10 Simple Strategies to Eat and Shop Healthy (and Save!)

If you’re looking for ways to save a little while food shopping, but don’t want to sacrifice good nutrition, you just may be surprised how easy it is to do both.

Eating healthier foods can actually save you money.  When people eat more healthfully (especially if the family does it together), they not only reduce their waistlines but their grocery bills go down too.

When people decide to eat healthier and lose a few pounds they usually do (and should): reduce portion sizes, buy fewer high-calorie foods, and purchase less ‘extras’, foods that add lots of calories but have little nutritional value like chips, sodas, or donuts.  These changes add up to savings at the grocery store.

Though convenience and high-calorie foods may seem cheaper, but as they have little or no nutritional value people tend to eat a lot of them.  Their body is saying “hey, I’m not satisfied and need nutrients so please eat more.”  So people who eat these cheap foods are often those who are more likely to be overweight.

First, because they’re eating unhealthy foods.  And second, because their body is lacking proper nutrition so they often eat a lot of it.  It’s a double whammy.

Here are some tips to help shrink your grocery bill AND your waistline:

1)  Buy produce in season. You’ve probably heard (or read) me say this more this once. When food is in season it’s when they’re the most nutritious AND least expensive.  Foods in season at the grocery store are priced to sell.  For example, during the summer months corn on the cob is quite cheap.  But try buying it other times of the year and you can pay up to 10 times as much.  Grocery stores often have special deals or a “buy of the week” on fruits and vegetables that are in season, so be sure to check them out.

2)  Purchase “overripe” produce. The grocery store I shop at has an area in the back of the produce section with fruits and vegetables that are overripe and thus for sale at a huge cut in price.

Often what we American’s think of as overripe produce is actually still quite good.  A banana with a some brown on it is actually at its peak.  But for some reason, we have been conditioned to believe that all produce needs to be evenly shaped and be the perfect color.  So when a grocery store wants to get rids of the produce that isn’t “nice looking,” they mark it down a good deal.

The first thing I do when I food shop is go to this ‘price reduction’ section and often find a bundle of produce really, really cheap.  With those ‘brown-looking’ bananas, I’ll make homemade banana bread, banana-choc-chip cookies (which are very yummy), or freeze them for my smoothies.

3)  Buy frozen or canned. When food is NOT in season, you may find it cheaper frozen or canned.  You can purchase frozen berries in the winter at a fraction of the price you would for fresh.  Besides, who wants fresh berries in December when they are bland, have no flavor, been shipped hundreds of miles to get to the store, and have the high price tag?

Produce is typically frozen or canned at the peak of ripeness, when nutrients are plentiful (noticing a trend here…?)

4)  Bring your lunch to work. Spending about $2 a day on a homemade lunch verses $6 a day on the sandwich shop next to your office will save you about $80 a month and $960 a year.

Here in downtown Boston (and the suburbs) sandwiches and salads run at about $7-$10, and that’s without a drink!  And we know that even the bottled water runs $1-2 dollars each too.

When I worked in an office job I always brought my lunch.  I just brought leftovers from dinner the night before.  Not only did I eat healthier but I saved a LOT of money!

5)  Cook once, eat twice (or three times). You’ll save both money and TIME if you cook larger amounts and use the extra for leftovers.  Cook once for today’s meal, then put the leftovers in the fridge (for the next days lunch, just like tip #4), or you can even freeze a serving or two for when you need a quick meal but don’t have the time to cook.

6)  Make your own coffee or latte. Do you really need to spend $3-$4 per coffee each day?  If you purchase just one coffee a day (and I know many people that buy 2 or more) with the coffee or latte costing between $3-$4, making your own at home and bringing it with you to work could save you $90-$120 per month or $1080-$1400 per year!  That’s big bucks!

And if you want another coffee during the day, just buy a basic coffee machine for the office.  It will really save you money and you can then ‘splurge’ for the occasional latte once in a while.

7)  Shop at ethnic grocery stores. They’re showing up in more and more cities and neighborhoods and becoming easier to find. My husband and I shop at Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian and Mexican ethnic stores.  You can find spices, rice, olives, pastries (REAL pastries, not the sugar-loaded bland stuff at the supermarket) and even produce at a fraction of the cost you’ll find at regular grocery stores.  You just might be surprised at the values and quality you can find.

8)  Go to the store with a list, stick to it, and leave the kids at home. Okay, I know my husband is reading this right now and shaking his head.  I admit that when I go to the grocery store I often come home with more than I needed.  But it’s something I’m working on and my hubby can attest that I’m getting much better

So shop for only what you need and don’t spend forever in the store buying extra items.  You’ll not only spend more, but chances are many of those ‘additional’ items will just end up going bad and in the trash bin.

For moms:  leave the kids at home.  This way you’re not tempted to give in to pressure from a crying child saying “I want this!”

9)  Shop at the local farmer’s market. This time of year they’re available in many cities and sprouting up in suburbs too.  Chances are the produce is organic (read: healthier) and didn’t have to travel far to get to you, cutting down on costs.  You’ll also only find what’s in season (see tip #1) and get to know the people who cultivated the food.

10)  Save on protein foods. At least once a week try to substitute inexpensive, vegetarian sources sch as beans, legumes, tofu, and eggs instead of the more expensive meat, fish or poultry.  You could also try using a smaller portion of meat, fish or poultry and extending the dish with more whole grains, beans, eggs or vegetables.  It will save you money and is really much healthier.

If you remember just one thing, remember this:  ideal food is nutrient-dense (as in fruits, whole grains, and vegetables), not calorie-dense (convenience and junk food) and the least expensive may be fresh, frozen or canned.

Eating healthier can really save you decent money and just may help you lose a few pounds.

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