Contrary to what most people think, a healthy diet does not have to cost more money than unhealthy food. In fact, it can be cheaper than fast food when done right. Certain foods like produce and natural products tend to cost more than their unhealthy counterparts, but if you follow budget-saving tips, you should be able to find a healthy balance.
Preparation and Cooking
Restaurants increase the price of their food to compensate for a profit, so they will generally be more expensive than if you buy the food directly from a grocery store. You end up buying less-healthy food for more money. A solution is to cook inexpensive and healthy food from the grocery store yourself and beat the prices and quality of fast food. For example, if you normally spend about $5 on your family of four using the dollar menu at a fast food restaurant, you can alternatively buy a bag of dry organic navy or pinto beans and brown rice at a grocery store for $2.50. However, you will have to spend time cooking it yourself. Cooking in large batches can save you time, which may save you money. Cooking your own foods may be challenging and time-consuming at first, but once you discover how well you feel the effort will most likely be worth it. You can have a healthy diet without having meat at each meal, which saves you money.
Bulk Staple Foods
Buying in bulk can save you money, especially if you buy it at bulk and wholesale grocery stores. You can also find bulk bins of dry food at health food stores that save money on packaging and pass their savings to you. Good foods to keep as healthy staples include quinoa, brown rice, low-sugar granola, oatmeal, dry or canned beans, nuts, seeds, raisins and other dried fruit. Also, you can buy perishable bulk healthy food in your freezer like whole-grain bread, bagged frozen berries and other fresh fruit and vegetables.
Organic Essentials
Until organic produce becomes more of the standard way to grow food, and prices fall, it may be difficult to afford if you are on a tight budget. However, with all the money you save on cheap and healthy meal plan strategies, you may be able to afford certain organic foods. Some organic foods are more important to eat for your health than others. Reserve your organic budget for fresh fruits and vegetables that have thin, delicate skins like berries, grapes, peaches, tomatoes, along with others that are prone to genetic engineering, like soy and corn.
Considerations
To save money at grocery stores, look for in-store or newspaper coupons and join their discount club. Also, buy generic or store brands, which are usually similar in quality to name brands. Look at the price tag on the shelf, which usually gives you a price per ounce or other unit of measurement to more accurately compare prices of similar items that are different sizes. If you have food stamps, ask your local health food store if they are accept them; many do.
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