If you are like my family that likes to eat fresh vegetables, fruits, good quality fats, and humanely raised animal products….things can get expensive. And since these are not processed foods, the usual store coupons are not an option.
Healthy eating can mean spending more money on groceries. The Harvard School of Public Health’s study backs your gripe that healthier diets may cost about $1.50 more per day when compared to less healthy options.
Without getting into a discussion that eating healthier over a period of time would reduce the cost of diet related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, improve productivity and bring down overall health care cost etc., let me share what has worked for my family in keeping the bottom-line under check:
1. Make a weekly meal plan
This prevents wastage and saves a lot of time. Making a plan, allows me to batch cook or what I like to call “cook once and eat twice/thrice”. If quinoa with veggies is on the menu Monday night and quinoa salad is for lunch on Wednesday, I can prepare quinoa for both the meals at the same time. When I know what we are eating each day during the week, I don’t end up buying too much of a produce that will not be used and end up rotting in the vegetable crisper.
2. Use every part of the vegetable
When I buy the beets, I use the tops in lentils, stews or smoothies. When the broccoli florets are used, we make a slaw or a soup with the stalks. The peels and trimmings of the vegetables can be saved and made into to veggie broth. The broth can be used as a base for a curry, soup, or enjoyed on its own.
3. Grow your own
Herbs add a lot of flavor to meals and have medicinal properties I love using fresh herbs in my cooking, but I find these are exorbitantly priced at the grocery store. Herbs are fairly fuss-free to grow and don’t take too much space. Growing micro-greens and sprouts is another straightforward way to get a burst of nutrients without stretching the wallet. I have recently started growing salad greens. Organic salad greens can seem pricey, and for the cost of about a box of greens ($4) you can buy a packet of seeds of mixed salad greens. The packets have 500 seeds and will plant a 30-foot long row of greens!
Read our Healthy Indian blog article on how to garden in pots and containers here.
4. Eat with the seasons
Read more here
5. Shop in bulk
Buying staples in bulk either from Costco, bulk bins at health foods stored or online helps me save the dollars. When buying from bulk bins, I don’t end up paying for packaging cost; also I can buy the quantity I need rather than the quantity that comes prepackaged. This is great for ingredients, I might not use too much of or too frequently. I find bulk buying health food online to be economical and great way to save $$ and the time. My go-to online stores are:
Thrive Market: This is a membership community where you can buy health foods at whole sale prices. Use this link to receive 15% off your first purchase.
Vitacost: This link gives you $10 off your first purchase.
iherb: A good place for groceries and useful things like sprouting jars. Use this link and receive $5 off your first purchase.
Bulk Herbal Store: I like to buy lose teas, herbs, and spices here. I love their cinnamon and turmeric.
Want to become a savvy food shopper, know what to spend on and where to save? Come along for a fun and informative healthy grocery shopping tour and hone your skills for shopping healthier.
What is your strategy to keep your monthly grocery bill under check? We’d love to hear from you.
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