Budget Friendly Healthy Eating Tips
We stress the importance of a healthy diet, but it is also important to consider the financial ability to afford nutritious food, especially if your provider recommends a specific diet plan. It is a common myth that eating healthy raises grocery costs. Organic food does frequently have a mark-up compared to non-organic food, but that does not mean that eating healthy is always more expensive. Healthy eating on a budget is possible! Read on for our favorite tips.
Take inventory of food you frequently throw away or that goes bad. Buy less of this at subsequent grocery store trips so you don’t have to waste uneaten food.
When considering which foods to buy organic on a budget, opt for those on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list first.
If your grocery store has a weekly ad publication, consider crafting meals around which foods and produce are on sale. On a similar note, joining your grocery store’s rewards program can help you get additional discounts.
Consider buying certain foods you frequently use in bulk if this option is available to you. It is often cheaper to buy staples like rice, oils, and frozen goods in bulk. Check out this article by Healthline for a list of the best foods to buy in bulk.
Buying frozen produce is often cheaper than fresh and it lasts longer before going bad than fresh produce.
Make a grocery list according to what you need and what meals you are planning to eat. Avoid straying from your list when at the store. Some stores even offer the option to scan as you shop so you can keep track of the price while shopping to meet your budget needs.
Consider joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture). They are often more expensive upfront but can save you money in the long run on local produce if you can eat your share. It is also prepaid so you don’t have to worry about many more produce expenditures during the duration of your share. You can also feel good about supporting local agriculture!
Looking for a more personalized approach to nutrition or eating healthy on a budget. Our nutritionist, Caitlin Self, CNS, LDN, has special expertise in this area! We highly recommend scheduling an appointment with her to get specific guidance if you are a patient in our clinic. Schedule here. If you’re new to Philadelphia Integrative Medicine and would like to know how we can help you as a patient, consider scheduling a 20-minute free consultation or an appointment with Zoie Phillips, MSPA, PA-C or Lynda Sherland, CRNP, FNP-C today! Not quite ready to schedule and have questions? Quickly get in touch with us today!
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Resources:
“10 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget.” National Institute on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 30 Apr. 2019, www.nia.nih.gov/health/10-tips-eating-healthy-budget.
“Eating on a Budget.” Institute for Functional Medicine. 2017.
Kubala, Jillian. “The 18 Best Healthy Foods to Buy in Bulk (And the Worst).” Healthline, Healthline Media, 15 Oct. 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-to-buy-in-bulk#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6.