Ask the Readers: How Do You Eat Healthy on a Budget? (Chance to win $25!)

On Sundays, my best friend and I roast 2 to 4 huge sheet pans of vegetables, whatever's cheap and in season. Bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflour, peas, carrots, turnips, broccoli, etc. (Berkeley Bowl, best grocery store ever!) We also make a big pot of whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, or a grain/pea/lentil mix from the Korean market). Then we have lunch and dinner all week! Various sauces help keep it interesting. When reheating, I sometimes mix in an egg or some cheese, or top w yogurt. Because we each live alone, combining shopping and cooking efforts makes it cheaper, easier, and more fun. We spend about $10-$15 each for 5 days of lunch and dinner, and get to hang out and catch up with each other every week. Sometimes we'll mix it up by making some quiche (rice or quinoa crust) or lasagna instead.

My hints are pretty basic, but very effective:

1. Cook from scratch.  I can't overemphasize this.

2.  Cook what's on sale.

3.  Minimize the use of meat.  My husband is a "meat and potatoes" man so this can be a challenge, but I do my best.

For the most part, I eat what I can find on sale, which means it's in season. I cook from scratch most of the time and don't eat a lot of processed foods. That helps keep the cost down. I use coupons, ideally combined with sales for as many things as I can and that also helps keep the costs down.

We buy less - less meat, less junk food, less from restaurants - so that the things we do buy can be higher quality. We don't buy any soda at all, for example, which means that we can spend that money on organic tea and coffee. We don't buy bottled water, but use a filter pitcher. We eat a lot of beans. I love the bulk bins; I wish more grocery stores had them.

I solicit the coupons I need.  I like buying Organic and healthy but admit they are not on sale as often so I literally walk through a grocery store thinking "man I have had Kozy Shack Pudding, Bolthouse Juices, chiquita sliced apples, etc. in a long time" and I go home and email them how much I love them and week later I have coupons for the next sale!

We also mostly plan by what is on sale and what we have on hand.

I look at the local grocery ad each week when meal-planning, then buy meat and produce that's on sale. We do not eat a lot of meat, so that helps. I use a lot of frozen vegetables, which are healthy and economical. In the summer, we have a CSA membership to a local farm that is half reimbursed by our health insurance provider.

Eat - and shop- seasonally. Piles of produce will always beat sales and coupons.

I'm on a slow carb diet, inspired by Tim Ferriss. It consists of eating a protein, legume, and vegetable for every meal. I also eat the same thing for every meal every day for at least 2 weeks before I'd change anything out. Buying dried lentils and black beans is incredibly cheap. Buying some collard greens, broccoli, and spinach don't cost much either. Then I'm left with protein: 18 eggs a week, then a generic brand of skinless chicken breasts (12 servings a bag) and then I can still buy a $10 salmon fillet. The total each week comes out to $30. That's $30 a week for 5 lbs of weight loss a week. If I needed to constrict my budget, I could substitute the salmon for something else. Oh, and nothing but water and tea for liquids, and I have enough tea stockpiled to last me until the end of time.

I cook all the chicken and salmon at once (reheating the salmon can make it a bit dry if you're not careful). Therefore everything's in the fridge and I don't lose anything to freezerburn OR have to pay to power a freezer either. And when you eat the same thing every day (which sounds boring, but I still like everything I've been eating), it's not really possible to forget about something and waste it.

I don't eat meat, and that is a BIG help.  I have printed out a list of what fruits/vegetables are in season during certain months, so that helps me determine what to head straight for at the grocery store.  It's also easier when you plan your meals around a "base" ingredient like rice, pasta, quinoa, or couscous for example.  I can make up a big pot of that ahead of time and then just add veggies and some kind of flavor (or not) and I'm ready to go.  Also growing my own herbs helps out too.  I have a TINY apartment, but there is room on my balcony to put out a couple pots of basil and this keeps the pesto sauce coming!  The bulk bins at the grocery and the ethnic groceries are great as well.  Meal planning probably makes the most difference because I sit down and plan out everything around a specific group of base ingredients and then I don't end up buying way more than I need because it looked good at the time!

We grow whatever fruits and vegetables we can.  And, only the ones we like to eat.  Our neighbors get together in summer and have a produce swap.  You bring your bounty and leave it and take some of what antoher has grown.  You get to try different varieties this way.

I look for fresh in-season items in the produce area of my grocery store.  And, I don't overlook the frozen isle.  These vegitables are just as healthy and oftan a lot cheaper.

I cook dried beans in the crock pot and I make my own yogurt.  Both require a minimal amount of time and are cheaper and healthier for me and my family.

I'd like to eat healthier on my limited grocery budget. It's really hard in Canada to do so. During the winter months, everything is imported and costs a lot.

That being said, I do try to get some fresh or frozen produce in with every meal.

I buy in bulk from Costco and can make my purchases last longer than a month. I usually buy the following at Costco:

•  Organic quinoa
• 12-can packs of garbanzo, black, pinto beans, tomatos
•  frozen blueberries (for smoothies),
• organic milk (3-packs)
• organic eggs ($3 for 18-eggs!)
• giant bag of organic carrots
•  bags of onions and potatoes for $3
• frozen organic vegetables
• 12-pack salmon burgers
• bags of dried fruit (mangos, prunes, cranberries) for 1/2 price of grocery store

I could go on and on, but that's just an example of how I save $$ every month and buy healthy foods.

With a husband and two teenagers, it can be hard but basicaly I try not to buy any pre-packaged or processed foods.

For dinners we eat - a veggie (usually from our garden or whatever frozen veggies are on sale),
- a meat (we buy half a hog from friends of ours - it's raised on their farm, only a litter at a time, and that means there are no chemicals, hormones or antibiotics fed to it - also pound for pound, much cheaper than store bought meat and SOOO much better!)
- and usually a starch - potatoes, pasta or rice. I bake cookies and other sweets from scratch.

It's kind of old-fashioned but it was how I was raised. My husband and I both work and my mom was a working mom, too, so time isn't really an excuse not to cook, just make it a family affair. My 16-year-old daughter is getting to be quite the cook!

i cook at home and focus on eating lots of in season produce

I use cooked whole wheat on a regular basis. I often substitute it for part of the cooked ground beef in a recipe. It cuts down the grease and increases the fiber and nutrients. My favorite recipe made this way is tacos. To make using wheat on a regular basis I pre-cook it the crock pot. 10 cups of water + 4 cups of whole wheat x 8 hours=12 cups cooked wheat berries. Then I divide it up into freezer bags. I use these with ground beef, in salads and even in salsa. Many people are skeptical until they try it. I also plan meals around oatmeal, beans and brown rice. These ingredients are very cheap and so much better for you than prepackaged dinners.

I'm learning to make healthier things from scratch, such as soymilk and tofu. I am also eating less meat, so that saves money, too.

Shop ads, clip coupons, cook from scratch, join a local food co-op, buy in season...

Cook from scratch.  Processed foods are full of refined starches and chemical that are not healthy.  Make your own versions of pasta roni, rice aroni.  Make mashed potatoes from real potatoes instead of a box.  Pizza does not have to be ordered from Dominoes or come from a box in the freezer.  It is a great family project to make pizza dough from scratch and top it the way you like it.  Instant foods are not always faster and they are usually not as healthy as home made things.  Instead of filling up your shopping cart with bags of chips and prepackaged meals, fill it up with flour, and brown rice and yeast.  You can bake or make anything you need.  Don't buy the pre mixed drinks or soft drinks.  Buy bags of tea and brew your own iced tea.  Add various flavors to your tea if you like.  Pick up a juicer at a garage sale and make your own juices.  When you make it yourself you control what goes into the food and the quantity you make.  You will save money on the ingredients plus you can make less food and not have all the leftovers in your fridge.  For a family of three we have cut our grocery bill in half using this appoach.  We shop every two weeks and only put about half the groceries in the cart that we used to put on a weekly basis.  It is the best way to eat healthy and to save money

I keep it simple.  I drink only water, which is basically free.  I drink a glass or two before each meal because sometimes our brain mistakes thirst for hunger.  I then start out each meal with loads of vegetables for digestive purposes.  I also try to eat a good amount of fiber-rich foods.  I do eat meat, which stretches the budget the most but grilling a couple of chicken breasts isn't too bad.  Simplicity is the key.  Clean simplicity.

We cut down on our meat consumption and put in a garden. Also, with our improved eating babits, portions are smaller and junk food is out, leaving room in the budget for a few more organic/whole/natural choices.

In all seasons except winter, I forage.  In the parks, nature areas, and at properties the local university owns, I've picked morels, puffballs, black raspberries, and blackberries.  One property had so many blackberries they were drying up on the vine--I know we picked hundreds of dollars worth.  The university has several persimmon trees, and I scavenge the fruit as it falls when perfectly ripe.  I don't have the patience to crack walnuts, but those are available too.  We always make sure picking fruit is permitted before we go foraging.

Get 2 slices of budget and slap some healthy on there; Healthy on Budget sam'ich!

I try to cook from scratch most of the time. I stock up on meat when they're super cheap (chicken, ground beef at $0.99) and always check the "quick sale" bins at the supermarket. I also shop at multiple stores, using the weekly sale fliers to determine which store I visit that particular week. My favorite place to get produce is at a local indoor farmers market called Henry's and at Persian/Asian markets. It's amazing how cheap beef is at Korean supermarkets :)

I keep my pantry and freezer stocked so in case I feel like something different, most likely I already have the ingredients. To make sure I don't take short cuts and eat out during the week, I do prep-work on weekends. For example, I trimmed sugar snap peas this past Saturday and store them in a ziploc/reusable container. I rinse vegetables just before cooking them.

I also pack lunches. I use bento lunch boxes I get at a Japanese discount store, and make sure I pack 2-3 boxes at a time so I get a break from packing them. 

Our grocery/toiletry/cleaning supply (basically anything I can get at a grocery store) budget on a monthly basis is $130 and we live in Orange County, CA. It's certainly not the cheapest place to live in and grocery prices can be quite high. I've been a coupon enthusiast since 2008 and we have been able to not only feed ourselves but others in need and our friends as well.

I eat rice almost everyday, so I have switched to brown rice instead of white. Also, I've taken to throwing some oatmeal in the rice when I'm making it for added nutrients and heart-healthiness.

I cant wait to see all of the ideas:) One thing I have found to help is to obtain a rain check for items that are of an excellent price. So lately strawberries here were $1.23/lb. they were just about all sold out (ie: i wanted more than what they had and the ones left were not that good quality and they understood) and I obtained a rain check for 12. The rain check is good for 90 days. Then when I am able to get them I will eat some fresh and freeze some later for some jelly making or smoothies.

I shop mainly at Safeway. I check their online add the Wednesday it comes out. I shop for their sales and they always have good coupons in their ad. They also offer coupons on their website (most grocery stores do). I plan my meals for a month and do my main shopping once a month. Fresh fruits/veggies/bread/milk I grab once a week, and I go meat shopping twice a year at Costco, buy lots meat/chicken, freeze it, and label it.

I've decided to increase my grocery budget. Quality, healthy food from should cost a little more. Junk food is cheap. I'd rather pay $7 for a chicken that I know comes from a safe source. But I save in other ways -- eating seasonal foods, buying from local vendors, not eating out, cooking from scratch, growing a garden. It kind of balances out.

I focus on preparing nutrient-rich meals, which means lots of soups, salads, vegetable and grain sides, and smoothies. I also cook ahead one to three times weekly, so there's always something satisfying on hand in the freezer and fridge. This back-to-basics approach has me enjoying what's in season, but for the most part, I don't plan my shopping around sales because I buy very little in the way of prepared foods. Instead, I try to use up what I've purchased so I get what I pay for. (Any marginal savings through sales is easily wasted if the product just sits on a shelf.) All my vegetable and fruit pairings, egg shells, tea and coffee grounds go right into my compost heap. Some weeks, there's packaging and little else in my garbage can, so I don't even put it curbside. I do garden a bit and will be sharing even more fresh produce with my furry friends this season. Nothing beats organic home-grown veggies and herbs.

Honestly? I've given up the hard and fast rules and plans - it doesn't work now that our lives are so frantic . . . it really only worked when the kids were all little and at home with me, and had no lives outside the house LOL

However now I just try to make BETTER decisions each day. This means doing a menu plan and taking time to think through things that go with the entree [so the veggies get in there] as well as other meals and snacks [so I can add the produce I have on hand in there too]. If something is at a great price at the produce markete I'll just use that to replace my scheduled items - but I don't have NOTHING. It also helps me to plan some meatless meals throughout the week.

On many days I use my freezer as a resource to buy in bulk when things are at their best price - even things like 'bad' bananas - which I package and store for instant smoothie packs with other frozen fruits - and that way most days we have a decent meal even when I have next to no time.

On days when I'm truly desperate for take out or eating out I stop myself and think if there's ANYTHING 'instant' in the house that will work - that's cheaper and generally healthier [if in portion control if nothing else!]

Eating healthy on a dime -- eat seasonal. Obviously, there are a lot more choices in the summer/fall when harvest makes produce plentiful, but there are seasonal choices in winter and spring. Also frozen veg are picked at the peak of freshness and flash frozen, so when stores have sales on frozen veggies, stock up -- those will let you have healthy foods for little money all year round!

Get creative about using your left-overs. Make it a goal to never throw anything out. It can be a fun, educational and rewarding challenge.

We implement several strategies, most already mentioned, to stay healthy and on budget:
plant a garden and can/freeze much of it's bounty
make much of what we eat from scratch including whole wheat bread, tortillas, broths, soups, etc. Basically we avoid all processed foods as it keeps the unhealthy ingredients out of our bodies and almost always is cheaper.
We barter with others who have produce and other healthy food options regularly-bread for eggs, homemade noodles and jam for beef, etc.
We always make a weekly meal plan and use it as a guide for all eating during the week and this keeps us on track both with $$ and health.

I buy marked down produce at Ingles Grocery Stores. Then we eat it that day. Veggie trays for $1.99! Big bags of spinach for 99 cents! I do this about twice a week. Also, we keep baby carrots on hand and they are inexpensive. And, I buy apples in a bag and get them for less per pound. Aldi's grocery is not nearby but if I am near the store I stop in and get their inexpensive bananas.

During the summer months, I grow my own vegetables. I also try to buy veggies and fruits that are on sale (usually these are seasonal). Reducing the amount of red meat has not only helped with my budget, but it also has helped with my health!!

I have some moral qualms about eating meat from animals raised in horrible conditions, so I only buy grass-fed beef and free range pork and chicken. Since these are expensive, meat is extremely limited at my house--we eat a lot of stir fries and pasta. Although I also buy eggs from humanely-raised chickens, these are not so expensive that I have to ration them too heavily. I buy spices from the bulk bins, where they are much, much cheaper. I have a tiny garden but after much trial and error, I only grow certain things that I know will make it and are worth the effort, such as bok choy, tomatoes, squashes,and herbs. Gardening supplies can be expensive at first, especially if the plants die, and it doesn't make sense to me to grow things that are very cheap in the stores, like beans. The rest of my produce comes from the 99cents Only store, except fruits that I know are heavily laden with pesticides, like peaches and strawberries. Those I buy organic, but very few at a time. Peelings go into compost. I buy very, very little processed food--from what I can see in the grocery store, that's where most folks' money is going and that's a big mistake, both money-and health-wise.

I scour the weekly ads, purchase the fresh fruits and vegetables that are on sale, then take an hour or so when I get home and clean and cut the fruits and vegetables and put them in snack bags for easy access for the next weeks lunches and snacks. This has saved me considerable expense over the already cut up produce that the grocery store provides, plus I feel that it is more fresh when I do it myself. It usually only takes me about an hour a week yet it literally saves me hundreds of dollars on groceries for the year.

here my $0.02:

1) eat lettuse leaves instead of crackers with cheeses, dips or anything else, as a treat - that way you get your treat and your greens!
2) eat sala every day
3) take 2-3 pieces of fruit to work for snacking every couple of hours
4) drink juice with green food in it

There are plenty of healthy, inexpensive foods. Eggs,beans,and tuna are all inexpensive forms of protein. You can pick up bananas,cabbage, or seasonal fruits and veggies inexpensively or purchase frozen out of season. I wait for sales on dairy products like cheese and yogurt when I can pick up 8 ounces of cheese for 50 cents. Whole grain pasta can be found for the same as or less than its non whole grain counterparts with a coupon. Ronzoni recently had coupons that made it product free at the local kroger and food lion. Coupons can also be found for whole grain bread if you arent choosy or brand loyal.

Christine
dazed1821@aol.com

Ways I save; I'm a vegetarian. I buy beans, rice, flour, sugar all those kinds of things in bulk from our local coop market. Then I make my own canned beans and my own bread. I'm a big fan of slow food because it requires little effort on my part (just soak the beans then dump them in the crock pot, just measure out the ingredients and dump them in the bread maker) and it's cheaper.

I'm a member of a CSA so I get local, seasonal organic veggies/fruits for something like, 6$ a week and that feeds two people. Ummm, what else? Oh! I am an insane person about the coupon circulars that come to my house and those websites that allow you to put your coupons on your Kroger card. I flip through the circulars and clip only the coupons for things that I'd actually buy.

I homebrew wine for fun, but this also saves money. 20 - 35$ of U Pick strawberries and an afternoon's fun activity w/ my friends turns into about 30 bottles of wine. Homebrewing though can be an expensive and time consuming hobby. Cottage wines are easy, but grape juice blends are expensive and beer can be really complicated and smelly!

We are part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Delivery, every two weeks we get a large box of fruits and vegetables which helps us eat organic, local, and seasonal, as well as promoting us to try new things we wouldn't normally try. It would cost us a lot more to go to the grocery store or farmer's market to buy the same items and it feels like a gift at our doorstep!

I've been diagnosed as insulin resistant. Not yet diabetic, but veering nervously close. So, I've been dieting both for weight loss and to lower my risk, at the same time I'm looking at actual nutrition. In that light, I've discovered that barley is cheaper per pound than rice. It's ALSO higher in fiber and lower on the glycemic index. I also reserve every bit of leftover and crumb and add it either to a soup or to a salad. Recently a friend took me out for a very expensive dinner and we shared a "chopped" kitchen salad. Basically, it was an assortment of seasonal veggies with iceberg lettuce, but all of it was truly chopped and tossed. I started making these at home and I not only find the iceberg more palatable, but it also stretches the finer lettuces, AND I use less dressing for some reason. Finally, I can't say enough about Greek yogurt. I use either the 0% or 2% fat. It's good protein and calcium. And it easily converts into a dessert (with a drizzle of honey) and can be used in any recipe you would otherwise use mayo. It makes egg and tuna salads much creamier. It's literally become my secret ingredient. I've also re-discovered celery. I chop it into salads, slice it and dip it into peanut butter as a snack, and when it's down to the inner greens, I make cream of celery soup. I use all the parts.

I combine store sales with coupons each and every time I shop. If it is a great sale, I stock up with enough that will last me until the next sale is due for that item. In addition, I only buy fruits that are in season as I refuse to pay $3.99 for a little plastic container of raspberries. I always subscribe to the store savings programs. I also clean/cut my own fruit and vegetables.

For meal planning, I like to get a lot of mileage out of one item. For instance, I will buy a turkey breast and cook it for a big Sunday meal. I then make hot turkey sandwiches the next day and I also make a giant pot of turkey noodle soup from the carcass. If I buy a ham, I prepare the ham for one dinner, then make a big pot of pea soup with the leftover meat and bone, along with saving some extra ham to make sandwiches, calzones, etc. So usually, meat will be the main course for the first night, and then the meat is kind of the 'supporting actor' for subsequent meals. I also cook at home as much as possible and if I don't have something planned already, it may just be pancakes and eggs that night for dinner with a fruit salad. I always try to have something on hand that I could serve in case of emergency. You just have to be creative!

I don't tweet. Tweeting's for the birds. ROTL!!!

Still, in addition to cooking from scratch in bulk, using coupons and sales and "double/triple coupons", I think a case needs to be made for... subscribing to a healthy food magazine, one that is majority vegetarian or health-conscious (Eating Well, Clean Eating, Cooking Light and/or Vegetarian Times). Many of these magazines can be purchased with airline miles, or part of a promotion deal with amazon. On top of this, many of these magazines have coupons of health-conscious products as well...

Anyway, collect these magazines, and sort them by season. put into special color-coded binders according to the types of produce that are in season--green for Spring, orange for Autumn, Blue for Winter, etc. Use these recipes to find those which best use the freshest, healthiest ingredients that are at the lowest-cost.

A lot of grocery stores will bundle produce at a reduced price if it's on its way out, but still good if you use it right away.

I either use the fruit/veggies right away, or cut up the fruit and freeze it for smoothies later (using a stick blender and combining with homemade yogurt and a little soft tofu)!

EAT AT HOME!!! I can't stress this enough. Make recipes from scratch. It wastes time, gas and money eating out. You know what you put into your own meals. Blogs, recipe sites and friends are a constant source for healthy recipes. My biggest learning experience is finding the right store(s) and farmer markets. My grocery store has a section I constantly check that has veggies, fruits on clearance. ripe bananas by the bag are pennies a pound. I usually slice the bananas and freeze them for smoothies as well as strawberries. I found potatoes for $1 a 10 lb bag and used them right away to make freezer mashed potatoes. I make a bunch in advance so I never have to think of what to make for a side dish for dinner. It pays to visit your farmers market. Fresh food from the farmers market is cheaper than the regular market. Know what you need and don't overbuy. Freeze what you know you can't use right away. Also dinners do not need to be a four course meal. Fresh tomatoes and pasta make a great meal. Add a little garlic for more flavor.

I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. Left to my own devices, pasta is really my staple. I never get tired of it - but it doesn't give me any nutrients whatsoever. My BMI is really awful, so I've been exercising more (I decided to pay for a gym membership to force myself to go - going for "a walk" never worked out, but this is!) and I've been trying to eat less processed foods to follow a more minimalist diet and get back to the goodness of nature. I don't necessarily want to go organic, but I would like to make more simple meals (caprese salads, soup and bread and cheese, granola and plain yogurt, things like that) just to get back to basics and learn to appreciate food as it is, not smothered in something. Overloading myself with fries and grease and soda is great and satisfying, and I still like it, but now I look at it and I regret putting it into my body. The whole "you are what you eat" factor. It's still a work in progress, but I rather like living to improve. :)

Over the past year I have lost 80lbs through hard work and a change in lifestyle.
There are many ways that I have achieved this without increasing my food budget, and actually have lowered from approx $750 a month (family of 4) to now over $500.
Main ways, are to cook everything... and occasionally splurdge once a month on eating out.
Watching what we are eating and of course buying off brand, and utilizing coupons.

No wasting of foods and shopping maybe once a week for the groceries.

*all of this done on a very low carb diet