People are usually drawn away to the idea of eating healthy when they see the prices of ‘healthy/organic’ foods.
I believe eating healthy can be done on a strict budget. Depending on where you go, groceries can vary in price. I go to Aldi’s for my groceries, and sometimes Diebergs/Shop N Save for other items I can’t find at Aldi’s.
What I love about Aldi’s is you bring your own grocery bag/boxes to take your food home in, which also means cheaper groceries in the store (since they are saving so much money in plastic/paper bags). Try to find stores that make you bring your own bags/boxes to store your groceries in, you will most like save a lot of money in the long run-and you’ll be eco-friendly as well!
Whenever I go grocery shopping I like to stay at the perimeter of the grocery store, because the ‘healthier’ foods are usually at the outside aisles. (Stay away from the ‘inside’ aisles of the grocery store, usually all the processed foods are in here!).
On a typical day of grocery shopping, I spend about $30-$40 which lasts me over a week. This will consist of many different fruits and vegetables, chicken/fish/shrimp/turkey burgers. I also get my seasonings from here as well, and they are relatively low in salt!
To some of you $30-$40 a week for groceries might sound like a lot, but look at it this way- How much do you spend on going out to restaurants 3 nights a week? My guestimate would be $30. That $30 alone could be your weekly bill for groceries!
If you like to go out to eat and it’s a usual habit of yours, try to limit it down to 1-2 per week, than eventually 1 time per week. You will end up saving a lot of money in the long run, and even have more money for your healthy/organic groceries!
Back when I was living my unhealthy lifestyle, I was going out to eat almost every night of the week, eating Mcdonalds 3x+ a week, and going out for ice cream here and there. If you total that up, on average I was spending over $70 a week or $280+ a month! Thinking about those numbers now actually kill me inside. But then I feel all better because I quit that habit!
No matter how expensive you think healthy grocery shopping can be, you can always tweak your budget to make room for your grocery shopping.
Eating at home and preparing your own meals is not only better for you, but you will have less temptation to eat unhealthy since you won’t be at a restaurant with all the different options of entrees that are usually double what you actually should be eating!
If you don’t know what to make at home, I will have my favorite easy, delicious, and healthy recipes on my blog. I don’t like getting all fancy with my meals (although I am making it a priority to become more creative). My recipes are very yummy meals that are also easy to make!
Where is your favorite place to shop?
And if you don’t live in the US, please still share! I hope to travel the world one day =)
Eating healthy food may cost more in the short run compared to ‘junk groceries,’ but in the long run it really pays off. You’ll save on health care costs and enjoy a longer, more active life. You can’t put a value on that latter benefit, but I think we’d all agree it’s worthwhile!
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Very well said! I wish more people had this kind of mentality. I’m reading about different chronic diseases right now and how much can be avoided. Definitely inspires me more to become a personal trainer.
Before I lived with my husband, I would budget $40-$50/week and I ate very healthy, as you described in your post. When I lived in Quebec I would mainly shop at IGA. IGA can be more pricey than most grocery chains but the cuts of the meat/fish were really good and the produce was very fresh.
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I love IGA as well. My local IGA seems to be a little more on the expensive side though.
We don’t have an Aldi here. I like the concept and wish we did. I buy lots of local produce in the summer from roadside stands and farmer’s markets. In the winter, it is harder, but you can find produce on sale if you aren’t picky. If nothing else, carrots, bananas, and apples are always cheap.
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I’m trying really hard to find a farmers market around here. I would love to support local markets and get better quality as well.