On A Budget? 9 Cheap Ways To Eat Healthier

By Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D. for YouBeauty.com

Between specialty food stores and going organic, it can get pretty pricey to eat your best. Luckily, there are tons of actions you can take to not fall into this food trap. It all comes down to planning ahead. I've compiled the tips you need to get on your way to a week of eating beautifully for $36. You can check your progress with the eat pretty quiz below. To start eating pretty for cheap, get your shopping list and the day-by-day menu.

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Comments

[Karl Wilder]

04:09 PM on 11/09/2011

I would say NEVER make a list. Take advantage of specials and low priced items rather than buying what is on your list.

[MikeyJaii]

09:44 PM on 11/01/2011

How would you know if the product is generic?

[SusieQTX]

05:43 PM on 10/25/2011

I definitely need to be eating healthier, it just costs much more than unhealthy foods. I will try to do better, I am making that promise to myself!!!!!

[Cheryl Birch]

10:12 PM on 10/12/2011

I would think this article was really great if it told me anything I hadn't figured out by the time I was 18. Internet pollution.

[Liz4BellaVita]

01:41 AM on 10/04/2011

I'm a big fan of Farmer's Markets too. It's very difficult to not eat well and eat healthy if you buy the bulk of your foods from a Farmers Market.

More thoughts on life, health and happiness here: www.elizabethfarrar.com

[Vera GurajMinuz]

08:06 PM on 10/12/2011

i am a big fan farmer too ,i love fresh vegtaba eat healthy you live longer life and happy to?

[robert horwitz]

03:58 PM on 10/03/2011

Here is the way that I found to eat cheaper and healthier. You might call it the tenth way if the other nine are just too much trouble for you. Do what I did. Go to a Uniform Store and purchase something really official to wear. Buy yourself a badge. USDA Government Inspector. Don't forget to carry at least a couple of really large bags with you when you walk into your favorite grocery store. Not only will you be able to eat cheaper and healthier but you will be able to eat great for nothing.

[CookieWrites]

12:35 PM on 10/03/2011

Many of your recommendations don't work for a single person. Buying in bulk doesn't always work for a small 1-2 person household. Also, you recommend not buying pre-cut produce, but that is actually cheaper than buying a bag of carrots, a bag of celery, etc. which all rot in the refrigerator because a small household cannot eat them quick enough. Healthier foods are fresher foods so the notion of dried spices rather than fresh is actually not healthier. Store brands are rarely organic so there goes healthier out the window again. This did not seem like a helpful article but rather one that was constructed to just fill space.

[Meggleface]

12:05 PM on 10/04/2011

I live in a 2 person household and do all of the grocery shopping and cooking. I would like to point out that fresh spices are actually cheaper than dried spices. It is absolutely crazy how much dried spices actually cost. The fresh spices typically run me anywhere between $2-$3 where a little tiny shaker bottle can cost me up to $6. I suppose if you look at it in a way that the shaker would last longer, then it works, but the fresh tastes so much better, is healthier and a smaller number on your receipt.

[Siobhan Landis]

11:52 AM on 10/03/2011

I definitely agree that getting more of your protein from legumes is a great cost-saver. And there's no questioning that buying your beans... dried is even cheaper than buying canned. But this is one place that I tend to find convenience worth spending a little more on. If you're not well-organized enough to start soaking your dried beans the night before (I'm not - I accept this) then the convenience of canned beans is worth the extra cost - especially if you buy lots of them when they go on sale. They're still a cheaper source of protein than meat, and WAY cheaper than processed foods.


One of my favorite quick and easy weeknight recipes is Mexican Black Bean soup - using canned beans and a pressure-cooker, it takes only minutes to prepare, and is on the table in about 20 minutes (by which time I can have a green salad and whole-grain toast ready as well).

Check out this recipe - my son said it was the best ever:

http://www.naturallyradiant.info/site/black-bean-soup/232

[HerrMonk]

05:45 PM on 10/04/2011

Funny to talk about legumes as unprocessed food then spend so much space talking about all the processing they require.

If meat busts the budget eggs and cottage cheese are far better options.

[Siobhan Landis]

08:12 PM on 10/04/2011

You mean - all the space in which I said either used canned, or soak them overnight?

I assume this was the first volley in the attack of primal against vegan?

[lotusgirl]

09:08 AM on 10/03/2011

For those who love fresh vegetables, buying into a CSA over the warm months saves a lot. You help the farmer by buying direct, you cut out the middle man and you get the freshest and cheapest (often organic) local vegetables available. If you know how to can or have room in your freezer, you can put up the excess for the winter.
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

[NevaforLeadership]

05:08 AM on 10/03/2011

Buy in bulk and make more!

There are single people in the world.

[phdpamela]

10:30 PM on 10/02/2011

Having been a shopper for at least 35yrs, I'll pass on the generic buying. I learned the hard way, that I buy a certain brand of ketchup or jar of spagetti sauce, because I like it. That way it never gets wasted after a first bite. Don't get fooled by the egg dept though. My first job as a kid was in an egg packing plant. Egg suppliers supply ALL the local grocery stores with eggs from the same farm, they just change the carton. Per our USDA guy, the medium egg was considered the best quality, and brown eggs are NO different than the white eggs. The araucana egg (an ugly bluish green color) contains the highest protein (you pay big for it too, so really not worth it)

[DrP]

10:26 PM on 10/02/2011

We find that our low-carb, high-fat diet is very economical. We buy no packaged, processed foods and buy wonderful meat, full-fat dairy (fabulous cream and cheeses) and produce at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price. Plus, our very low medical expenses make it really worth it to pay a bit more for organic, ethically raised whole foods. (We are 59 and 70, and neither of us takes any meds or sees a doctor except for check-ups every year or so).

[NevaforLeadership]

05:13 AM on 10/03/2011

Good for you.

Low carb diets are great -- sugar and carbs are killing us surely. But high fat? We all need fat in our diets, but the diet that will keep people from the doctor for all time is lean protein (including dairy), unsaturated fat, vegetables, fruit and daily exercise.

[DrP]

10:28 PM on 10/03/2011

There is absolutely no scientific basis for restricting fat, except for transfats and processed seed oils. Fruit is too high in sugar to be eaten except as an occasional treat, and for those of us with genetic insulin-resistance, it's best to eat no fruit except for occasional berries as "dessert." Because of our low-carb, high-fat lifestyle we are also able to be quite active, cycling thousands of miles every summer.

[mkehler]

10:22 PM on 10/02/2011

Surprisingly - our local 99c store often carries top brand produce - for 99c! The very same brands you find at Whole Foods or other higher priced stores. For example, a large container of organic lettuce that would sell for over $5 elsewhere. They get deliveries and sell out early in the day however, so it's worth going in the morning regularly to find the bargains. They acquire whatever is close to sell-by date or lines that are not selling in other stores. Take a look at your local 99c or $1 store.

[ambrecel]

09:35 PM on 10/02/2011

I haven't been living healthy lately. This is a good article.

[MissMiniMonster]

07:26 PM on 10/02/2011

Great list. I tend to shy away from bagged apples, though, because I always seem to find at least one that's badly bruised no matter how carefully I look.

A great way to grow herbs is in an Aero Garden. I can't grow/maintain plants to save my life without it. I have also used my Aero Gardens to grow tomatoes, salad greens, and spicy peppers.

[Elizabeth-Swigar]

09:59 PM on 10/02/2011

I do this too. it's the greatest thing.