There's no doubt that the cost of food has skyrocketed. But we have to eat!
In this post I'll give some ideas and tips on how you can save money on food and eat healthfully.
What are you buying?
Before we can start to shop more economically, we have to first take a look at what we're spending our money on.
Take a look at your last receipt or browse through your pantry and fridge. Are there things on your shelves that aren't necessary?
A general rule to shopping for food is to limit buying foods in the middle aisles of the grocery store. This is where you'll find things with minimal nutritional value, such as chips, soda, cookies, and prepackaged foods.
Buying these items on a regular basis is essentially spending money on empty calories. Meaning, they leave you feeling hungry and craving for more without providing important nutrients that our bodies need. Plus, they're not cheap!
To keep a fatter wallet and a smaller waistline, opt for packaged foods that contain 3g or more of fiber, 6g or less of sugar, and 3g or more of protein. The products should have 10 or less ingredients and be words that you can pronounce.
You can save the other items for special occasions.
Buy in season and locally.
We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Often times I hear that people avoid them because it's too expensive to eat healthy foods. The trick is to buy seasonally and locally.
Produce in season is typically less expensive (and usually on sale) because of its abundance. Not only will you save dollars, you'll also gain vitamins and minerals that your body might be currently lacking. (Mother Nature is very smart!)
In addition to buying seasonally, also buy locally.
Buying local means that the produce you consume has shorter travel time, making the nutrients more available and the cost to ship the produce less. Plus, it's more environmentally friendly!
One of my very favorite ways to shop locally is to visit a local farmers market or join a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture.
A CSA is a way for you to support your local farmers and eat the freshest produce available to you. If you're lucky enough to find one like Blackberry Meadows Farm, you'll have the opportunity to know the people that grow your food, lend a helping hand if you wish, and enjoy certified organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
With a CSA you pay a flat fee. Depending on which package you select, generally over the course of 20 weeks, you'll receive produce each week that will feed 2-4 people anywhere from 3-4 meals for roughly $33! Trying doing that in your grocery store!
To find a CSA near you, visit https://www.localharvest.org/csa/
Try a subscription.
If you know me, you know that outside of my CSA, I shop from subscriptions. Companies like Misfits Market, Thrive Market, and ButcherBox are all great ways to save money on high quality foods*. (Aside from ButcherBox, you still have to read ingredient labels on items to ensure that you're getting organic, high quality foods*.)
Shopping on Misfits Market allows me to buy fresh organic produce, pantry staples, dairy products and more, for a discounted price. I can shop online and have the groceries delivered to my door, saving me not only money, but time.
For a minimum of $45 (plus shipping costs) I can receive a box that will feed 2-4 people throughout the week. And did I mention that it's organic?
They also have a perks program which can add up to even more savings!
ButcherBox is a meat delivery service offering 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, pork raised crate-free, wild caught seafood, and more. Their most popular box is their Custom Box starting at $169 with free shipping for 9-14lbs of meat per month, which averages out to $5.63 a meal! And right now (date of posting) you can sign up and receive 3lbs of chicken wings for life for free!
I love Thrive Market for pantry staples, frozen foods, and nontoxic cleaning supplies that sometimes might be hard to find in my suburban grocery stores.
Though I use Thrive Market for more specific items and convenience, I still find ways to save. (You can shop by a certain diet, i.e. Paleo, Gluten Free, making it simple to find items related to your needs.)
A jar of Raos tomato sauce at my local grocery store costs $9.49. I can get the same jar of sauce on Thrive Market for $6.74!
Make a plan.
I'm sure you've heard to never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. You also should not go without a plan!
To save money (and calories!) it would be wise to have most of your meals cooked at home.
Carve out some time to create a weekly menu for all of your meals, and then make a grocery list of items that you'll need. Once you've got your list, stick to it!
Soups and stews are great options, especially during these cold winter months, that require little work and can last a few days. (They make perfect lunches paired with a salad!)
Beans, lentils, rice, oats, and quinoa are also budget friendly, versatile, high quality foods that deserve a spot in your pantry. (Meatless Monday, anyone?)
These are just a few examples of how you can eat healthy and still save money on food. If you'd like to learn how to navigate your local grocery store, I encourage you to sign up for my 6-month health coaching program which includes a supermarket tour!
Did you find these tips helpful? What are some ways that save on food? I'd love to hear in the comments below!