Eating Healthy on a Budget

Recently both of my adult daughters, one who is in college and the other who is married to an enlisted Marine (in other words, not much money right now) told me that they try to eat healthier, but it's expensive.  And you know what?  They're right.  Since being more selective about my food choices my grocery budget has gone way, way up.  I've been thinking about blogging about this for a while, but I've hesitated because it's a difficult blog to write.  First of all, while I am very good at saving money (I was the broke single Mom of four- I can pinch a penny til it squeals!), I am not by any means a guru of all the healthy foods out there, so I certainly don't know every tip available to mankind.

My daughter Alex, however (the one married to the Marine), encouraged me to blog about it so I'm going to give this a shot.  But I'm doing it with the warning that this is NOT a blog on how to eat cheap and super-healthy.  It's a blog on how to eat healtiER on a budget.  Because if your income is severely limited the sad fact is that you probably won't be able to eat 100% clean or have an optimal food supply.  There is no way I could afford to eat grass-fed organic meat (expensive!) with every meal.

Having said that, here are some tips you can implement to help reduce your grocery budget while making healthier choices.  Pick and choose as they apply to you:

- Eggs!  They're usually less than $2 a dozen, and are packed with all sorts of good things for you.  Also, a whole egg will usually keep you feeling full for a long time.  If you eat two whole eggs with toast and a salad or a piece of fruit, that's a filling and quick meal that costs very little.  Also, egg-based dishes like quiche can be made crust-less and poured into a greased pie pan for relatively little money.   I have a recipe that uses canned skim evaporated milk (store brand very cheap), cheese (I use 2%- this is a couple of buck), and ham (I buy the cheapest cubed store brand they have).  Lots of protein, and the whole thing goes together for about five bucks and lasts at least a couple of nights.  More if you are not feeding other people.

- I've done the math and liquid egg whites, while they appear to be expensive per container, are usually less expensive per white than separating the white from a whole egg.  Plus, it's a lot more convenient.  Having said this, if you want the most nutritional value for your buck, eat two whole eggs and forget about separating whites.  You'll get a little more fat and calories, but you'll be full longer for less money.

- Turkey bacon is less expensive than pork bacon and lots lower in fat.

- Frozen veggies, particularly store brand, are economical, usually more nutritious than fresh (fresh usually loses nutrients in shipping and shelf-ripening), and keep better so there is less waste.  Make sure they don't have pasta or sauces added.  When you see a sale on them and have a few extra bucks, stock up!  Then on those days when you are flat broke you can have a veggie omelet and fill your tummy with nutritious food.

- I know everyone touts the benefits of Ezekiel bread, but at $5 a loaf it's almost a mute point to even suggest it to someone on a limited budget.  If you can, get double fiber bread.  Or at least 100% whole grain.  And don't feel guilty about eating packaged bread- You know how much better whole-grain bread is for you than the white junk most Americans consume?  Which reminds me: No matter HOW broke you are, don't buy white bread.  Bad, bad, bad.  It's completely and utterly nutritionally void, and I don't care what kind of stuff they've sprayed in there to "fortify" it.  This is one place you need to spend an extra buck.

- Keep in mind that lots of things, like bread and even milk and cheese, freeze.  So if you find a really good deal on something, toss it in the freezer until your current supply has run out.

- Skim milk is usually lower priced than other milks that have fat in them.  And look for the store brand of milk!  It's usually less expensive than name brand.  Often people don't realize more than one brand of milk is on the shelf.

- Forget soy, almond, and any other non-milk "milks".  First of all, they're expensive, and second of all, their calcium count is usually far below that of cow's milk.  Furthermore, I've found that almond and soy milk, while lower in calories, are higher than fat than skim milk  (Which has no fat)

- If you are military and have access to a base commissary, USE IT!  Particularly for perishable items.  Produce, meats, dairy, and frozen foods are almost always significantly less expensive in base commissary's.  If they are a bit of a drive away, go once a month or every two weeks to stock up on the staples.  On canned items, though, you can often do better price-wise if you buy the Walmart brand.

- If you have an Aldi near you, peruse the aisles of it to see if there are any healthy options.  Their milk and produce is usually quite a lot less expensive than a regular grocery store  Be sure to bring your own bags and be prepared to fill them yourself after checking out!

- For canned items, get the store brand.  The truth is that they are often made in the same facility as the more expensive stuff.

- Check the price of ground turkey breast against the price of lean ground beef.  I've been surprised to find in some stores that it is less expensive.

- Speaking of ground beef,  be aware of which level of fat is REALLY the best deal.  Sometimes the leaner cuts are more expensive by the pound, but when you figure that 1/4 of the bulk will cook out of the cheapest kind in the form of fat, sometimes the leaner beef actually winds up being a better bargain.  On the other hand, if you are making a recipe that calls for cooked and drained ground beef and the fattier kind is significantly less expensive, go ahead and get it, making sure to buy 1 1/3 pounds of 75% lean ground beef for every pound of beef called for in your recipe, since 1/3 a pound will cook off as fat.  Then after it is done browning rinse it REALLY well with hot water for several minutes in a colander (keep the hot water going after the beef is drained, to keep the fat from clogging up your sink), before proceeding with your recipe.  You will be left with beef that is just about, if not as, lean as the 95% lean beef.

- Work beans into your diet frequently.  They help take up bulk and stretch meat dishes farther, and are really good for you!  And are they ever cheap!  Canned are inexpensive (rinse then first to reduce their sodium content), but dried are cheaper yet.  You have to soak the dried kind, but they are a wonderful dollar-stretcher.

- If you have a local Farmers Market USE IT!  You will get very fresh produce that tastes better and is healthier than anything you can get in a store for a lot less money.

- Buy in bulk.  If it is something you know your family will eat a lot of and the price is less per ounce (you need to check), go ahead and stock up.  But make sure it won't go bad before you can eat it all.

- Don't buy in bulk.  Yeah, I know I am contradicting myself, but if you are trying something for the first time and not sure you will like it, or if you can't eat it before it goes bad, or if the container isn't going to fit in the space you have to store it, buying in bulk is risky business.  You could wind up paying $8 for that big box of cereal that you are never gonna touch again, or have to throw away because it spoiled, or your roommate throws away because they are tired of it sitting on the counter since it won't fit in your dinky little dorm cabinet.  That eight bucks coulda gone in your gas tank.  Better to spend half as much for a much smaller size.

-  Fake crab meat.  It's an inexpensive and low-fat high protein food that tastes pretty good.  With it I make crab enchiladas, crab omelets, crab quiche, and crab salad.  

- Canned Tuna in water.  It keeps for a ga-zillion years on your shelf and when you're hungry and low on money it's a good, lean source of protein.

- Before you go shopping make menus and a list of everything you will need to cook them, and then stick to it.  The one exception here is if you find a great deal on meat in the store- Then it's okay to swap out for one of your more expensive meat meals on your menu list.  For this reason, bring your menu list to the store, too.  (Mine is typed right into my shopping list- After I get back it hangs on the fridge.)

- Eat in!  It's really hard to find a meal you can eat out for less than the price you can eat at home.

If you found yourself saying "I don't like that!", or "My family won't eat that" to all of my above suggestions, then I am sorry, but I can't help you.  Sometimes to compromise and save money while eating healthier you just have to eat what is not your favorite.  My kids and I learned to like beans when I was a broke single mom.  You can, too.  What's more important?  Your taste buds, or your health?

Additional suggestions would be appreciated!  And if you see comments on this blog below, be sure to read them:  You might pick up even more tips!