Eating Healthy on a Budget
Many people think that it’s too expensive to eat healthy. But there are many ways to save money while giving your body the nutrition it needs!
Know Where to Shop
One of the most important parts of eating healthy on a budget is knowing where to buy your groceries.
You may be used to shopping at supermarkets or grocery stores, and if so, you’re likely spending more money than you need to. Supermarkets and grocery stores buy food in bulk from wholesalers and farmer collectives. They then mark up the price and sell the items in smaller quantities to consumers to make a profit. Much of the food that they buy goes to waste if the packaging is scratched or dented or if the food item is too “ugly” to put on store shelves.
You can save a lot of money by skipping the grocery store altogether and instead do your shopping at your local farmers market, a wholesale club (like Costco or Sam’s Club), a discount grocery store (like Aldi or Lidl), or an ethnic food market.
Stay away from processed “health” foods
Don’t fall for the marketing trap on processed foods like granola bars, breakfast cereals, and baked goods that are marked with labels like “a good source of protein,” “a good source of vitamins and minerals,” or “a good source of fiber.” Although these foods may be marketed as “healthier,” they are often still little more than junk food. They also tend to be expensive!
Check the nutrition label to see whether the item is really worth the price. In my experience, these foods tend to still be high in calories, sugar, fat, sodium, and preservatives. Meanwhile whatever nutrients are marketed on the front label (i.e. “a good source of calcium”) is usually just barely above 10% of the daily recommended value. You would be better off getting those nutrients from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, dairy, whole grains, and meat.
Prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods
Instead of buying heavily processed and packaged so-called “health foods,” focus on getting whole, nutrient-dense foods. As a general rule of thumb, seek out foods that are as close to how they come from nature as possible with minimal processing. These are things like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fresh meat, and low-fat dairy.
Eating the right amounts of nutrient-dense foods every day will help support your body's systems (like immune function, digestion, metabolism, and central nervous system function). The easiest way to meet the daily recommendations is to follow the healthy plate model at every meal (see the graphic to the right).
This model is an adaption of the MyPlate Model issued alongside the 2015-2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and depicts expert recommendations for how your plate should look. Following the model, fill up half of your plate at each meal with vegetables (or vegetables and fruit). On the other side of your plate, you should include a lean source of protein taking up about a quarter of the plate. In the remaining quarter, include a grain-based food or starchy vegetable.
Save on Fresh Produce
I personally try to avoid purchasing fresh produce at the grocery store because these varieties are not only expensive—but they also tend to be less nutritious and taste pretty bland. That’s because grocery store varieties of fresh produce are bred for shelf life and appearance—not necessarily for nutrition or flavor. These items are usually picked before they’re ripe and left to ripen in a warehouse or on grocery store shelves. So by the time they reach your kitchen, they’ve burned through much of their natural sugars.
This is why I recommend buying from a farmer’s market or farm-to-table delivery service. In these places, you’ll find items that are picked as soon as they’re ripe for a much better price than what you find in a grocery store. Search online for information on your local farmer’s markets or farm-to-table delivery services.
If you do your shopping at a grocery store, keep in mind that frozen, canned, and dried vegetables are often much less expensive than what you’ll find in the produce section. These items are also picked when they are ripe and processed immediately. Save even more money when you buy these items in bulk or in large containers.
Save on Protein
Animal products like meat, eggs, milk, and other dairy items can get expensive—especially with the current rise in food prices. These food items make up a large portion of many people’s protein intake, but you can save money by supplementing or replacing them in part with vegetable sources of protein like edamame, tofu, tempeh, seitan, black beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
Save on Grains & Starches
For the grains portion of your plate, try to stay away from heavily processed foods (like breakfast cereal, granola bars, chips, & crackers) and instead choose simple whole grains (things like brown rice, oats, etc). Rice and other grains are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased dried in bulk. If stored properly, these items can last a long time in your kitchen pantry.
Meal Planning
Wherever you do your shopping, it’s important to have a plan each week for what you’re going to eat. Then build your grocery list around that. This will allow you to save money by only purchasing items you are going to use.
When planning out your meals for the week, try to use what you already have in your kitchen as much as possible. This will allow you to minimize food waste and lower your grocery bill at the same time.
Keep in mind that many food items can still be safely eaten after the “use by” and “expiration” dates on the food label. These dates are determined by the manufacturers and indicate when a food is at peak flavor or quantity—they aren’t an indication of when a food is actually unsafe to eat. Food labeling like this is largely unregulated in the United States, and misunderstanding around the “use by” and “sell by” dates is responsible for 20% of the 4 million tons of food waste each year (Refed.org).
In planning your meals, keep it super simple for yourself and follow the health plate model above. Plan your meals to include plenty of vegetables, protein, and whole grains in the recommended amounts. If you are tracking your calories and macronutrients, use a calorie tracker like MyFitnessPal to calculate how many calories and grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats are in each serving of the meals you plan to eat.
You can save a lot of time on planning by following a pre-made meal plan. Check out my meal plan collections here on my website for examples.
If you are busy throughout the week and have a tendency to order take-out, consider preparing your meals for the week ahead of time over the weekend. Many of my clients find that practicing meal prep is a great way to save time during the work week and also cut out unnecessary spending on food. I recommend cooking recipes in bulk and dividing the servings into separate containers—this will allow you to grab-and-go throughout the day.
For more tips on meal planning and meal prep, check out my Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep. This ebook includes my step-by-step guidance on how to plan and prep your food each week to save time and money while sticking to your nutrition plan. It also includes downloadable and printable worksheets and over 150 recipes. Click on the link below:
Take the stress out of meal planning with this Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep! This ebook features step-by-step guidance and templates to help you reach your fitness goals through healthy eating. It’s also packed with over 150 easy-to-make recipes to minimize your time in the kitchen and maximize your gains. Recipes include vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian options. Get started today!
Written by certified personal trainer & nutrition coach Jayd Harrison.
JAYD HARRISON (JAYDIGAINS)
Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains) is a personal trainer and affiliate streamer on Twitch. She has been an active trainer since 2014 and now specializes in comprehensive weight loss coaching. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch on Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am EST for a Fit Q&A session.
Follow Jayd on social media by clicking on the icons below:
