15 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

Whether you’re new to healthy eating or looking for ways to cut back on your grocery bill, I’m sharing 15 tips for saving money while still sticking to your eating goals. 

1. Meal plan

Meal planning is one of the best ways to save money. Sure, it requires setting aside time once a week to plan a menu, but as you get into the rhythm of meal planning, it can actually save you time and money at the grocery store. 

I recommend taking inventory of what you already have at home and building your weekly menu around these items. 

This way, you’ll have less food you need to buy while also reducing food waste! 

2. Stick to your grocery list

Once you have your meals planned for the week, the next step is to create a grocery list. To make my shopping trips as efficient as possible, I like to write my list in the order that I’ll find items at the store. 

In addition to making grocery shopping faster, not having to go up and down all the aisles also reduces the temptation to put items that I don’t need in my shopping cart. 

Not only do these extra items add dollars to your final bill, but oftentimes I find these last-minute choices aren’t the healthiest foods to have at home anyways. 

3. Buy in bulk

There’s a reason stores like Costco are so popular: buying in bulk is both convenient and less expensive. 

And I’m not just talking about canned goods and whole grains. Items like chicken, carrots, and nuts are often cheaper when you’re able to buy a large quantity at once. 

However, the key to buying in bulk is also making sure that you avoid food waste by storing these foods correctly. 

For example, if you buy lots of carrots, consider balancing and freezing a few to add to soups or stir-frys later. 

The same goes for fish, poultry, and meat. Rather than thinking you need to get through all that chicken in one week, invest in a box of freezer bags to freeze half of what you bring home.

Plus, that way, the next week, you won’t have to worry about buying chicken as it’ll already be in your freezer. 

And don’t forget that you can also extend the shelf-life of nuts and seeds by storing them in the freezer as well.

For more food storage tips, be sure to check out this previous post!

4. And cook in bulk 

Also referred to as batch cooking, making large amounts of food at once is a cost-effective way to make sure your food doesn’t go to waste and that you always have a healthy meal option in your fridge or freezer. 

As we’ll talk about later in the post, one of the top ways to save money when eating healthier is to cook at home rather than dining out.

And by cooking in bulk, then freezing some of those portions, you won’t have to worry about those nights when the only options are to go to the store or order takeout. 

5. Buy seasonally 

Eating seasonally isn’t just good for the environment — it’s also great for your wallet!

Whether it’s corn and peaches in the summer or apples and winter squash in the fall, produce that’s in season is also available in a surplus. This helps to drive down costs. 

Plus, when these items are in-season, that likely means that they’re local or at least domestic, which is far cheaper than when they’re out of season and have to be imported from other countries. 

In addition to saving money, my favorite reason for buying in-season fruits and vegetables is simply that they taste better than at other times of the year. So you get better quality for a lower price. 

6. Go generic

One misconception I’ve heard when counseling is that generic isn’t as healthy as brand-name.

Now, while there may be brands that do create products that are specifically tailored to your diet (such as Primal Kitchen for those on a paleo diet) when it comes to items like beans, oats, and frozen produce, generic options are generally just as nutritious but cheaper. 

7. Buy foods closer to their whole forms

While I’m a big advocate for buying foods that have been as minimally processed as possible for nutrition reasons, doing so can also help save you money. 

For example, buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself is often less expensive than buying pre-shredded. Or buying a whole chicken rather than individual cuts. 

On a similar note, rather than spending extra for foods that are pre-portioned, invest in reusable snack containers and pre-portion out your snacks at home. For example, buy a big bag of baby carrots rather than a bunch of small bags. 

8. Buy staples when they go on sale

For foods that won’t spoil quickly, you can save money by stocking up on them whenever they go on sale.

Spices, canned goods, frozen foods (like meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables), whole grains, pasta sauces, nuts, and seeds are all foods that I keep my eyes peeled for sales on.

Sponges, zip-top bags, dishwasher detergent, trash bags, and other cleaning supplies are also good ones to buy when they go on sale. 

9. Opt for less expensive cuts of meat when making mixed dishes like casseroles and burritos 

When it comes to buying meat and fish in particular, my rule of thumb is if the dish is going to be mixed in with a bunch of other ingredients, then there’s no need to buy the most expensive cut. 

Here are some cheaper swaps to look for:

• Instead of chicken breasts: skinless chicken thighs
• Instead of a ribeye: chuck steak
• Instead of filet mignon: flatiron steak
• Instead of pre-cut pork chops: buy a full pork loin and slice it into individual chops
• Instead of Atlantic Salmon: Arctic Char (tastes similar to a mix between salmon and trout)
• Instead of Red Snapper: Pacific Rockfish 
• Instead of Bluefin Tuna: Albacore Tuna 

10. Expand your idea of protein

While there are many health benefits of a plant-based diet, it can also be easier on the wallet. Especially as plant-based proteins are often much cheaper than their animal counterparts. 

Some plant-based proteins to look for include:

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Beans
• Lentils 
• Nuts and seeds
• Hummus 

In addition to plant-based options, there are also other proteins that are inexpensive and easy to prepare, such as:

• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt 
• Canned fish, like salmon, tuna, and sardines 

11. Add flavor with inexpensive ingredients

When you’re cooking at home, remember that salt isn’t the only way to add flavor. You also don’t need expensive marinades and sauces. 

Foods like onions, shallots, garlic, ginger root, and jalapenos are all inexpensive and pack some serious flavor.

Combine these with a few staple spices (that you hopefully found on sale), and you can easily create a flavorful, inexpensive meal at home. 

12. Don’t forget about the frozen food aisle

And no, I’m not talking about frozen dinners.

The frozen food aisle can be a great place to find less expensive options for seafood, meat, poultry, fruits, and vegetables — especially when not in season. 

Curious about nutrient differences between fresh and frozen produce? Check out our previous article here.

13. Make your own salad dressings

Out of all the condiments, salad dressings are one of the easiest to make at home. 

Plus, as you likely already have the basic ingredients, you can save a lot of money by whisking together some olive oil, vinegar, and mustard rather than paying $3 or $5 for a bottled dressing that likely contains added sugars, sodium, and even artificial ingredients. 

Once you get the formulas down for a few of your favorite types of dressings, you’ll find that the flavor combinations are nearly endless. 

14. Grow your own herbs

Fresh herbs can add so much flavor to a dish. But, they can also be expensive and hard to justify spending the money on. 

If you find yourself cooking with herbs, like basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, or thyme, often, then you may want to consider growing one or more yourself. 

Unlike larger produce, herbs take up very little space and don’t require as much time to take care of. Plus, you can easily grow them inside, eliminating the need for a yard or patio. 

15. Cook your restaurant favorites at home

If you’re looking for the biggest way to save money when eating healthier it’s to cook more at home. 

Whether it’s a fancy steak dinner, pad thai, or even pizza, cooking at home has been estimated to be 5 times less expensive than dining at a restaurant or ordering takeout and 3 times cheaper than meal delivery kits like Blue Apron or HelloFresh. 

Plus, if you’re trying to eat healthier, a home-cooked meal is typically lower in calories, saturated fat, and sodium than a restaurant version. 

The Bottom Line

Eating healthier is often thought of as being more expensive. However, with a few key tips, you’ll find that there are ways to eat more nutritious meals without exceeding your grocery budget for the month. 

Also, keep in mind that inexpensive, heavily-processed foods like chips and cookies may seem cheap.

But when you consider that they don’t keep you full for very long, you may realize that eating healthier reduces how quickly you’re going through your food stash for the week. 

Don’t forget to use your Lose It! app barcode scanner to help identify foods at the store that are a good fit for both your wallet and health goals.