Pure Health and Wellness

Nutrition On A Budget

Monday, July 6th, 2009

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat nutritionally. In fact, the opposite is true. Packaged, prepared, brand name, imported, out of season, and convenience foods will eat up your grocery budget in no time. Here are some healthy shopping tips to get you well on your way to a healthier lifestyle no matter what you dietary needs are.

Grow your own – cherry tomatoes, herbs, lettuces, and small peppers can be grown in pots on your deck during the summer months.
Buy the whole chicken and cut it up yourself.
Eat more vegetarian meals – meat is very expensive and unless you’re buying free range, you should be questioning the quality.
Buy in bulk, avoid packaging
Cook more – eat out less
Cook/Prepare in quantity – invest in a slow cooker (Cost is approx. .50¢ to operate for 8 hours)
Buy in season and buy locally – to avoid transportation costs
Take your lunch to work/school
Make your own coffee – or better yet, drink green tea instead
Eat nutrient dense food – you’ll be less hungry
Stock up on sale items
Shop late on Saturday night or early Monday morning and take advantage of the marked down meats and produce
Check out the reduced bins and racks
Avoid luxury items – reserve these for “treats” only
Check out weekly grocery store flyers
Avoid brand names and choose generic brands instead
Be aware of the “unit” price. A less expensive product may also be a smaller quantity
Use coupons – but remember, coupons are usually for name brands. Even with a coupon the generic brand often still costs less
Ask the butcher for bones for your dog and use them for soup stock – Fido will have to find his own bones. Shop at local meat stores, support local growers!!!
Don’t throw out wilted veggies – these make beautiful soup stock that can be frozen and used later
Don’t spend too much time in the grocery store – you’re apt to spend more
Be aware that foods at eye-level in the grocery store tend to be more expensive
Don’t succumb to advertising – taste the samples but don’t buy – these are rarely sale items.
Avoid “ready-to-eat” foods. Buying basic food items will save you money and will be healthier for you and your family.
Read labels – be sure you’re getting the best nutrition for your food dollar.
Foods that have a Nutrition Facts label will also have an “ingredients” list. The ingredients are listed from “most” to “least” — in other words, if sugar is the first ingredient, you know that the food is mostly sugar!
Shop wisely by using a shopping list, compare prices, and look at labels
Shop alone if you can, and be sure that you aren’t hungry when you go – hungry shoppers find it hard to stick to the list!
Be flexible — if you see an unadvertised special that is too good to pass up, change your plan — add that food to your list.
Plan meals ahead, know what you have on hand and think about what you would like to cook
Make a food budget, and stick to it!