10 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

We’ve all been there — we are trying to eat well, but it can be challenging depending on accessibility and affordability. But we know that by cooking at home and eating well, we’ll feel better and while it might cost more, it’s less in medical bills we have to pay later on, RIGHT? I always describe this by comparing our bodies to cars (stick with me here), if you put SUPER gasoline in your car regularly vs. the cheapest gas you find, then over time, it will last longer… while it costs a bit more money each time you fill up, it’s less money you’ll have to spend later down the line. It’s the same idea for eating well. That said, there are some great ways to save money and time. That’s why I’m sharing 10 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget! I hope this helps – please PIN and share with a friend to make everyone’s lives easier. 

Disclosure: Some links below are Affiliate Links, which means at no cost to you, I make a commission on any sales generated on these links. Thank you for supporting this blog so I can continue creating helpful content! As a reminder, I only partner with brands I trust and use myself.

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1. Buy produce that’s in season.

Not only is it more cost-effective to buy the fruits and veggies that are in season, but it’s healthier and more sustainable too! Our bodies respond to the seasons and need different amounts of vitamins and minerals at different times.

For example, in the summer… tomatoes are in season and they are filled with beneficial nutrients that are especially helpful with the sun. The lycopene found in tomatoes, an especially potent antioxidant, is able to quench biologically damaging free radicals. These molecular fragments are spawned by natural processes, disease, and a number of environmental insults–including overexposure to the sun. (source) So eating tomatoes on a day out in the sun is a natural dietary way to help your skin stay protected. It’s even suggested to eat them cooked with a little fat (I’d suggest some ghee, olive, or coconut oil) for the best results!

To know what’s in season, here is my favorite resource. 

Take your list to the farmers market and connect with the source! Chat with farmers and ask any questions you have, such as the farming practices used, where they’re located, etc. If you don’t have access to a farmers market, head to the perimeter of your grocery store (where all the fresh produce is) and look for signs of origin to see how local they are (the more local the better for sustainability and freshness of course), you can also ask the associates there any questions you may have if you’re interested. I’d encourage anyone to ask questions here and there, not to be “that person” but to better connect with your food and where it comes from.

2. Use the Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen Resources to save on Organic Produce

The Environmentally Working Group (EWG) puts out two lists each year, one is the Dirty Dozen and the other is the Clean 15. Here’s why this is helpful!

The Dirty Dozen is a list of 12 produce items that have been found to have been the most contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc. and it’s best to avoid the conventionally grown versions of these and instead buy them organic.

The Clean 15 is the reverse of the Dirty Dozen, it is a list of produce items that have been found with the least contamination of pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc., so you can rest easier buying them conventionally grown to save money.

You can download the app to always quickly access the most up to date version of it on your phone.

3. Purchase frozen fruits and vegetables.

I had an aversion to frozen vegetables as an adult after growing up with those frozen vegetable “medleys” that my Mom would microwave every night. The result? A soggy, tasteless mess. Therefore, I didn’t love eating vegetables as a kid. My parents worked long hours and did their best, and that was the most convenient thing to do and they also didn’t really know a better way for weeknight cooking. Now at days, thankfully there are a lot more resources and we now know the magic of ROASTED VEGETABLES that make everything taste better ????! So getting frozen vegetables was not an easy try for me, having been scarred and all.

However, I’ve warmed up to the idea lately. Not only does buying frozen often cost less, but it’s more convenient so you don’t have to worry as much about produce going bad if you didn’t get to it. I wouldn’t recommend this for all fruits and veggies, (especially if you can get amazing fresh produce that’s in season), but with the convenience, and cost-savings it’s something to try! This is especially helpful when buying something that’s not in season, grab it frozen for the freshest option.

I love to buy all my smoothie ingredients frozen of course, for the best smooth texture, such as berries, butternut squash, beets, frozen spinach, and pineapple!

As for frozen veggies to prep and use… I love grabbing frozen cauliflower rice to save the mess and because it goes badly and stinks up the fridge SO QUICKLY so I find it hard to prep. Frozen cauliflower and broccoli florets are also a great option to later steam, sauté, and roast! Try out different kinds and compare prices near you to see what works best, just remember the water content when it defrosts.

4. Buy nuts, seeds, and spices in bulk. Store Nuts & Seeds in the Fridge.

These can be pretty pricey when you buy them on the fly and in small quantities. But if you buy either online or in bulk in-store (preferably when they’re on sale), you’ll save a lot more money!

A CAUTION though, nuts and seeds GO BAD. They’re filled with oils, and oil turns (just smell them). So make sure you’re getting them from a trusted source (see my favorites below – so you can complain to customer service if you get a bad batch for any reason). If they’re on sale in the store, I’d definitely pay close attention to smelling them in case they’re old… and the last thing you want is moldy food that’s spoiling. I’d also say to store nuts and seeds in the fridge so they last longer, hence saving you more money and a rotten experience.

Grabbing your favorite spices online, I’ve found is way cheaper. Whether you buy in bulk or not. (See below for my favorite online sources)

5. Cook Large Portions and Use Your Leftovers

I’m all about cooking once and eating twice! Even as someone who loves to cook, I also love to work smarter and not harder. That’s what cooking large portions can do. If you don’t love leftovers… at least prep your meat ahead of time and keep plenty of fresh greens handy so you can eat them raw or whip them up in a flash which still saves you time.

Buying larger portions of meat/fish and veggies can save you money but mostly, this strategy SAVES YOU TIME. Which is super valuable.

photo of me by Sophie Sahara

6. Freeze what you don’t use!

Back to the freezer chronicles here, if you stocked up on in-season berries that you can’t simply finish before they spoil… freeze them! Same goes for just about everything. Don’t feel bad if your plans changed that week or feel like you’re a slave to an expiration date, simply throw them in the freezer and figure it out later. This will save a ton of money and on food-waste.

TIP: I always save my chicken bones and freeze them. When I’m ready, I make a big batch of bone broth and freeze the surplus, because it will go bad quickly if I don’t use it all (FYI– when freezing liquids, fill your container half or 3/4ths of the way so it doesn’t shatter if it’s glass). Then I can use that broth for drinking, cooking, and this soup or this weeknight bone broth ramen which takes no time at all.

7. Buy eco-friendly food storage

If we waste less, we spend less… bottom line. So I am sharing some favorite healthy food storage products I use regularly:

• Glass Drinking Straws
• Meal Prep (packed meal) Glass Containers
• Silicone Cubed Ice Tray
• Bee’s Wrap
• Silicone Food Storage Bags
• Mason Jars
• Glass BPA-free Tupperware Set

8. Know before you go

This is a simple one: Make a shopping list before you go so you don’t buy unwanted or un-needed food! Also, beware of shopping when you’re hungry or that list will cease to matter. ????

9. Shop online from discounted Retailers

Not only is this convenient, but you can buy in bulk and compare prices easily from the comfort of your own home. These are my favorite online discounted retailers as well as retailers with amazing and sustainable meat/fish.

Discount Retailers for Pantry:

• Thrive Market – This is my go-to for pantry items, you can search by allergen or diet while saving some serious cash! It’s a membership site, but you can easily track how much money you’re saving by using them (it’s almost like a healthy, online Costco). Their products are usually cheaper than Amazon. See my favorite pantry picks that happen to be Whole30 & Paleo!
• Amazon – Of course! I always compare prices here and can buy a ton of goodies on here. The free 2-day shipping with a Prime membership is really clutch when you don’t have time to wait.
• Nuts.com – You can also browse nuts/seeds here and compare!

Grass-fed/Organic Meat and Wild Fish:

• U.S. Wellness Meats – they have a great selection of grass-fed beef, bison and pasture raised/organic poultry. I love their fresh pork, ground meats, and their shipping is pretty quick too!
• Vital Choice Seafood – I love getting my wild and sustainable salmon here along with various white fish and other seafood. I’ve found the consistency and quality to be very reliable here. I’d also add that they tend to have sales pretty frequently if you sign up for their email list!
• SizzleFish – Another awesome source for wild and sustainable fish. They have great “packs” you can grab with assorted fish as well.
• D’artagnan – Being on the East Coast, we found this place after scouring for an organic Turkey for Thanksgiving! We’ve been hooked ever since. My FAVORITE item ever is their Duck Confit. They have a large range of options for organic meats and a lot of information on every type they offer and often run freezer sales if you sign up for their email list. They also have great cooking videos!
• Simple Grocer/Pederson’s – My love runs DEEP for good quality pork, you guys! I’m Puerto Rican and can’t live without it apparently hahaha. Pederson’s is famous for their *no-sugar bacon* and amazing Whole30 approved products. My favorite is their chorizo, bacon, ground Italian sausage, and mild breakfast sausage – OMG. You can buy on Simple Grocer which also has some other great products you can browse.
• Butcher Box – This is a monthly shipment of various meat (grass-fed and finished beef, heritage raised pork, and organic poultry, etc.). I have heard from my friends (and mom) that it’s a fabulous way to save money on good quality meat! I haven’t tried it myself yet, but plan to.

Produce:

• Farm Fresh to You (In available areas only) – NOT MEAT! This is basically a CSA where they connect you with local farms so you can order fruits/vegs and customize your preferences. It’s not available in all zip codes so you can check yours (not yet available in mine, can’t wait to try though!)
• FreshDirect (In available areas only) – You can essentially find anything you’d find at your grocery store here and they always have in-season/local and organic options for you. They also have exceptional customer service so if anything arrives mistakingly, broken, rotten, or smooshed… call them right up and they’ll make it right.
• PeaPod (Another Delivery Service in available areas only)
• You can also check to see if there is a CSA option in your area for either delivery or pick-up. Below are some resources for finding one near you! A “CSA” is a community supported agriculture program where local farms will create boxes of whatever fruits/veggies are in season so you have the freshest pick! It’s usually very cost-effective and it’s fun to be surprised with seasonal goodies.
  • Bounty from the Box
  • Local Harvest
  • USDA

For In-person Grocery Store Savings:

The beauty of the online resources I mentioned, is it’s a bit more accessible. However, if you are near one of the following stores, I know you can find some affordable options including organic. Check out the stores in your area, ask the staff questions, and feel free to make requests with a list of brands you’d like to see there and even get your friends to join in!

• Trader Joe’s
• Whole Foods* (this may not be the most cost-effective usually, however now with the Amazon Prime discount, there are a lot more deals! If you are an Amazon Prime member, simply show the app when you checkout and you can get those deals)
• Stop and Shop
• Aldi’s
• Shop Rite
• KeyFood
• Target
• Walmart

10.  Switch up your Protein sources

Listed above, are some great protein options but no matter what this can be the biggest strain on the budget. So be sure to switch it up. I love to keep canned tuna and salmon on hand (try Safe Catch brand or Thrive Market house-brand), as well as pasture-raised eggs (I love Vital Farms brand). For smoothies in the morning, I love using a plant-protein by the Truvani brand that is squeaky clean! Switching it up also means you won’t get bored or stagnant.

Don’t be afraid to also venture into those cheaper cuts of meat like ground meat or chuck pieces for a hearty stew. If you have an Instant pot you can make the tougher pieces of meat in half the time that is just as delicious!

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I hope this has been helpful! If you have any suggestions, tips or anything you’d like to add… please comment in the box below. I’d love to make this a robust resource for the Food by Mars fam!

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