How can I eat healthy on a budget?

To eat healthy on a budget, you should cook more at home, prioritize getting whole, unprocessed foods at the grocery store, and buy pantry staples like rice and beans in bulk. In addition, preparing meals in advance can help you resist the temptation to get fast food for dinner if you have no time to cook.

Food is the third biggest household cost for families, behind only housing and transportation. You may think that eating cheap, processed fast food meals is the only way to eat when you are trying to reduce food costs, but there are plenty of things you can do to eat healthy while on a budget. Below, we’ll explain what you can do at home and at the grocery store, along with some inexpensive, healthy food options that can help you save.

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget at Home

Cook more at home.

You can save $10 or more per meal per person by cooking your meals at home instead of eating out at a restaurant. You can also avoid paying costly delivery fees when you make your own meals at home.

Prepare meals in advance.

Preparing meals a week or a couple days in advance can help ensure you are eating a healthy, nutritious meal even when you do not have time to cook every day. In addition, since you already have meals prepared, you won’t be tempted to get unhealthy fast food.

Repurpose leftovers.

Reusing your leftovers from the night before to make a new meal the next day can stretch your food budget and help cut down on food waste. For example, that chicken and rice dinner you made last night can be repurposed to make chicken burritos for dinner tonight.

Make use of your freezer.

You can make meals in large batches and then freeze smaller portions in your freezer to eat later. Frozen meals stored at 0°F or below can last in your freezer indefinitely, though the quality can start degrading after one to three months. Having a month’s worth of healthy dinner options in the freezer reduces the need to rely on quick and unhealthy fast food options when you don’t have time to cook. Cooking large amounts at once to use for multiple meals saves not only time, but also money since you can pay less for bulk ingredients compared to smaller quantities.

Grow your own produce.

Joining a community garden or growing your own fruits and vegetables at home can help you save money since seeds are inexpensive to get. In addition, since you are growing your own produce at home, you avoid using harmful pesticides that can be damaging to your health.

How to Get Healthy Food at the Grocery Store on a Budget

Bring a grocery list and stick to it.

Having a grocery shopping list filled with nutritious food items helps you avoid filling your cart with unhealthy items you don’t really need. It can also control how much you are spending so you can prevent sticker shock at the cash register.

Don’t shop hungry.

When you grocery shop on an empty stomach, you may be more tempted to get some non-nutritious packaged snacks that you weren’t originally planning on buying to fill your stomach. This may make you spend more than you were planning to. In fact, a Dole Food Company survey found that people who shop on an empty stomach spend $26 more on average compared to those who didn’t shop hungry.  

Use coupons.

Families can save an average of $5 to $10 a week using coupons, according to Experian. You can get coupons for grocery stores in the mail, on the store’s website, or through third-party companies, like coupons.com and The Krazy Coupon Lady.

Choose generic brands.

Generic brands have the same ingredients as name-brand products, but since they have lower marketing and advertising costs than name-brand products, generic brands tend to be sold at a lower price. You can save 20% to 25% by choosing generic products over name-brands, according to Consumer Reports.

Look for sales and discounts.

Grocery stores may have different items on sale every week. That is why it’s a good idea to check your local grocery store’s website to see what items are currently on sale. You can base your shopping list and the meals you’ll make throughout the week on the ingredients that are on sale. You may also want to shop at different stores to get the best deals.

Buy in bulk.

Buying non-perishable pantry staples that you cook with a lot in bulk can save you more money than buying smaller quantities. In fact, buying in bulk can save you 20% to 35% on your groceries in the long run, according to SoFi. Buying items like brown rice, oats, beans, and lentils in large quantities can make it easy to prepare healthy meals on a budget. 

How to Get Budget-Friendly Healthy Food Options

Prioritize whole foods.

You can save more money buying whole foods instead of more processed items. For example, buying a block of cheese you grate yourself is going to be less expensive than prepackage shredded cheese. Less processed foods also tend to come in larger quantities.

Buy in-season produce.

Since there is a lot of supply for fruits and vegetables that are currently in season, they tend to sell for less. If you want to buy some produce when it is not in season, be ready to pay more for it since there is a limited supply.

Get frozen produce.

Fruits and vegetables that are frozen without any additives are as nutrient packed as fresh ones. They are also cheaper, come in large quantities, last longer, and are available all year round. You can keep them in your freezer and use them in nutritious meals, such as smoothies, oatmeal, and parfaits.

Consider non-meat alternatives.

Meat can provide a lot of protein, but it can also be expensive. If you want to find ways to save money and still get your protein, you can try alternatives such as legumes, eggs, yogurt, and canned fish. 

For more ways to save while still eating healthy, check out WalletHub’s guide on how to grocery shop on a budget.