- Take lunch to work. This tends to be both cheaper and healthier.
- Buy frozen vegetables (they tend to be cheaper than fresh) to use in soups, stews, frittatas etc. Use fresh veggies for salads and raw dishes.
- Use leftovers to create meals over a week’s time. For instance, cook a roasted chicken on Monday and use the leftovers in dishes throughout the week.
- If you have the freezer space, buy large portions of organic meat, frozen vegetables or other freezer friendly food.
- Utilize cheaper cuts of meats, such as roasts. These are great in the slow cooker.
- Buy smaller amounts of organic meat and use meat as a side dish for some meals.
- Limit prepared foods for health and budget reasons.
- Create a grocery list and stick to it. Don’t shop when you’re hungry.
- Review the Clean 15 and Dirty dozen to see which conventional produce items are less harmful and which should be bought organic when possible.
- Eat out only for lower priced meals. Times like breakfast or happy hour tend to be cheaper than regular dinners. Just make sure to find a happy hour that offers healthy options.
- When bulk fruit or vegetables are obtained, make large batch sauces (such as apricot or apple sauce or spaghetti sauce), can or freeze them for later.
- Gardening at one’s house/apartment or participating in a community garden is a great way to procure more fruits and vegetables at a low price.
- SNAP/EBT benefits are taken at local farmers market. Ask farmers if they have any blemished fruits or vegetables that they are selling cheaper.
- Local food banks may be an option.
- Bulk buying can dramatically cut down on costs and having pantry staples gives you more flexibility with cooking quickly. Grains, flours and nuts can be bought from bulk bin at a co-op or grocery store or at a big box store such as Costco. Some healthy bulk items from Costco include:
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Almond flour
- Organic eggs
- Almond butter
- Quinoa
- Organic celery
- Organic mixed greens
- Nuts
- Avocados (conventional – clean 15)
- Organic carrots
- Hummus
- Organic ground beef
- Cheese – parmesan and cheddar
- Cauliflower (conventional – clean 15)
- Organic chicken
- Onions (conventional – clean 15)
- Organic sweet potatoes
- Organic frozen vegetables
