People often use cost as an excuse for not eating healthy. The reality is that the high cost of healthy food can be a real obstacle for those struggling just to survive. However, there are are some cheap ways to make healthy eating easier.
1. Buy In-Season –
Most fruit and vegetables only grow during a certain time of the year. During the time when these food items are out-of-season, they are either shipped long distances or chemically ripened after being prematurely picked and stored. Both these processes drive-up the cost of produce. Foods are likely to be on sale when they are in-season because it is cheaper to get them to store shelves. A good plan is to look at the store circular before getting to the store so you know of all the good sales and can make the most of the savings.
2. Purchase Frozen Fruit and Vegetables –
I’ve talked many times about frozen vegetables being a cheap healthy option. Frozen vegetables are picked in season and immediately frozen while they are still fresh and nutrient rich. Frozen vegetables are usually much more economical than fresh vegetables. So don’t overlook the frozen section when trying to eat healthier. Just make sure to check the ingredients on the package. There are many frozen vegetables that are sold with cheese sauces or other added ingredients. The healthiest option is to buy pure vegetables and then add your own sauces or mix-ins if desired.
3. Freeze Leftover Fresh Vegetables –
It happens to the best of us. You have a recipe that calls for a small amount of an ingredient, leaving lots of leftovers. Or you buy more produce than you can eat before it goes bad. The solution is to freeze your vegetables at home to preserve them! First clean the vegetables and remove all stems. The next step it to blanch them. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the vegetables. Once the water returns to a boil, cook for one to two minutes. Remove the vegetables from the water and add to ice water until they are completely cooled. Then drain the vegetables, and put them in freezer safe containers for storage. You can also purchase cheap vegetables on sale in bulk and preserve them this way.
4. Stay Away from Gimmicks –
A major grocer recently caused an uproar by selling Asparagus Water for $6. The product was quickly taken off the shelves. Yet, there are tons of products currently on the shelves that are almost as ridiculous. Manufacturers have discovered that they can get well-meaning consumers to buy almost anything if it is advertised as health promoting. People are buying bean pasta, lentil chips, artisan granolas and other high-end items that don’t really offer more nutrients over the lower-end options.
Just a few weeks ago my husband bought me a decaf iced coffee from a trendy coffee shop. When he came back with the drinks, he told me my coffee cost $8. Really?? $8 for a black iced coffee. The establishment claimed the high price was because of their special decaffeination process. However, I’ve gone to other high-end, organic coffee establishments in the past, and never paid anything close to that. This place had a line out the door despite being anything but cheap. Don’t fall for the hype!
5. Go to a Farmer’s Market. –
Farmer’s markets essentially cut out the middle-man. When you purchase food items in store, both the manufacturer and the store must profit from your sale. At a Farmer’s Market, you are paying the grower directly which can make costs a little bit lower. Lenie of frugalforeveryone.ca has made an additional great point about shopping at Farmer’s Markets in her blog. The really cheap deals at farmer’s markets are in the last hour to half hour. Items are often very reduced during that time to get rid of unsold items. Vendors can also be more responsive to bargaining at that time, so if you want to try asking for a special deal, the very end of the farmer’s market is when to do it.
6. Cook from Scratch –
Ok, I get it. Buying items that are pre-made can be a timesaver. Generations ago, women had the entire day to spend cooking for their families. Now, most people are over-scheduled and under-rested. However, if you substitute only one or two items a week with homemade recipes, you can save significant money over the course of a year. For instance, I see many healthier versions of pasta sauces on the shelf for $5 to $9. You can quickly make your own cheap version of those sauces with tomatoes, onions, garlic spices for half the price. Cook it on the weekend, throw it in a recycled bottle and enjoy during the hectic week. Again, you don’t have to do this with everything. Pick a couple of items and watch the savings add up.
7. Purchase from an Online Discount Store –
We have more options than ever before for finding cheap healthy food. Amazon.com now sells packaged higher-end goods online that can at times be priced better than retail. In the U.S., Thrive Market is a discount retailer catering to those who buy healthier food in bulk. They do have a $59 yearly fee, but frequent shoppers can really save over the course of a year.
I’m personally loving a new option called Grub Market. This retailer offers free delivery with a $39 purchase of discount healthier packaged goods, fruit, vegetables, and meat. Some of their items are cheaper than others, but given that they don’t have a yearly fee, you can really save if you are lucky enough to live in one of the cities they service. Additionally, the will deliver discounted non-perishable goods anywhere in The U.S. for a flat $7 delivery fee. I will say that I just found this market, so I haven’t personally tried it yet. But I’m hopeful that it will grow and appear in more and more cities as time passes.
So those are my suggestions for cheap healthy eating. Have a favorite cheap healthy eating tip. Share it in the comments below!
I love this! Thanks so much for sharing. This is what I’m all about- finding ways to eat healthy that don’t cost an arm and a leg!
I’m glad you find this helpful Caitlin! It is definitely nice when you can find ways to add healthy food to the diet.
I love frozen fruits and vegetables. I buy big bags of edamame and green beans at Costco. They taste just as good as fresh and last a whole lot longer. I also freeze a lot of things from my garden to use at later dates. I splurged and bought a bag of frozen mango as well, but didn’t eat it as fast as I thought I would so now I’m planning on turning it into mango sorbet.
Jeri, I’ve really been into frozen mango lately. I don’t know why it took me my whole life to discover how amazing frozen mango is, but I’m putting it into all my frozen creations.
Great inexpensive food suggestions, Erica! I never knew that Amazon sells food. I agree that farmers markets are well priced as it gets later in the day but where I live, they seem to be generally pricey, and not much of a bargain. Freezing produce, cooking from scratch, and not falling for gimmicks are great suggestions! Label reading can be quite an eye-opener with regard to unsubstantiated health claims that drive up prices. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
I agree, Michele. If we all started reading labels we would be empowered to make informed decisions as opposed to listening to the advertising executives who determine how to market a product.
I’m on it Erica. I buy in season, get as much of my food as possible at farmer’s markets and we eat more bananas here than a family of monkeys. I also take leftover vegetables, including things like the ends of carrots or celery than might be cut off, and store them in the freezer with bones, leftovers or undesirable chicken parts and then use it make stock.
Ken, it seems like you make great use of all your leftovers. Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-rich foods you can consume, so it is great that you take advantage of your leftovers in that way.
I recently had an aha moment and started buying frozen berries for the protein drink I prepare every day! I’d been spending a fortune on fresh berries! Because I live alone, frozen vegetables have always been a great option for me, unless I can get smaller amounts at the farmers market. Wish I could find smaller heads of lettuce! LOL One of those things that does not freeze well at all!
Lol, yes I imagine frozen lettuce would be a wilted, frosty mess. I’m glad you discovered frozen berries. They really are more economical and they make smoothies so cold and creamy. Yum…
Erica, this is great information, most of which I know. I don’t have the online availability but do have access to a great Farmers Market. I do freeze just about everything. I’ve also kept track of the cost of eating healthy and found that if you replace two ‘meat meals’ a week with meatless meals, the difference in savings will pay for the healthier products.
That is a very good point, Lenie. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to have a meal without meat in it once and a while. Especially if you use legumes like lentils and chickpeas as your main source of protein, you can really save by incorporating some vegetarian meals into the week.
Good advice on how to pay little for healthy food, Erica.
Honestly can’t understand why people think healthy food is expensive. Seems they overlook how expensive meat and ready made unhealthy food can be.
Catarina, I think healthier versions of processed foods are more expensive. So if you are buying lots of fancy chips and sauces, it can get expensive. If you cook from scratch, you can eat healthy for a pretty low price tag. I think we’re living in a time when many people just want things to be easy, so they’ve never even tried cooking from scratch.
Great advice as always Erica! The combination of working at home and being single has forced me to be creative when it comes to shopping for food so I’ve challenged myself to shop once a month. Of course after shopping I have to spend some time organizing things and I cook several dishes in advance and then cut them down into servings to freeze, but as a busy solopreneur on a budget the strategy has been a life saver!
Wow, that is amazing that you shop just once a month! I end up at the store at least a few times a week. I think that is a good plan to cook in advance and freeze. That is something I try to get my busy clients to do all the time.
There is no excuse not to eat healthily. Yes, planning and preparation tends to take more time but as you are investing in your health it is worth it.
People turn their nose up at frozen vegetables but they are far more economical to but than fresh vegetables.
In winter months, just avoid purchasing the more exotic fruits as you will pay over and above for them.
I cook from scratch almost daily. Supermarkets offer ready made sandwiches and cooked meals but I can prepare them at a fraction of the cost and far tastier too!
I think people often snub frozen vegetables because they have the idea that fresh is better. Sometimes fresh is better and sometimes frozen is and it really depends on many factors. But I don’t think this information is widely available which is why I like to talk about it.
Such good tips! I do follow most of them. I haven’t tried an online discount store for food but it sounds very interesting. Not only does eating in-season foods save money but so many things taste better then!
Beth, I would definitely check out the online discount stores.They aren’t the right option for everyone, but they can save you money if you buy a lot of what they offer.
Great tips on eating healthy cheaply. Just this morning, I went into my garden and harvest string beans, tomatoes, kale, rosemary, and basil. I plan on making string beans for dinner tonight. =) I also love using frozen berries with my protein shakes in the morning. It substitutes the ice I would normal add as well. Thanks for sharing.
I think it is great when you can pick fresh vegetables from your garden. I live in a city so it is a bit more difficult to have a garden. But if you have a yard of any size, growing your own veggies is definitely the way to go.
I love these tips! Mine is similar to buying in season. I buy the produce that’s on sale that week at the store. Since they usually rotate through different items over several weeks, I get a good well-rounded mix of different fruits and veggies throughout the month.
You probably are buying in-season if you purchase things on sale. Usually stores have sales when foods are in season since it is cheaper for the store to stock those items at that time.
oh my, I love these tips. Printing this blog post as I type. Yes! Eating healthy dosent have to be expensive. Thank you so much Erica for sharing x
I’m glad you find these helpful! It’s nice to have ways to eat healthy on a budget.
I hit the Farmers Market in Santa Monica and Hollywood every week, I love it. I never knew about Grub Market, I’m going to check that out. Thank you Erica
You should definitely check out Grub Market, Pamela. L.A. is one of the few cities where they deliver meat and vegetables as well as packaged goods. If I remember correctly, some of the best savings come on the packaged goods, but there are values to be found in all the departments if you shop carefully.
Thanks for the backup on the frozen fruit and veggies. I happen to love frozen fruit, especially berries, and can now blend and thaw to my hearts content.
I love that you are an expert, Tim. Keep making those healthy blended frozen drinks!
Great list. I buy about 90% of my vegetables frozen. Thanks for the other tips.
Glad you like the list, Jason. I hope it becomes helpful in saving you money.
This is a great post, Is so informational because sometimes it can be so difficult to eat healthy on a rush and on a budget. Love that you detail to buy in season… (so true never gave this any though)