It’s so important to learn how to eat healthy on a budget, but it can be tough. A lot of the time, it feels easier to run out and grab a full meal of takeout than cook three square meals.
On top of that, it can often be cheaper to buy takeout than spend money on cooking huge meals every single day. But there’s a way to eat healthy on a budget while preserving your sanity.
In this list, I’m going through fifteen of my top tips for eating healthy on a budget. Whether you’re just cooking for yourself or handling meals for your whole family, I hope these can help!
Let’s dive right in.
1. Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals every week allows you to overlap your ingredients and choose meals based on what’s on sale that week. This is a great way to shave some digits off your grocery bill.
On top of that, if your meals are already planned, you don’t have to make a new decision every day.
2. Don’t Grocery Shop Hungry
Heading to the grocery store before you’ve had a full meal can encourage us to buy a lot more in the name of being peckish. Fill up before you hit the aisles, and carefully stick to your list!
3. Eat More Plant-Based Proteins
Eating meat every single day can quickly add up, even if it’s the more affordable varieties like chicken or turkey. Consider incorporate more plant-based protein options into your diet.
These add variety and fiber, all while helping to bring down your grocery bill. Think beans, lentils, and even tofu!
4. Buy Dried Beans Instead of Canned
While canned beans are convenient, they’re more expensive than you might think in the name of that convenience. You can buy huge bags of dried beans that cost a tenth of the canned kind.
Not only that, but the dried beans are actually better for you, because they haven’t been soaking in salt!
5. Buy Seasonal Produce
Whenever something is in season, it’s generally less expensive and more filled with nutrients. Out-of-season produce costs more to grow, which means it costs more to buy.
Do a little bit of research on which vegetables are in season before hitting the produce section.
6. Buy the Generic Brand
Generally speaking, the only difference between generic brand and name brand products is the quality of their marketing. Buying the generic brand will give you the same value at a better price.
Plus, they generally larger sizes to help your dollars go further!
7. Shop the Sales & Stock Up
Keep an eye on which sales are happening at your local grocery store. If you have a chest freezer or extra pantry space at home, it can pay to stock up while certain items are on sale.
This also makes meal planning easier!
8. Buy Cheaper Cuts of Meat (Chicken Thighs over Breasts)
When shopping for your meat of choice, take the time to check over the prices. Cheaper cuts of meat are just as good as the expensive ones when you use the right cooking method.
In some cases, they’re even tastier! Chicken thighs are a lot tastier than chicken breasts, and usually far more affordable.
Use your chicken thighs for these yummy healthy chicken recipes!
9. Make Your Own Salad Dressings
Salad dressings that come bottled are usually expensive and come filled with sugar or other preservatives. Luckily, it’s easy to make your own at home!
One of the simplest dressing recipes is some chopped garlic, some olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Done in two minutes, delicious, and super cost effective.
10. Grow Your Own Herbs
One of the easiest things to grow at home are herbs, which also tend to be one of the most expensive things to buy in a store!
Find a spot for a few thrifted pots and propagate a cutting of your favorite herbs in a glass of water. Plant, wait for it to grow like wildfire, and you’ve got herbs on tap.
11. Buy Foods in Whole Form (Block Cheese over Pre Shredded)
While buying shredded or pre-chopped foods is convenient, they’re often more expensive and not actually as good as their whole form. Buying the whole version is a great way to save some dollars.
For example, shredded cheese is generally covered in powder to keep the shreds apart, but that means it doesn’t melt as well!
12. Use Frozen Fruits & Veggies
There’s a myth that frozen fruit and vegetables aren’t as healthy as the fresh ones, but that isn’t true! Frozen produce is snap-frozen at peak freshness to help preserve the nutrients, so they’re still good.
Plus, it’s easier to keep frozen produce for long periods of time, so you don’t have to worry about wasting any food just because you haven’t had a chance to use it.
Check out these other healthy groceries to buy at walmart to save money!
13. Eat More Eggs
Eggs are high in protein, super versatile, and generally cheaper to buy than most meat cuts. This makes them a great choice to have at home.
Invest in a larger container of eggs, such as an 18 pack, to make sure you have all the protein you need at half the cost.
This is a must-have item on your healthy grocery list.
14. Batch Cook
Batch cooking helps to fight the takeout blues, ensuring you always have an easy meal on hand.
You can choose cost-effective recipes based on what’s on sale, cook them up, and freeze them for a rainy day.
You must try these easy meal prep dinner ideas!
15. Use Your Leftovers
Finally, cook with your leftovers in mind! Saving and eating your leftovers the next day immediately increases the value of the ingredients you’ve purchased.
Plus, it saves you a ton of time and effort, reducing the likelihood that you might give in to takeout cravings more often than what’s in your budget.
Check out these incredible sheet pan recipes for dinner.
There you have it! Those are my top tips for eating healthy while on a budget. With the right approach, you can not only save a lot of money on your meals, but you can enjoy the journey.
You’ve got this. Happy budgeting!