Healthy food has become a number one topic as we head toward leading healthier lives and reducing our carbon footprint. Still, groceries and healthy foods can come at a high price tag causing many people to opt for less expensive ingredients that contain more sodium, preservatives, and artificial flavors to name a few. The good news is there are ways to curb the high price tag while eating healthily, and in today’s post, we’re discussing some convenient tips.
1. Opt For Whole Foods
When purchasing whole foods, you’ll get more for your buck since they yield a larger quantity. For instance, purchasing a whole butternut compared to a precut one, or a block of cheese rather than cheese slices, whole legumes (beans, peas, lentils) rather than canned variations. Sure, canned foods might cut your cooking time, but they are heavily processed to preserve shelf life, and they often cost more and yield less volume. Packaging and labeling are key components considered for the product quality and efficacy of gene and cell therapy. Fresh, whole foods are almost always the better and healthier option.
2. Choose In-Season Produce
If you’ve not thought about it yet, we recommend seasonal produce instead of out-of-season. Goods out of season are harder to source locally, resulting in importing and the cost associated with tax and imports. Being out of season may also affect their taste, and you’ll notice that when using seasonal ingredients, you’re bound to create better-tasting meals and snacks.
3. Prepare Meals at Home
Eating out is a treat, but you will spend more on eating out than shopping for your groceries and cooking it yourself. It’s lovely to cook a hearty meal and enjoy it at home with the family, and as a bonus, leftovers can be frozen for another day. Statista suggests that over 30% of Americans dine out at least a few days in one month. Can you imagine how much cash could potentially be saved when enjoying a home-cooked meal instead? Also, households in the United States spend around 300 U.S. dollars per year on major appliances and an additional 120 U.S. dollars on small appliances. Put those appliances to use and cook at home!
4. Canned and Frozen Foods Are Good Too
With a busy lifestyle, you might not always have time to prepare a meal from scratch, and you would need to take some shortcuts. True canned produce can obtain preservatives for the sake of long shelf life, but that doesn’t mean they are all bad. You could check for low sodium and no artificial colors or flavors that might potentially reduce the canned food quality. Frozen vegetables retain their goodness when harvested and are frozen soon after. You can preserve your ingredients by investing in frozen and good canned foods. Consumer Reports suggest that an estimated 17% of homeowners complain about their refrigerators involving no ice or water coming out of the dispenser. Maintaining your refrigerator can ensure its longevity and optimum function.
5. Eat at Home Before You Shop
Naturally, we tend to become more prone to buying food or eating while out if we never ate prior. Shopping on an empty or hungry belly can result in you spending more money on unnecessary food items. Instead, eat before you leave and enjoy the benefits of saving money on your groceries more than you would if you left home hungry and looking to munch food on the go just by the smell of it being made.
6. Skip Meat and Add Additional Protein
Meat is delicious but expensive, especially when you’re not buying at a butchery. Try cheaper proteins like eggs, plant protein, and canned fish. These may not give you the equivalent of meat protein with each serving, but they are protein and will sustain you.
7. Go for Sale Items
If your budget can manage it and there are a few sales of groceries in the store, choose to stock up on these items. Sales items with long shelf lives can benefit you in the long run. It can also help you save when cooking as you may have the ingredients and more, in addition, while making your meals during the month.
Overall, these were just a few money-saving tips that you can use when you shop. It’s important to not only save money but to also eat healthily. If you know what to look for, these things are easy.
