Do you know how much you spend per month on food? If you are like me and keep detailed records (I am a Quicken junkie) you will realize that if you are trying to eat "healthy" you can put a significant dent in your monthly budget. However, if you weigh this against the costs of medical care to treat diseases associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension and their sequelae, it is a small price to pay. Healthy eating means different things to different people. To me, healthy eating involves eating appropriate quantities from key food groups to meet your health and wellness goals. Healthy eating does not necessarily equate to "Clean Eating", a nutritional approach which has become very popular over the past 5 or so years.
“The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time.” Clean Eating Magazine
Below are some tips on eating well on a budget. There are plenty of references available and you can even find a Dummies Guide for Eating Healthy on a Budget. Much of it is common sense so forgive me if the tips seem too simplistic.
Shopping
Buy in
bulk: Bulk meats, fish, etc. tend to be less
expensive in larger quantities. You can
freeze your purchases and defrost as needed.
I am a big Costco fan and enjoy the quality of their products. The references below offer several shopping
guides from the Gracious Pantry.
Buy in
season & buy local: Seasonal produce tends to be much cheaper than purchasing out of season. If your community or your place of work has
local farmer’s markets make it a point to stop by and compare prices and
quality with what you can find in stores and then stock up when you have the
dollars, space and time.
Buy
generic: It took me years to realize this, but
choosing store brands is a money saver.
I have found that many store brands taste better than the brand name
items but offer a significant savings.
Avoid junk
foods, packaged and processed foods as much as possible: Not
only do packaged/process foods tend to have more sodium and other additives,
but they can add up in price.
Grow your
food in a vegetable garden: whether you live in a home or apartment, if
you have the space there are opportunities to grow some of your own food and
hence reduce how much you spend. In
addition, it is fun, easy and if you make it a family project you can involve
the kids and help teach them healthy living principles from a young age.
Buy Whole: It’s tough to purchase a whole pig or cow
(but not impossible) but you can purchase a whole chicken or fish. The butcher will usually be happy to portion
it or you can do this at home.
Make friends and learn from them: I have spent time speaking with
the butcher at my local Price Chopper and have learned a lot about different cuts
of meat, fish/meat delivery schedules and we discuss a multitude of food
related topics.
Dining
Eat at home: while it is convenient to
eat at a restaurant or stop and pick up a meal on your way home, this can add
to your monthly expenditures and your waistline. Many restaurant meals
have excess fat and salt to enhance the flavor of the foods. Cooking your
own whole foods ensures that you know what you're eating.
Pack your
lunch: you can
save $$ and calories by packing and bringing your lunch and snacks to
work. It is well worth the extra time it
might take to prep and package your meals.
Cook in Bulk and Freeze: Not only does this save money
but it can save time. You will always
have healthy food ready to defrost when you walk in the door at night.
Drink tap
water: I have always been suspicious of tap water
but over the years I also have realized that for all I know, my “bottled” water
could be tap water in disguise!! So, I
have been drinking out of the tap at home.
It’s a fraction of the price of bottled water and I have not noticed any
difference in taste. You can flavor your
water with fruits or vegetables if you don’t like to drink it plain.
Buy
frozen veggies and fruits: This may seem like a contradiction to some of
the comments above, but it is not completely.
Fresh fruit and produce can be very expensive out of season. Purchasing veggies/fruits that are flash
frozen is a budget-friendly alternative to enjoy these healthy products year
round
Finally, you don't have to be a gourmet cook to eat clean. Over the years I have purchased several of Tosca Reno's books or purchased Clean Eating magazines. If you have tips or recipes to share, please do so in the comments section below. I look forward to hearing from you.
References
Clean Eating Magazine: http://www.cleaneating.com.au/en-us/about.aspx
http://scienceblog.com/61419/discounts-on-purchases-of-healthy-foods-can-improve-diets-study-finds/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+scienceblogrssfeed+%28ScienceBlog.com%29
http://blog.fooducate.com/2013/03/23/budget-cooking-thats-healthy-too-fooducates-top-seven-tips/
http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/budget_cooking
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-on-budget.html
Clean Eating Shopping Lists from the Gracious Pantry: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/shopping-at-costco/
Shopping at Whole Foods: http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com/nutrition/7-tips-shopping-healthy-on-a-budget
Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet: http://www.eatcleandiet.com/
Image Reference: http://thepurebar.com/blog/2010/12/15/5-tips-for-eating-well-on-a-budget-infographic/
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