How to Eat Healthy on a Budget: 10 Money-Saving Tips

You don’t need a cart full of organic groceries to eat well. A healthy plate and a healthy budget don’t have to be in conflict — they just require a little strategy.

What counts as “healthy”?

The USDA’s guidelines have recently changed from the familiar plate model (half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains, a quarter protein, plus a side of low-fat dairy) to one more focused on eating whole foods, upping protein intake, eating full-fat dairy and cutting out processed foods, added sugars and carbs.

The baseline is a 2,000-calorie diet, adjusted for age, any illnesses or other factors, like pregnancy.

Our guide to eating healthy on a budget is built around hitting that balance for less.

Before you build a menu or a list, see what’s already in your kitchen. Checking your pantry and fridge first keeps you from buying duplicates. Do you have three cans of diced tomatoes or produce that’s about to wilt? A quick internet search of those ingredients will turn up plenty of recipes.

🛒 Build your week backward from what’s already about to expire in your fridge, then fill the gaps with a “protein + whole grain + vegetable + healthy fat” formula rather than picking recipes first and shopping to match.

Fruits and vegetables are a staple of any healthy diet. But fresh produce has a short shelf life and can be pricey. Opt for frozen goods to save money — without sacrificing nutritional value.

“Produce is flash frozen at peak ripeness, meaning flavor and nutrients remain intact,” consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch says. “Plus, frozen goods store longer than fresh, and you can stock up during sale time.”

If eating healthy is top of mind, steer clear of canned goods packed in syrup and choose items that come in water instead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

🛒 Buy one “flash-frozen” vegetable blend you’ve never tried each month. Frozen mixes are often cheaper per ounce than any single fresh vegetable and force variety into your diet.

Watch: How to keep your food budget in check

Store brands — sometimes called private labels — are often identical to their name-brand counterparts in ingredients and quality. Where they differ is price.

“Shoppers can save 30% to 50% when they buy generic or store brands of such healthy foods as whole wheat pasta, canned organic vegetables and more,” Woroch says.

Buying generic spices is another great way to save money.

🛒 If you have others in your household, do a one-time “blind taste test” of three store-brand staples against name brand ones. Keep a running note on your phone of which swaps passed.

🛒 Learn one braising or slow-cook technique (chicken thighs, chuck roast). Tougher, cheaper cuts become tender and often more flavorful than pricier lean cuts.

If meat prices are putting you over budget each week, there are other ways to get protein. Cheaper substitutes like beans, tofu and lentils can cut your grocery bill and fill you up. Large Grade A eggs are roughly $2.19 for a dozen, which is much cheaper than ground beef, which is $6.89 per pound.

Introducing more plant-based foods into your diet can also help your heart health and put you at less risk for stroke and diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

🛒 Don’t swap meat for a “fake meat” product — swap it for beans or lentils that mimic the texture of meat. For example, swap lentils in for ground beef in your next bolognese to get a similar taste that’s both cheaper and less processed.

Eating healthy doesn’t require shopping at Whole Foods. A wholesale club membership can help you save on nutrient-dense basics like whole grains, beans, nuts, frozen produce and shelf stable items. As long as you have space to store your haul, you won’t be racing against the clock to eat everything before it expires.

Buying meat in bulk and freezing it into individual portions can also reliably cut your grocery bill each week.

Don’t live close to a warehouse store? Discount grocers still offer strong discounts on many of the same categories: frozen vegetables, canned beans and whole grains are always available. Plus, stores like Aldi carry lots of organic options, such as grass-fed butter, organic ground beef and milk, alongside dupes for name-brand items.

🛒 Going in on a membership with a friend or family member and splitting the haul is another way to get wholesale prices without overloading your cabinets. This option can also help you use perishables before they go bad.

Shop what’s in season for tastier food that’s also in abundance — and often on sale. Shopping seasonally can also encourage you to try a larger variety of foods, which is an important part of a healthy diet.

🛒 Keep a simple seasonal produce chart taped inside a cabinet or on the fridge. You might be able to save roughly 30% on those items at roadside stands or farmers’ markets.

Try leftovers for lunch the next day, making that midday meal a little less stressful and taking away the temptation to grab something on the go. Roasting a chicken one night? Shred the leftovers, add some salsa and toss it on a tortilla for lunch the next day. Or, mix it up with a little mayo and a diced apple for a tasty chicken salad.

🛒 Pick one “base” recipe a week (a roasted chicken, a big pot of grains or a pot of black beans) that’s designed to morph into a few totally different meals — not just reheated as-is.

If you’re planning a healthy recipe that’s easy to double, go ahead and make that second batch of homemade meatballs, cookie dough, chili chock-full of vegetables — whatever makes you happy. You can pop it in your freezer for a day when you’re too tired to cook or can’t make it to the store.

🛒 Freeze your extras in single-meal portions, not in one big block. This way, you’ll thaw only what you need, and it becomes a genuine backup plan instead of a science project you have to defrost all at once.

Being strategic with how you pay for groceries — or the occasional takeout — could save you money, too. Some credit cards offer cash-back savings or extra points when you use the card on groceries. Check the cards in your wallet to see whether you have one with these perks that you haven’t been using.

Cash-back apps can also help offset costs. Try uploading receipts using an app like Fetch to get points you can redeem for gift cards. Apps like Ibotta allow you to find coupons before shopping and then upload your receipt later to get cash back.

🛒 Pick one grocery cash-back app and one card, and actually stick to them for a month rather than juggling five apps. Set a recurring reminder to upload receipts weekly so you don’t lose your cash back simply by forgetting to submit it.

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