According to research by Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters®, Americans still struggle with the economics of eating well. In fact, low-income families claim that cost is the biggest barrier to eating healthy foods.
You don’t have to break the bank to eat well! To help shed some light on this subject matter, I am providing a three-part series this week as follows:
Tuesday: 9 Smart Strategies to Cut Down Your Grocery Bill
Wednesday: Seven Cheap, Healthy Foods
Today: Eating on a Healthy Budget – guest contributor, Penny Minding Mom
Thanks to Elizabeth for her helpful hints and wisdom!
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Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. While some people believe this can’t be true, I firmly believe that by shopping smarter and a little pre-planning you can eat healthy without busting the bank.
Here are my top 3 ways to eat healthy and not spend more:
Use Coupons and Store Specials
Clip those coupons. By using coupons for everyday items like toilet paper, toothpaste and shampoo you can use the savings to put back into your food budget.
Look for coupons for frozen vegetables as well. Many times these veggies are fresher than the ones found in the produce department.
Look for store specials. I regularly set aside some time each week to look at the flyers to see what specials are on and then plan my meals accordingly. If there is a sale on bananas, then I may make banana muffins and freeze them.
Shop in Season
Here is where a little pre-planning comes into play. My husband loves smoothies, in fact he eats one every day at work. Frozen berries are expensive so we buy them during berry season and freeze them ourselves. We freeze blueberries and strawberries every year.
Store: 2.5 cups blueberries = $4.99
Farmers’ Market: 2.5 cups blueberries= $2.50
Cook at Home
We love potato chips. Where I live 1 bag of potato chips here (220g) is $2.50 plus 15.5% tax = $2.88 while making 1 similar size serving of homemade chips = $0.35.
Doughnuts are another fan favourite. At our local shop a single doughnut costs $1.15 while our homemade baked version is a measly $0.35.
By baking my own versions of these snacks I am able to save a significant amount of money per serving. Not only are they better for you since they are baked, they are simple to make and I get to make some special memories with my daughter.
Eating healthy is a choice we all have to make, by using a little creative thinking we can eat healthy and not drain your wallet.
About Elizabeth AKA Penny Minding Mom:
Elizabeth is a stay-at-home coupon clipping mother of two little monsters. She is always looking for creative ways save money on the household budget.
Elizabeth’s Simple Recipe for Baked Potato Chips:
Slice a potato very thin. I use a carrot peeler. Lightly grease each chip with a touch of olive oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F oven for30-40 minutes or until “chip” like. Sprinkle with seasoning of you choice. Season while still warm.
I use Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes to yield the best result. You can eat them while they are still warm or cool and eat later.
More helpful info:
For more helpful hints on the health benefits and cost savings of eating at home, check out Kelli’s post at Groom + Style.
