice will cost you $1.78. Things like rice, beans, lentils, oats, coconut oil, drinks, apples, spices, peppers, meat, and frozen produce can be significantly cheaper when bought in bulk. The main thing to look for is the price per ounce on the price label!
7. Stick to the basics
I know sometimes we think we need to have 10+ ingredients to make a healthy meal, and it has to be super fancy and over-the-top, but that's not the case. You don't need a 3 dollar bottle of kombucha, expensive extra protein powder, and a 30 ingredient greens powder to be healthy. Sure, all those things are great for you and can be great to have from time to time, but they're not necessary to eating healthy. Stick to the basics of real whole foods and simple meals and you will save some money!
8. Skip the pre-cut foods and do it yourself
I know it can be tempting to buy that pre-cut watermelon and pre-chopped carrots, but expect to pay quite a bit more. For a little extra labor and preparation, you can save money by buying whole produce and doing it yourself!
9. Make your own meals
I think we all know that going out to eat can realllllllly add up. Try making it a goal to cook at home more and I promise you will save a lot of money! It's also great for cooking for the rest of the week too and doing a little meal prepping. You can easily double a recipe and have a meal for the next day. It's a win-win! Same with making your own snacks, such as hummus, guacamole, granola, pesto, pasta sauce, and trail mix. Making these at home are not only cheaper but also healthier since you can control exactly what you're putting into it. These are also all surprisingly easy to make at home, and I have a recipe on how to make homemade hummus here.
10. Stick to the cheap protein sources
When it comes to grocery shopping, the meat/protein can get pretty pricey. Grass-fed ground beef, free-ranged chicken, and wild-caught salmon is sometimes the majority of your budget. Those protein sources are great, but maybe not for every day/week. Some healthy protein sources that aren't as expensive are: canned tuna, other canned fish/chicken, frozen chicken breasts, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, greek yogurt, etc.
Other examples of some cheaper healthy foods:
Grains: rice, oats, quinoa
Fruits: banana, oranges, apples, frozen berries, frozen fruit
Veggies: carrots, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, frozen veggies, broccoli, onion, frozen veggies
I really hope this helps you make smarter choices at the grocery store to save your bank account! I really just want to show you guys that you don't have to spend a ton more money to be healthy and to eat and buy healthy foods. If you have any extra tips, let me know in the comments below! :)