Eating Healthy on a Budget
It’s super possible to eat healthy and save money. It doesn’t happen by accident though—you have to plan carefully and know where to look to get the best savings.
Step 1. Know Your Budget
The first thing you need to do is take a look at your budget and figure out how much money you can afford to spend on food.
Step 2. Meal Planning
Once you know how much you can afford to spend on food, create a plan of what you or your family will eat for a week or month.
Plan meals that follow the MyPlate model for healthy eating—half of what you eat should be vegetables and fruit, about a quarter should be lean sources of protein, and another quarter should be grains or grain-based foods (preferably whole-grains). You’ll also want to include a source of calcium (such as a serving of low-fat dairy product) at every meal.
As you plan your meals, try as much as possible to use items you already have in your kitchen. For example, if you have some meat in the freezer and rice in the pantry, plan to use those items in your meal plan. Make a grocery list from the additional items you need that you don’t already have.
You can also save money by planning your meals around coupons and sales. Many stores send promotional ads and coupons in the mail—so make sure to check through your mail and keep a lookout for good deals. You can also do a quick search online for coupons and deals at your local stores. Sales Flyers are usually posted mid-week at the store’s entrance, in the newspaper, and online.
You can also stay up-to-date on sales by joining your local grocery store’s loyalty program. It’s usually free to sign-up—you just have to provide your phone number and/or email address. Many stores send weekly email updates to loyalty members to notify them of upcoming promotions and discounts.
As you collect coupons, try to keep them organized and easy to find. Create a system that’s easy for you to maintain and allows you to get to your coupons quickly and hassle-free. Many people keep their coupons sorted in a binder, index card organizer, or envelopes with the contents sorted by item type or in alphabetical order. Make sure to go through your coupons every few weeks and throw away any expired ones.
Keep in mind that many store will actually match the price of competitors’ coupons. So if you find a coupon for another store, check at your store’s customer service desk to see if they’ll do the price match. Many stores will—as long as the coupon is for the same item that you’re buying.
You can also save a lot of money when you plan your meals around vegetables and fruit that is in season. During the summer in North Carolina, I make a lot of veggie dishes using cucumbers, tomatoes, and green bell peppers that are in season (like Greek salads and Spanish gazpacho) for relatively little cost per meal. In the winter, I use winter squash and potatoes as my veggies since these foods are widely available and lower in cost during this time of the year. To see what produce is in season where you live, use the Seasonal Food Guide website https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/ and plan your meals around what’s available currently.
Step 3. Make a List
Once you have your meals planned, make a grocery list based on the items you don’t already have in your kitchen and the items you plan to use coupons for.
It’s a good idea to keep a running list of needed items on your phone, on your refrigerator, or in your wallet or purse.
Step 4. Saving at the grocery store
While you’re at the store, stick to the list as much as possible. Having a list and sticking to it alone will save you a bunch of money over “going in blind” at the grocery store. But there are also a few other things that you can do to save even more money.
First, make sure to eat first before you go to the grocery store! Shopping while hungry can make it harder to stick to your list, and you’ll also likely end up buying less-healthy items.
When you’re at the grocery store, try to stick to the the perimeter of the store, where you’ll find the fresher, whole food items (ultra-processed pre-packaged food tends to be in the center of the store).
When purchasing produce and meat, only buy the amount of fresh foods that you’ll be able to use before they spoil.
Alternatively, you can also purchase frozen or shelf-stable items. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often picked at the peak of freshness and are a great, nutritious alternative to fresh produce. Remember that you can also freeze many fresh items yourself to make them last longer. Shelf-stable items like canned vegetables, fruits, meats, and dry cereals & beans (like rice, oatmeal, lentils, etc) are also a great, inexpensive alternative to fresh products that last a long time. Keep in mind, however, that canned items tend to have a high sodium content, so you’ll need to monitor how much you eat to avoid over-doing it on the sodium. You can also look for low-sodium canned products as well.
Keep in mind that grocery stores tend to display more expensive items at eye level, so while in the isles look up and down for better deals. Also keep an eye out for coupons and sales promoted in the store.
You can also save a lot more when you compare prices between brands. Store brands (also often called “generic” brands) can save you a lot of money and often are nearly identical to name brand items for a fraction of the price.
Make sure to check the per unit price on the pricing label on the shelf to see what’s the best deal. Often different brands will package different amounts at different price points. For instance, one 24-oz jar of spaghetti sauce may cost $2.99 (a per unit cost of 12 cents per oz) while a 32-oz jar costs $3.25 (a per unit cost of 10 cents per oz). If you can afford the extra 26 cents, it would be a better deal to go with the 32 oz. can.
Outside the Grocery Store
You can also find good prices outside the supermarket. Local farmers markets and farmers stands offer a variety of fresh, local produce often at a fraction of the price at grocery stores. To find a local farm stand or farmers market near you, check out a farmers market directory like Local Farm Markets website (https://www.localfarmmarkets.org).
Ethnic markets and dollar stores are also great places to find food items at a great price. Wholesale clubs and retail supercenters (like Sam’s Club and Costco) also allow you to buy items in bulk for a fraction of the per-unit price that you see in the typical grocery store.
Step 5. At home
When you get home, store fresh produce, meat, and dairy immediately to preserve freshness. Prepare the meals in your plan as soon as possible.
You can save yourself time later in the week by dividing the meals into servings and store them in entree containers. This will allow you to easily grab, warm up in the microwave (if necessary), and eat the food right away. Do the same with snacks—for example, put single servings of carrots in snack-size containers or baggies to quickly grab and munch.
Consistency is Key
If you follow these five steps consistently every week, you’ll find yourself saving money and eating healthier over time. Remember to give yourself a little grace, though—nobody gets good at this over night.
Assistance Programs
If you or your family are low income, you may qualify for one or more benefits of the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) provided by the USDA. If you are eligible for SNAP and have school-aged children, they qualify for free lunch and breakfast. For more information, call 1-800-221-5689. You can also visit www.fns.usda.gov/snap/outreach/default.htm to find your local SNAP office.
If you’re a low-income woman who's pregnant, breastfeeding, a new mom, or have children under five years old, you may be eligible for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov/wic/contacts/tollfreenumbers.htm.
Another great resource for low income individuals and families is The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)—a Federal program that provides food to low-income people. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/tefap/tefap_eligibility.htm.
For more information on the SNAP programs, check out the SNAP-Ed Connection webpage at http://snap.nal.usda.gov/. This is a great resource for SNAP Partners, Educators, and the Community, with information on healthy eating, saving money on food, and over 600 low cost recipes in both English and Spanish.
About the Author
Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media.
