10 Ways to Eat Healthy On a Budget

by WiredBerries Editors — October 30, 2007

With a little resourcefulness and knowledge, anyone can find a way to eat healthy and economize at the same time. Health is all about choices. By making smart choices, it's perfectly possible to eat healthy on a budget.

Here are a few tips on how to pull it off:

• Eat more home cooked meals. Quality restaurant food is almost always more expensive, less healthy, and even more time consuming than making your own food at home.
• Regularly update you shopping list with the items that you actually need. Then stick to buying only what's on the list. Don't shop impulsively. We all know the dangers of just buying what "looks good," especially if you're hungry!
• Plan out your meals a week in advance. If you plan early and buy only the ingredients you need, you'll have less wasted food in the fridge.
• Shop at your local Farmer's Market when possible. Local, organic produce that is in peak season is actually usually cheaper than the stuff at big chain stores and it's better for you and the environment. Bring a big bag and get as much produce as you'll need for the week.
• Try to eat more seasonally. By eating foods that are grown close by and in season, you'll be getting more nutrition for your dollar, and change your favorite recipes to reflect what's in season. Produce that is in harvest in the U.S. is generally cheaper than something that's not in season and must therefore be imported from another country.
• Learn about local resources. Look into CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It's a great way to get baskets of seasonal produce at a reasonable cost and support a local farm.
• Look for specials at your local health food store. It's smart to stock up on sale items that store well. If you know you'll eat it eventually and the expiration date is far away, buying now can save big later.
• Buy in bulk. Purchasing foods like spices, cereals, dried fruit, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds from the bin sections at health food stores usually costs less because they're not pre-packaged. But the best part is that you can buy as little as you need for your recipe instead of having to buy a box or bag full and end up with wasted leftovers. Plus, these are re-stocked often, which means they're usually fresher ingredients.
• Buy private-label organic products. Whole Foods, for example, sells its own brand of organic foods, which are usually as inexpensive as their conventional counterparts.
• Download organic coupons. Many organic food companies offer downloadable coupons on their sites, or regularly send e-coupons to customers. For example, Stonyfield Farm offers coupons at http://www.stonyfield.com/coupons/signin.cfm that are redeemable at many stores including Whole Foods Markets. Try looking up one of your own favorite brands online and see what they have to offer.