I was just reading one of my favorite blogs Lifehacker, and it outlines some tips for eating healthy on a budget. Here are some of mine:
Cooking at home is the key. Some tips for stretching your dollar more.
- Resist impulse purchases. Make a shopping list and stick with it. Shop when you’re not hungry so that you won’t be tempted by something around every corner. Most of my impulse purchases are both expensive and not that great for me.
- Look for good deals at farmers markets and ethnic markets. I can get avocados for $0.50 each at my local Mexican market vs. $1.00 each at the supermarket. Bell peppers can be had for a little over $1/lb at the local market while I pay over $3/lb at the supermarket.
- Rice, beans, whole grains, and root vegetables tend to be very inexpensive. Make up your menu around these cheap items, and use meat and other expensive items sparingly to round things out.
- Buy in bulk and freeze. Most people do this with meat and seafood, but it also works fairly well with bread and bagels, which can get moldy if you don’t finish them within a few days. It also works well with things like butter and stocks or soups.
- Start an herb garden. Herbs are expensive, and some are very easy to grow. I have a notoriously black thumb and still manage to grow healthy amounts of rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, and parsley.
- Cut out sodas and juice from your diet. They’re sugar bombs. Water is a perfectly fine beverage, and it’s practically free.
- Quit wasting food, and use up what you have in your fridge and pantry: http://www.foodieview.com/blog/2005/10/05/clean-out-your-fridge-with-foodieview/
If you have a favorite money-saving tip, I’d love to hear it…
I actually go WITHOUT a list (except for certain regular and ‘required’ items) and make my menus on-the-fly based on what’s on sale, what’s fresh, and what’s in season. In season items tend to be better buys than out of season items, and I stock up on non-perishables when they’re not on sale, like pasta and canned goods. This way I keep a full pantry, but also stocked with plenty of fresh items with which to make my meals, healthfully and on a budget.
Comment by Phr0g — June 5, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
Thanks for the tips, Phr0g! That’s a very smart strategy to take advantage of sales to stock up on non-perishables and canned items.
Comment by howie — June 6, 2006 @ 1:55 am
A little late, I know, but in my original post I meant to say I stock up on non-perishables when they ARE on sale.
Comment by Phr0g — June 7, 2006 @ 3:11 am
We’ve been on a tight tight budget for a while and I find that when things are super tight it helps to make EVERYTHING from scratch including breads, pasta, pie crusts, ice cream, etc. You’ll eat better than ever and not notice you’re pinching pennies.
Shop at Asian markets for the best deal or at least shop around so that you learn what stores have the best prices for particular items (just don’t drive an hour to save money because gas is too pricey!).
Try to buy produce and dry items that are versatile so that you can still cook according to your tastes and cravings (ex: dry noodles, rices, nuts, green/red/etc. onions. Oh, and freeze freeze freeze anything that’s freezable so that it will last longer (pesto, meats, breads, hard cheeses, etc.).
Hope that helps!
Comment by Kady — June 20, 2006 @ 1:47 am
Thanks for the great tips, Kady! You’re right, if you make everything from scratch, you’ll save money, and eat *extremely* well.
Comment by howie — June 20, 2006 @ 2:51 am
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Comment by vhmiyaf xevqr — March 10, 2007 @ 6:29 am
Getting quality protein on a budget can sometimes be a little tough. Eggs and Chicken are the best choice. Buy in bulk for better deals.
Comment by Healthy eating personal trainer — September 18, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
It’s costly at first, but if you go out and buy a food packaging product like Seal-a-Meal then it is so easy to store home made healthy foods in your freezer!
Comment by Rachel — December 12, 2007 @ 7:08 pm