Eating Healthy on a Budget

I have a family of 7! That is a lot of people to feed. We also have a very strict food budget ($750 a month for food and other household items, i.e. cleaning supplies, paper goods, personal care items, etc). I hear a lot of people complaining that it is impossible to eat healthy foods because they are so expensive. Now, I might agree that it is too expensive to eat all Organic foods. But I do not agree that it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. 

Below are my four favorite strategies for eating healthy on a budget. It won't be easy, but it is possible. If you begin to implement these things, over time, you will get there. Plus, I rarely coupon! I hate it because it just takes too much time! Time is a precious commodity around here.

Number One: Change where you shop! I LOVE Publix. Who doesn't?! There is always someone nearby to help you. They give your children free cookies and bananas. They walk you to your car and load your groceries. The only thing they don't do is drive home with you and help you unload your groceries. However, Publix is expensive. Unless you only purchase BoGo's and other sale items each week, you will not save money there. You can do that, but I want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it, not when it's on sale. Occasionally they have something I just can't pass up (like BoGo shrimp), but for the most part shopping there weekly will drain your food budget very quickly.

Over the last few years, I have been shopping primarily at Aldi, Wal-mart, and Sam's Club (got a premier membership on Living Social for $45 plus a $20 GC, so $25!). Wal-mart is the only store I will clip coupons for because you don't need them at Aldi and Sam's Club. I do run to Publix for delicious deli and bakery offerings and when I run out of milk, but my weekly shopping takes place elsewhere.

Full load leaving Sam's Club! Tip: It is far from my house so I bring a cooler and store my frozen/refrigerated items in there so I can hit up more than one store. I love buying meat at Sam's Club. They have a great selection of fresh and frozen items for a fraction of the cost of the local supermarkets. 

Gratuitous ALDI shot! I really do LOVE it here even if I have to bag my own groceries with my own bags, get my buggy with a quarter and return it on my own, and can hardly find anyone to help me out. The number on that receipt at the end makes it all worth it! I often buy two weeks of groceries at a time and rarely is that bill over $150!

Number Two: Stick to fruits and veggies that are in Season! Not only do they taste better, but they are cheaper. Trying to buy peaches in winter will cost you triple the price in summer. You can find them in local markets because they are flown in from South America and that makes them cost more! Wait! Believe me, the taste alone is worth it! Aldi has helped me to master this. They rarely carry out of season fruits and veggies. I LOVE Aldi! Have I mentioned that?

Tip: Local roadside stands can put your local supermarkets to shame! Got all this fruit at a local vendor one week for $15 (2 lbs grapes, 1 pint strawberries, 1 cantaloupe, 2 mangoes, 5 peaches, 4 apricots, and 2 avocados) 

Number Three: If possible, make it at home! Some of you may tell me you aren't cooks. My sister told me this very thing about five years ago. And today you will find that she makes the best baked goods you've ever eaten. She wanted to learn and so she did! You can do it too. America's Test Kitchen and The Homemade Pantry are two of my favorite cookbooks. Both books offer you the recipe and tips and tricks that will teach you how to really cook! Making it at home eliminates preservatives, improves taste, and decreases cost!

Double Batch of Homemade Granola: Perfect as a snack on its own or with milk or in a yogurt parfait.

Pizza night! Making your own pizza is so delicious and so much healthier. No additives and fresher ingredients

Number Three: Prepare, prepare, prepare! You must meal plan in order for this to work. It takes time and is really hard in the beginning. But once you get into a rhythm and discover the foods your family will actually eat, it will become a lot easier. I plan breakfast, lunch and dinners. I do not work outside the home, which makes this easier to do. However, it is possible to work outside the home and do this. You'll just need to add more preparation and maybe implement a system where you spend Sundays (or Saturdays) meal prepping for the week, utilizing freezer meals, and keeping it simple. There are tons of sites out there that require minimal membership fees and they will match weekly ads to meal plans they create or provide step-by-step meal plans with shopping lists, etc.

I sit down a couple days before shopping day and take inventory of my pantry and freezers. Then I plan out our meals for one to two weeks at a time and make my shopping list. Don't veer from the list! My kids have heard me say, "It's not on the list!" way too many times.

Watermelon, cucumber, and mint salsa, Kale and quinoa blend, and Shrimp kebabs (Total cost: $25 or $3.57 per person!)
Next time I need to make more, but still a great value at about $5 per person)

Pinto beans and Southwestern Grilled Chicken with fresh tomato and onion salsa (Total cost: $10 or $1.43 per person!) 

Number Four: Grow a garden. This is my first year gardening, but it was so nice to have fresh veggies right in the backyard. I have a lot to learn and I hope to increase my crop next season and harvest even more. I have a large yard so I cleared a plot of land. My father in law has had enormous success growing tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in pots on his porch. Even small spaces can yield yummy results. I planted from seeds, which was more work, but cost a lot less than purchasing plants that needed to be transplanted. Trees can also help you out. We planted pecan trees and peach trees. I'm hoping we'll see them fruit in the next few years.

Cucumbers from our garden with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper

Be patient and make one small change to start. As that becomes comfortable, add another change. You will get there! I promise!