I’d wager that every single person reading this could benefit from improving the healthfulness of their diets. I know I could. Too often, eating “healthy” food feels like it also means spending more at the grocery store.
This perception is an obstacle that can keep people from making positive changes to their eating habits. But with some food shopping strategies in place, you can eat better, feeding your healthy body for less.
1) Go Plant-Based with Your Proteins
Meat is expensive. When you think about what’s involved in raising and processing a healthy animal, that makes sense. But meat is not the only source of protein that can enrich your diet. Beans, grains like quinoa, and tofu are low-cost, high-protein food sources that make delicious bases for your healthy meal planning.
2) Go Generic
Sometimes, the products that are labeled “organic” or sport logos that are recognizable as supporting healthy eating are brand names that cost extra. Look for the store-brand dairy, bread or other products to save on packaging that doesn’t help your body get healthier.
3) Go Frozen
When it comes to nutritious, organic fruits and vegetables, sometimes the most cost-effective way is to buy them frozen. Frozen produce won’t make a great salad, but there are myriad ways to use them to pump up the nutritional value of soups, chilis, smoothies and more—while spending less.
4) Go Local and Seasonal
Whenever possible, buy produce, cheese and meat from a local producer. Especially with fruits and vegetables, you can often save money by purchasing food at a farmer’s market or through a farm share or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Many CSA programs allow people to share memberships, so you can pair up with a friend to save even more money. Feed yourself fresh, seasonal food while supporting local farmers? Yes, please!
