Getting your shopping list in order before you head on to the grocery store is a great way in making sure that you’re on budget. However, there are additional “strategies” you can employ in saving money when shopping for healthy foods. Here are 7 tips to save money when shopping for healthy foods.
- Planning ahead – Base your shopping list on what you need regarding your weekly menu plan and consider how you’ll be using what’s leftover. However, before doing so, check ads so you can see what items are on sale and making use of coupons so you could take advantage of them.
- Making healthy (and cheaper) choices – Studies have found that whenever families partook in weight loss diets, they don’t just lose weight, they also reduced their food budgets. The savings are the result of having reduced portion sizes as well as from purchasing fewer high-calorie foods.
- Buying produce that’s in season – Produce that are in season are normally priced in order to sell. Additionally, shop at your nearby farmers’ market for excellent deals regarding local produce.
- Make use of sales and coupons – Plan on making meals around the items that are on sale so you could lower that grocery bill of yours. This can be especially helpful if you also make use of coupons. Simple make sure that these are for the items you’d be buying anyway. The Sunday papers usually contain many a coupon, so you can get started there. Another great idea for you to stock up on items whenever they’re on sale. Just make good use of your freezer when it comes to produce, though.
- Go for canned, dried or frozen foods – Next time when you’re planning on making a meal, why not try making use of canned, dried or frozen foods? They’re not as expensive as their fresh counterparts but they’re just as nutritious. Produce gets normally canned, dried or frozen when their ripeness is at its peak. Fish as well as poultry get the flash-frozen treatment in order to lessen freezer damage while still retaining freshness. With frozen food, you only make use of what you need, reseal what’s left and bring them back inside the freezer.
- Wasting not, wanting not – Before tossing perishable food into that grocery cart, why not think about how you’ll make use of it? Making use of leftover veggies or meat in salads, stews, soups and whatnot minimizes your cost and shows your kitchen creativity.
- Planting your own garden – This option goes beyond savings. There’s simply nothing that’s better than having garden-fresh lettuce. You can start small and once you’ve invested a bit of time in freezing or even canning what you harvest, you could enjoy that bounty all year round.