One of the biggest push backs I hear when talking to people about their health is that "Healthy food is just too expensive." Now, I totally see where they are coming from because I used to think that as well. I thought it was too expensive to buy healthy food and I didn't understand or value how important really fueling your body with nutritious food was. I was so much easier to buy a bunch of frozen pizzas, pop tarts, chips, pizza rolls, and whatever else looked good the day I went grocery shopping.
Fast forward to now and I spend LESS at the grocery store than I used to. It just takes some time and preparation at home before I go but it is so worth it both for staying on track with my eating at home AND for the pocketbook. Here are some of my favorite tips that I use each week.
1. Go in with a list and a plan.
Before I even leave the house for the store I always check the cupboards to see what I already have that needs used up. Then I come up with my meal plan for the week and search Pinterest for ideas. Then I make a grocery list of everything I need to make whats on my meal plan and that's all I buy.
2. Buy generic when possible.
I always buy generic, I can't tell a difference in taste so that's a no brainer for me. When you are checking the aisles sometimes check the top and bottom shelves. They will put the generic versions on these shelves because marketing surveys have show that people are more likely to buy what is eye level. HOWEVER ** I always check the prices because sometimes the name brand will be on sale and end up being cheaper that day than the generic. Bottom line - I buy whatever is cheaper.
3. Buy in bulk and freeze the extras
Most of the time it is cheaper to buy meat in bulk. I look for bulk ground beef, sliced flank steak, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, pork chops and ground turkey. I will make 2 meals a week that use the same meat so I don't have to buy everything. For example, I will buy chicken breasts in bulk and make two meals that use chicken breast and buy ground turkey in bulk and make 2 meals that use ground turkey.
Also, check for discounted meat. Almost every week I am able to get meat at a discounted price because the sell by date is that day or the next. I tweak my meal plan if needed to use those ingredients. Last week I bought 1 1/2 pounds of organic chicken breasts for $3.00 TOTAL. The sell by date was the next day so I just came home and popped them in the freezer to use later that week.
4. Only buy a few produce options
Often times people think they need to eat healthy so they go crazy on the produce and end up throwing at least half of it away because it goes bad before they use it. I pick 2 fruit options and 2 veggie options each week and I buy whatever is on sale. We always have bananas and then option 2 is whatever fruit is on sale that week, be it strawberries, peaches, grapes etc. And for veggies I will usually buy carrots or mini peppers for dipping in hummus but I try to keep 1 tomato, onions, and potatoes on hand at all times.
5. Shop the perimeter of store.
This is always listed as a way to shop healthier, shop the outside perimeter of the store. This is where you will find the dairy, meat, produce, etc. I only go into the middle aisles if I am looking for something in particular such pasta, peanut butter or seasonings.
6. Stock up on pantry staples when they are on sale.
This is where watching sales can really be beneficial. When frozen veggies, canned beans, pasta, rice etc goes on sale I will always buy a few to keep on hand. Even if it's only $0.50 off, if you buy 4 bags of frozen veggies that is $2.00 in savings and they will keep for months in the freezer.
7. Use a basket instead of a cart when possible.
Ok, how many times have you run in for 1 or 2 things and grabbed a cart out of habit and by the time you get to the checkout you have 15 items and most of them are impulse buys? If I have to run in for a few things I always just grab a basket. It gives me less room for extras plus since I have to carry it around the store I am much less likely to throw in heavier items...such as a half gallon of ice cream.
It really can be affordable to eat healthy, you just have to plan and prepare. It never goes well when you go to the grocery store hungry and list-less. When that happens to me I always end up wandering every aisle and spending 3x as much as I wanted to. I hope these tips were helpful! If you have a trick that you use please drop it in the comments and share with us
