A recent study revealed that for Americans to eat healthier would cost $380 extra per year – or just under $32 a month. This translates in bringing lunch for a week rather than eating out/skipping the Starbucks once a week/keeping the “wine with dinner” nights to twice a week instead of three or four. The reality is that it isn’t that much more money, but even still, it can be a challenge. HOWEVER, it is possible to eat well on a budget. I’ve done it for nearly eight years since moving out of my parents house after graduation, including while putting myself through college, being unemployed for too long, and married and living on one income. It is not easy. But, like most things worth having in life, it’s a challenge worth embracing!
So where to start?
1. Be realistic: don’t buy foods you won’t eat because they’re healthy/on sale/you saw a cool recipe that you’ll never actually get around to trying. I cannot tell you how many hundreds of dollars I have wasted on the likes of celery root, bananas (I don’t really care for bananas), or swordfish. Identify what you like and what you can cook and stick with that, for now – learning basic cooking techniques is very helpful and will add variety to a limited breadth of ingredients. You can experiment with new foods and recipes after you figure out what you’re doing!
2. Identify your staples: these are the foods that should be in your kitchen at all times. In my home, that includes pasta, canned tomatoes, canned tuna, frozen vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, mixed nuts, etc. There are many good pantry checklists out there, but feel free to edit them to fit your diet and taste.
3. Learn what is in season: this means finding out what fruits and vegetables grow in your area, and when they’re at their peak. Shopping the produce sales at your local grocer is a good indicator, but to up the ante, shop late in the day at your local farmer’s market (if you go just before closing, you can often get a better deal from vendors not wanting to haul their crop back to the farm). Even vendors that are not certified organic often practice organic techniques (that certification comes with a hefty price tag), so local producers are not only cost effective, but also environmentally effective.
4. Plan ahead: menu planning is key to eating a healthy diet on a budget! There is just no way around it, especially starting out. To get the most out of your dollar, plan your meals around seasonal produce – NOT MEAT. Meats tend to vary quite a bit in pricing throughout the year, so when you spot a good deal, stock up your freezer with enough to last you 3 – 6 months. Produce, however, varies by season in a predictable manner, so plan your meals around the most cost effective element and work from there. This will not only be a welcome challenge in cooking, but may encourage you to add more meat-free meals to your menu, which is both budget and health conscious. To keep it simple, utilize a calendar app to keep your meals and shopping trips organized (try to keep trips to a minimum).
5. Shop around: you will save money – regularly – if you know which stores have the best price on your staple items. For me, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco are my local favorites. Whole Foods carries everything I need, but by shopping the produce sales, buying dried/canned generic goods in bulk (they offer an extra 10% off when you buy items by the case – I buy pasta at $0.89/pound by stocking up), and signing up for their email newsletters (which give me a heads up on sales and coupons I can print over and over until they expire). Costco has better prices on organic meats, cheeses, and produce I can buy in bulk without worrying that it will go bad too soon (like onions and potatoes). Trader Joe’s is really the only place to go for processed foods (their peanut butter cracker sandwiches are amazing) and cheap wine!
6. Skip the coupons: they tend to be for processed food items, which have no place in your home or body, so just don’t bother. They are good for household items – laundry soap, hair spray, etc., but when it comes to food, just skip it. Some grocers offer in-store coupons for healthier food items (Whole Foods has their Whole Deals coupons); while almost never available for produce or fresh meat, you can get deals for things like yogurt, cereal, sauces, etc. – just be smart about it!
7. Know the layout: grocery stores are businesses, and they are laid out to maximize profits by highlighting foods you probably don’t need to eat. Keep to the outer rim of the store – that is where whole foods (produce, meat, dairy) tends to be. Know that a gallon of milk, an oft purchased item, tends to be placed furthest from the entrance, so keep a shopping list, minimize trips, and avoid “tempting” aisles (wine section, anyone?). Foodie guru Michael Pollen has some extra tips to share, for those interested.
8. Know when to shop: lunch time and after work tend to be very busy times in grocery stores, so to keep the stress to a minimum, shop during “off hours,” like in the morning or after dinner. Also, be sure to eat before shopping – for anything – the pangs of hunger has resulted in much buyer’s remorse!
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