Happy Tuesday, Warrior! If you have been in a grocery store lately, I’m sure you have noticed the same thing I have. In times of financial stress, everyone looks for ways to save. But in terms of food, you can maintain both your Financial and Physical Health. Let’s chat today about some strategies!
Before we dive in, let me state that I am not a dietician or nutritionist. None of my recommendations are based on any particular diet or meal plan. As an exercise physiologist and trainer, I do subscribe to the idea that whole foods are generally preferable and that a plant focused plan provides wellness benefits. I am also not a financial planner, just a working mom that wants to keep a keen eye on my own family’s budget.
OK, enough with the disclaimers. As I already mentioned, food prices are up. For most families, this means that budgets are tighter and sometimes tough decisions need to be made. I want to share some strategies that I have used in the past several months to actually decrease my family’s grocery bill. Yes, you read that correctly.
First, meal plan, meal plan, meal plan. Going to the store without a set plan results in buying whatever looks good (or is cheapest) at the moment. And that doesn’t often translate into actual meals. You may need to run out for other ingredients you don’t have, thus spending more money. Or you might not want what you bought.
If you are meal planning for just yourself, plan for leftovers. Less cooking, less clean up, and savings. Nothing bad happening there. When I was in grad school, I planned one base “meal” that consisted of a protein and complex carbohydrate for dinners. I’d cook 5-6 portions and change out my veggies every night.
If you are planning with a family or partner in mind, get them involved. I’ll admit, at least in my house, that is sometimes easier said than done. Not everyone will get a meal they love every single night, but everyone can be assured they like at least a few things throughout the week.
Meal planning dinners leads me to my second tip: check out what types of produce you are going to already need and buy those in bulk. If you have a meal that already requires a bell pepper, for instance, buy the family pack. It is usually a cheaper price per pepper that way. You can use what you need for the planned dinner, then prep a few more to keep for lunches or snacks. And if you have some left over, slice or dice them and flash freeze them so you have them the next time you need.
My third tip was actually hidden as part of the second: meal prep. Taking a few minutes to make sure that produce is broken down and washed ensures that more of it will get eaten. Meal prepping also works like a review to meal planning. You can double check that you have what you need for recipes. And if you spend the time to prep once, you won’t have to do it again, ensuring that meals actually get made.
My fourth tip is to not underestimate packaged items. If you don’t have the time to prep from fresh, there is no shame in buying frozen or canned. They are usually picked and prepped during peak season (meaning most available nutrients are retained) and they are usually cheaper. Make sure you are watching sugar and salt content, though, if you choose canned or sauced varieties.
Additionally, things like beans and lentils are great meat-free protein sources. They come with fiber as a double bonus and all you need to do is compare the price of a pound of black beans with a pound of chicken. These are also great ways to bulk out and stretch meals for leftovers. Taco Tuesday easily becomes Nacho Wednesday when I throw a can of black beans into the ground meat mixture. Another budget win.
Packaged items, especially whole grains like rice or pasta, are also versatile. You can do so much with these. Add cannellini beans to pasta, frozen spinach, grape tomatoes, and a sprinkle of cheese and you have a budget friendly (and yummy) dinner. Cook a big batch of rice to use as a side for chicken and use the leftovers to make fried rice the next night.
And my last tip might actually be the most important: buy what you and your family will actually eat. Red Delicious apples in the family pack are usually some of the cheapest, but in my house we maintain that these apples are misnamed. So rather than buy them and throw out ¾ of a bag when they are rotting, I spend a bit extra for Empires or Honeycrisp. We also love green beans, but I don’t always have time to prep from fresh. Enter frozen. It doesn’t pay (pun!) to buy what you think is the best/cheapest food if it won’t be eaten.
How do you save on groceries? Share your tips in the comments so we can all learn! And if you’d be interested in what my weekly food routine looks like, let me know. Until next time, be well friends!
