Pop over to Crunchy Domestic Goddess today, where I'm guest blogger! The topic is my post from March, Is Healthy Eating Budget Friendly Or A Wallet Buster?
I have blogged extensively on the topic of how families can reduce their grocery bills while maintaining a healthy diet. To be honest, I cringe when people justify poor food choices because it "costs too much" to eat healthy. I just don't agree. If you take the time to educate yourself about your body and your health, and rethink the way you approach eating and grocery shopping, you can eat well for the same price. And as a commenter pointed out on my original post, is the bill for heart bypass surgery worth the risk?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect by any means, I have a serious Diet Dr. Pepper habit that I'm working on reducing, and I like jelly beans, Doritos and M&Ms just as much as the next person does. But there are some easy things that you can do to make sure that Doritos and candy and soda are treats instead of staples, while also saving money. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.
Skip the extra packaging. When you buy convenience products, you're paying more for the packaging than the product. For example, single serving yogurts cost three times more per ounce than large containers of yogurt. I buy the large 32-ounce container of plain or vanilla yogurt, then mix it with fresh fruit, honey or granola. It's also easy to spoon a serving into a reusable container for my lunch. Another example is instant oatmeal. That packet of already sugared and spiced oatmeal costs twice as much as a huge container of quick cooking oats. I've also stopped buying baby carrots for cooking with, because they cost at least twice as much as regular, unpeeled carrots. If I'm chopping them up or shredding them, does it really matter what they look like beforehand? And it really takes very little extra time to peel them. Instead of buying bottled water, invest in a Brita pitcher and buy a reusable water bottle to refill.
Buy in bulk. If you have the storage space, you can do really well at places like Costco or Sam's Club. We don't have much extra storage space, so my bulk purchases are usually limited to things like beef. Large packages are cheaper per pound. Break it up into smaller portions at home and freeze it. I also buy cheese in large, two-pound blocks, and shred and freeze it.
Take advantage of your freezer. The meat and cheese examples above fall into this category, but you can also use your freezer to preserve produce to make it through the winter. For example, every summer, my parent's veggie garden produces more green peppers than they know what to do with. So I wash, seed and chop them, then freeze them in freezer bags. They're perfect for throwing into soups or stirfries. You can also freeze berries, corn, and many other types of produce. Also, consider doubling easy recipes that freeze well for busy nights. I almost always make a double batch of lasagna or baked ziti, and freeze the other half.
Meal plan. When I plan my meals in advance and shop with a list, I avoid impulse purchases. I can also plan my meals based on what's in season or what is on sale. And by buying just enough fresh meat, fish and produce to last seven to ten days, nothing goes bad and gets thrown away.
Clip coupons, but also be willing to try store brands. Overwhelmingly, the coupons in my Sunday paper are for condiments or things like potato flakes or Hamburger Helper that I don't buy. Most of the coupons I clip are for things like Perdue frozen chicken or dairy items. Check out your store's line of products. I've been very happy with Safeway's Lucerne brand of dairy, and their pasta sauces and baking items are just as good as name brand items. Be willing to try those things out, because a quality storebrand item is usually cheaper than using a coupon for the name brand.
Make stuff from scratch. I utilize all those summer tomatoes to make homemade tomato sauce and freeze it. Homemade salad dressing is fresher and tastier. Homemade bread is something we make a lot in the winter. After tasting my homemade jam, my husband said I'm not to buy Smuckers ever again. You can make all manner of convenience packaged items with little effort on your part, like taco seasoning or chicken coating.
How do you feel about healthy eating? Is is hard to do on a budget? Do you have any tips for saving money while still eating well? And be sure to pop over to Crunchy Domestic Goddess and check out my guest post!
I have blogged extensively on the topic of how families can reduce their grocery bills while maintaining a healthy diet. To be honest, I cringe when people justify poor food choices because it "costs too much" to eat healthy. I just don't agree. If you take the time to educate yourself about your body and your health, and rethink the way you approach eating and grocery shopping, you can eat well for the same price. And as a commenter pointed out on my original post, is the bill for heart bypass surgery worth the risk?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect by any means, I have a serious Diet Dr. Pepper habit that I'm working on reducing, and I like jelly beans, Doritos and M&Ms just as much as the next person does. But there are some easy things that you can do to make sure that Doritos and candy and soda are treats instead of staples, while also saving money. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.
Skip the extra packaging. When you buy convenience products, you're paying more for the packaging than the product. For example, single serving yogurts cost three times more per ounce than large containers of yogurt. I buy the large 32-ounce container of plain or vanilla yogurt, then mix it with fresh fruit, honey or granola. It's also easy to spoon a serving into a reusable container for my lunch. Another example is instant oatmeal. That packet of already sugared and spiced oatmeal costs twice as much as a huge container of quick cooking oats. I've also stopped buying baby carrots for cooking with, because they cost at least twice as much as regular, unpeeled carrots. If I'm chopping them up or shredding them, does it really matter what they look like beforehand? And it really takes very little extra time to peel them. Instead of buying bottled water, invest in a Brita pitcher and buy a reusable water bottle to refill.
Buy in bulk. If you have the storage space, you can do really well at places like Costco or Sam's Club. We don't have much extra storage space, so my bulk purchases are usually limited to things like beef. Large packages are cheaper per pound. Break it up into smaller portions at home and freeze it. I also buy cheese in large, two-pound blocks, and shred and freeze it.
Take advantage of your freezer. The meat and cheese examples above fall into this category, but you can also use your freezer to preserve produce to make it through the winter. For example, every summer, my parent's veggie garden produces more green peppers than they know what to do with. So I wash, seed and chop them, then freeze them in freezer bags. They're perfect for throwing into soups or stirfries. You can also freeze berries, corn, and many other types of produce. Also, consider doubling easy recipes that freeze well for busy nights. I almost always make a double batch of lasagna or baked ziti, and freeze the other half.
Meal plan. When I plan my meals in advance and shop with a list, I avoid impulse purchases. I can also plan my meals based on what's in season or what is on sale. And by buying just enough fresh meat, fish and produce to last seven to ten days, nothing goes bad and gets thrown away.
Clip coupons, but also be willing to try store brands. Overwhelmingly, the coupons in my Sunday paper are for condiments or things like potato flakes or Hamburger Helper that I don't buy. Most of the coupons I clip are for things like Perdue frozen chicken or dairy items. Check out your store's line of products. I've been very happy with Safeway's Lucerne brand of dairy, and their pasta sauces and baking items are just as good as name brand items. Be willing to try those things out, because a quality storebrand item is usually cheaper than using a coupon for the name brand.
Make stuff from scratch. I utilize all those summer tomatoes to make homemade tomato sauce and freeze it. Homemade salad dressing is fresher and tastier. Homemade bread is something we make a lot in the winter. After tasting my homemade jam, my husband said I'm not to buy Smuckers ever again. You can make all manner of convenience packaged items with little effort on your part, like taco seasoning or chicken coating.
How do you feel about healthy eating? Is is hard to do on a budget? Do you have any tips for saving money while still eating well? And be sure to pop over to Crunchy Domestic Goddess and check out my guest post!
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5 comments:
I have tried coupons and I feel like I spend more. I do buy a lot of store brands, the one thing I will say about Costco/Sams--I found if I got it on sale at Target or walmart, I almost always got a better deal. We ended up dropping our membership to it because I felt guilty for spending a couple hundred dollars EACH time and not really able to cook full meals with the stuff I bought. I love how fresh you cook. I have used a few of your ideas and the kids seem to be okay with it. Keep it up!!
Giving up status symbols like organic food is a big way to save.
Hi there! I saw your post at Crunchy Domestic Goddess (I'm a future guest blogger, too) and had to come over and say hello. Especially since I'm a fellow Baltimorean. :)
I totally agree with you that it doesn't have to cost a fortune to eat healthy. I'd also recommend the farmers' markets as a great resource for inexpensive produce.
I'd have to argue with "i am so wise" though and say that in some cases, spending a bit more on organic produce is worth it. For organic processed foods, on the other hand, it does seem pointless. It's processed, after all.
Thanks again for the great tips. I'll be sure to come back for more.
Organic food--I can see both sides. It really can be something of a status symbol, or as its called around here, "Yuppie Food." I make a huge effort to find organic produce that is also inexpensive. We participate in a local food co-op that brings farm fresh, organic produce to us at about half the cost of grocery store NON-organic veggies.
We've never been much for convenience foods and prepackaged junk foods. So when we switched to whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals, hormone free (and leaner) meat, eggs, and dairy, and increased the amount of fresh produce and whole grains we were eating, (and reduced the refined starches we were eating) it nearly doubled our grocery bill even with the coop produce savings! *But* for my friend whose family was living on things like chips, store bought cookies, boxed dinners, etc, switching to organic, healthy food cut her bill in half. So I think it depends on what you were eating before. White pasta, a jar of Ragu, and a can of corn is much less expensive than whole wheat noodles with homemade or organic sauce and corn on the cob, but both are cheaper and healthier than picking up pasta and a salad from the To-Go menu....
Coupons-I use them only when I get one for a product I use, which isn't often.
Costco-You do have to be careful about what you buy because its true that not everything is a good deal. I comparison shop, but I still spend about $150 at Costco every six weeks, and I save an average of $65 compared to what I would have paid for the same products elsewhere. There are things I will only buy there, and things that I will never buy there, you just have to be aware of what they have and what the going rates are...
Okay...I am so overwhelmed...but in a GOOD way!! I have not even read your post yet!! I just went over to the place you guest blogged and learned about the Clean Eating Magazine and saw the recipes and signed up for the free trial. I am so excited!!! Finally, I am figured this thing out! Thanks so much!! Okay, now I have to go back and read your post! LOL!
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