1. Shop with a prepared list and a menu for the meals you will eat for the coming week or weeks. This is not new advice, in fact, I’m sure you’ve heard it many times before, however, it is crucial to making sure that you still to your budget. It also helps to look at sales ads and prices before going shopping so that you have a realistic idea of how much the food you want to buy is going to cost. Doing this can also help you prepare menus in advance and make it easier for you to stick with your shopping list.
2. Don’t go to the store just because you are all out of your favorite food. Stick to a shopping schedule and make sure that you have eaten all or almost all of your food before you go to the store and buy more. Chances are very good, that the more trips you make to the store, the more money you will spend on food.
3. Explore your local food co-ops. Become familiar with the kind of food that you can get there, when they are open, and their prices. These are becoming more popular and are available in most major towns. They usually are not a regular store and so their hours are limited but the food they have is usually locally produced, less likely to have GMOS’s and more likely to be organic but at the same prices or less than non-organic food at the grocery store.
4. Purchase from your local farmer. Explore options for buying a share from a local farmer to get fresh vegetables, and maybe even meats, eggs, dairy and fruits at a lower cost. Many people are starting to grow their own community gardens by partnering up with a farmer who has extra land and this can be a great way to save money on healthy food. I bought a share for vegetables this year and will be getting all my vegetables from a family who is growing them for me starting at the end of May and going through November. Usually this option is only available for half of the year, so you will need another option during the rest of the year but during the growing season, it is an option to consider.
5. Explore online options for purchasing allergen free and gluten free food as well as other health foods at a discount. Amazon has good prices on some brands of healthy and allergen free food and vitacost.com is another place where I have found good deals on gluten free, allergen free and healthy food.
6. During the summer months check out your local farmers market. You can support your local community and get fresh vegetables and fruits at the same time. Plus it’s fun and there are usually cultural and other events going on at the same time. The prices may or may not be much cheaper than your local grocery store however, the quality is often better and you don’t have to worry about GMO’s.
Do you ever feel like eating healthy is an impossible task because of the price? Have you tried to eat healthy but you ended up still buying some unhealthy food because you couldn’t afford to eat the healthier food? Or maybe you have challenges when buying food because you have someone in your family who can’t eat gluten or who has other food allergies? Food shopping without breaking the bank can be challenging, however, there is a lot you can do to make it easier and less costly.
14
Eating Healthy
on a Budget