Eating Well on a Budget

Some of us are having to live with fewer funds these days.  When operating with a tight budget, food shopping is a struggle and we don’t always make the best choices.  You can eat well and healthy on a budget.  A little preplanning can go a long way.  Here are my tips on getting good and healthy food on a budget.

Set a Budget

It’s always a good idea to set up a weekly or monthly budget for food.  If you can go back and see how much you spend per month and how much you would like to spend going forward.  If you are eating in more and doing less takeout than you use to do, the amount you spend on grocery shopping will increase but it is always more economical to eat at home.  If you don’t have a good idea on what you have spent in the past on food, then take the next month to track what you spend at the grocery store and look for ways where you can save. 

Make a List and Stick to it

Do your planning before you leave the house.  Shop your list to avoid impulse buys.  Also, make sure that you shop your pantry and freezer first.  That will help you from buying what you already have.    To help build your shopping list, plan out your weekly meals.  If you need some help with meal planning, sign up for my free guide.

Free Meal Planning Guide

Don’t Shop Hungry

The hungrier you are the more likely you are to deviate from your list and make purchases that will put you over your budget. 

Shop the sales

Most grocery store ads come out on Wednesday and are available on-line. Use the ad to build your menu around what is on sale.  I look for deals on family packs of grass-fed ground beef, chicken breasts or thighs, pork or beef roasts.  Ground beef can be cooked and frozen in 1 cup packs and used later.  Chicken, I will plan for a recipe for that week and freeze the rest for later.   You can also make a main entrée that you can freeze for future meals. Here are some of my go-tos.

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf
Meat Sauce
Taco Meat
Teriyaki Beef
Crockpot Chicken
 
Check out what veggies are on sale.  If a recipe calls for a certain veggie can you swap it for one that is on sale?  Asparagus can be swapped with broccoli. Cabbage can be used instead of Brussels Sprouts.  You don’t have to follow the recipe 100 percent. 

Budget Cuts

Do you always buy chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs? Steaks instead of a roast?  The other cuts of meat are just as nutritious but at a fraction of the cost.   Branch out and try different cooking methods like slow cooking, pressure cooker, or stewing to make tougher cuts more tender and juicy.

Grocery Apps

Download apps for the stores that you visit the most. Many have digital coupons that you can download to your shopper card.  Don’t download the ones for processed foods.  I feel that since COVID the digital coupons have not been as good but still worth the time to check out. Today, on the Kroger app, I was able to clip coupons for Simple Truth organic packaged salad, organic eggs, Kind bars, and avocados. Get in the habit of downloading your coupons to your shopping card.  The savings do add up.    

Buying in Bulk

Items like nuts, seeds, beans, or grains can be purchased in bulk.  You don’t have to buy the 1-pound package of walnuts at Costco just check out the bulk section at your grocery store.  Packaging can be 15% - 20% of the price.  Buying in bulk will avoid those extra costs.

Buy Organic Wisely

It can be better to eat organic but it’s even better to eat non-organic veggies rather than no veggies at all.  Check out the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list from the Environmental Working Group. The Dirty Dozen are the 12 “dirtiest” fruit and veggies with most pesticides and herbicides that you may want to buy organic.  The Clean Fifteen you can get away without buying organic. 

Go Meatless

Adding in a few vegetarian meals weekly can help to stretch your budget.  Beans and lentils are a fraction of the cost of meat.  They are packed with protein and fiber to help keep you full.  Beans and lentils don’t agree with everyone.  They can be harder to digest.  If that is you, cut down the amount of meat in a soup or salad and add in some beans or lentils.  Garbanzo or black beans are great in salads.  You could do half as much chicken as you normally do and replace it with beans.  A beef stew can be a beef and lentil stew.  Think outside of the box on what you can substitute. 

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