Eating Well on a Budget

Food prices, gas prices are on the rise, as is our overall cost of living.  We could all use some tips for saving money on food without compromising our health.  This doesn’t mean skimping on nutritious meals.  Save money, manage your health, and invest in the future with reduced healthcare costs!  

• Make a Grocery List — before you leave the house plan some meals in advance, take inventory of your kitchen, and make a list of what you need.  Stick to the list, this will prevent impulse buying.  Check grocery store ads for non-perishable sale items in order to stock your kitchen pantry.  And by all means, never go to the store hungry!


• Eat Lower on the Food Chain — this means eat less meat.  However, that doesn’t mean you have to become a full-fledged vegetarian, just reduce the number of days per week that you eat meat.  Introduce vegetarian sources of protein into your diet such as legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds.  These items are cheaper than meat and have a longer shelf life.  In addition, buy whole grains, fruits and vegetables to round out your diet.  You’ll find your diet to be lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber- which is good for heart and digestive health.


• Shop at the Farmers Market — although some produce at the farmers market may appear to cost more than at the grocery store, what you get in freshness and quality saves you money in the long-run.  Stock up, as these fruits and vegetables will keep for longer than grocery store produce that may have traveled farther and/or been harvested at a much earlier date.  If you plan to use your fruits and vegetables right away, Asian markets are a great resource for a wide variety of inexpensive produce.


• Purchase from Bulk Foods Bins — check out the bulk food aisle of your grocery store.  Instead of buying name brand prepackaged foods, buying from the bulk food bins can be cost saving.  You can buy as much as you need and save on packaging waste.  You may discover some new items to try without investing in a full-sized package.


• Create New Food Combinations — cooking from recipes can create extra shopping trips and additional spending while searching for missing ingredients.  Channel your inner chef and get creative with ingredients on hand to make interesting meals or modify a recipe using an alternative ingredient.  In the process, you might create a whole new favorite recipe.  Leftovers can be re-purposed into multiple meals of different flavors by using different spices or condiments.  Soups, casseroles, one bowl meals, creative tacos and stir-fries make excellent use of leftover ingredients.

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