I know it sounds crazy, like when we’d play the opposite
day game as kids. Saving money and healthy foods aren't usually said in the same sentence. However, as a person that lives for the
best deals without coupons (I never use them because they’re time consuming to
collect and I always forget them or lose them), I can personally verify that it is possible. Saving
money while eating clean is possible! So below, I've listed a few tips to eating healthy on a budget while feeding a family in a fast, convenient and simple way.
Tip #1 – Put Together a Weekly Meal Plan for You and Your
Family
If you are naturally a fly by the seat of your pants type of
person, planning dinner even a day ahead of time may sound foreign. In fact, I
used to be the worst at this! My husband would call at 5:30 p.m. to find out
what I had planned for our dinner at 7 p.m. and I wouldn’t have a clue. Then I’d anxiously
scramble to make something that was nutritious, well balanced and tasted good that the whole family would
eat. Since I am a lifetime member of the Messy, Disorganized & Forgetful
Mothers Club the idea of meal planning was overwhelming to me at first. However, I have realized during my quest for a healthier lifestyle, if you want to lose weight, gain more
energy, feed your family healthy options while saving time and money, planning
ahead is critical.
Initially, sitting down one day a week and planning a
menu of meals to last us the week was difficult and time consuming (1-2 hours). But thank goodness I had the guidance of my coach and inspiration of my challenge groups. They helped me to create the
habit and now it's second nature (it only takes 10-15 minutes to meal plan now). To keep it simple, I tend to repeat breakfasts and lunches and then vary my dinners. For example, almost every morning I drink a vegan chocolate
Shakeology with 6 ounces of unsweetened coconut milk, 4 ounces of coffee ½ a banana and a handful of spinach. Then, for a
morning snack I eat carrots and hummus or a few scrambled egg whites
mixed with veggies. Eating a rotation of the same meals each day at
breakfast, snacks and lunch but allowing yourself the ability to be creative and flexible at dinner is an easy way to save time with planning but still allowing for kitchen creativity and exposure to new foods. Plus, this manner of eating allows you to save money by buying food in bulk. Also, if you prepare your meals once or twice a week, it saves you from those last minute, "I'll grab anything and shove it in my mouth," moments and allow you to reach for healthier options instead. Plus, to keep things simple, most
mornings I feed my kids basically the same thing. Usually it’s cereal and milk
with fruit for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fruit and/or
veggies and hummus for lunch and a cheese stick, yogurt or a Lara bar for a
snack.
There are plenty of programs to help you with meal planning if
you’re not sure where to start. For example, become a Team Beachbody Club member and you will have access to a comprehensive personalized meal planning app where
you plug in very little information and it creates a meal plan personalized for
you and your family based on your goals and likes and dislikes. Also, joining a
challenge group with one of the coaches on our team is so helpful! We help our
challengers create a personalized meal plan and arm them with tons of healthy recipes. Lastly, planning ahead can save money at the store by only buying things on
your list which cuts down on impulse buys (my personal weakness).
Tip #2 Not EVERYTHING has to be Organic
Before kids I tried to eat mostly organic, but after giving
birth to premature kids I became obsessed with it. I wasn’t happy unless
everything I put into my family’s bodies was produced on a certified organic
farm. In my mind that meant that the cows and chickens were treated so humane
that they roamed the property freely, ate all of their meals with the family
indoors and every day was rainbows and smiles. However, after a few months of
this, reality set in and I realized how much that my requirements were costing
us I began to shop following the “EWG” (Environmental Working Group) EWG
Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. This lets you check to see what produce should be
bought organic due to the amount of pesticides on it and the produce that is
relatively clean even when grown on a conventional farm. In fact, what makes
most Certified Organic products more expensive is primarily due to the farm or
distributor that it comes from having to undergo rigorous, expensive practices.
Tip #3 Choose Locally Grown Produce and Products
When purchasing your produce, dairy, meats and other fresh products another way to save on groceries and make sure your food’s likely organically grown and more fresh is choosing to purchase foods that are locally grown. These farms can operate using organic procedures (even if not certified organic) because they travel shorter distances to get to where they are sold. Also, locally grown foods are usually less expensive due to being in season and fresh coupled with the fact that most of them haven’t gone thru the rigorous and expensive procedure to become Certified Organic. Some easy ways to find foods that are local are:
1)
Look for locally grown products at your grocery
store. They are almost always labeled as such and/or clearly marketed.
2)
Shop at a local Farmer’s Market. Buying produce
and other locally farmed foods at a Farmer’s Market almost always guarantees
that what you are eating is fresh, in season, organic and delicious. Plus you
can feel better about your purchases since you are supporting local businesses. Oh and by the way, kids love going as well. To them it’s a fun, colorful, flavorful adventure where they can
learn more about the food they eat and where it comes from.
My girly girl enjoying a local jewelry booth at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market
3)
Join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) is a great way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a
farm or a group of farms that get together to offer a certain number of
"shares"(aka a membership) to the public. When you join a CSA, you usually receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout
the farming season that can be picked up at a convenient location. CSA’s are
beneficial to the farms for a many reasons, including allowing them to market
their produce earlier in the season prior to their super busy times, allowing them to get paid earlier in the season, contributing to their cash flow. Best of all, it
allows them to establish relationships and ties in the local community. Members
of the CSA find it beneficial because the food tastes better, is fresher and has more vitamins. Plus, you can get exposure to new vegetables you
may not have tried and can usually visit the farm(s) at least once a season. Thus, allowing your family to build a relationship with the farmer that grows your food. This
last benefit is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies since it
helps them feel a sense of ownership and pride in “their veggies” knowing
where it’s coming from and that they are contributing to the farm. A great way
to find a CSA near you is to go to www.localharvest.org/ca.
4) Order from online
services like “Door to Door Organics”. These websites are like a CSA only more convenient. But they're still fairly priced and support your local
community. To get groceries from Door to Door Organics, go online and subscribe, choose
what types of food you’d like, the size and frequency of delivery. Next thing you know it’s delivered
right to your door. The only downside is that you have to remember to check
your next delivery on a regular basis making sure that all items scheduled to be delivered are foods your family likes and will eat.
If it's not what you want, you are allowed to swap items as long as you do it by the cut off time prior to delivery. Otherwise,
you may get stuck with a box of rutabagas no one will touch.
Tip #4 Buy What's In Season
Buying healthy foods (aka produce, dairy,
meats) that are in season not only guarantees that they are fresh and treated with
less chemicals, but most likely being sold at their lowest price.. Buying in
season also makes it less expensive because it has to travel shorter distances
to get to your table. Additionally, it’s tasty and fresh. Another tip that I practice is to buy foods in season by stocking up and freezing your favorite foods. That way your favorite produce is guaranteed to maintain its vitamin content and delicious flavor thru the winter. I personally tend to do
this with blueberries since they are my kids’ favorite fruit and living in
Michigan we cannot grow them for much of the year making the prices during the
winter months astronomical. An added bonus is that my kids love to eat them frozen! That way my kids are happy along with my bank account.
Tip #5 You Don’t Have to Shop at Whole
Foods
Not to knock Whole Foods since I
definitely shop there in a pinch for the convenience factor. However, when purchasing
there you can almost always guarantee that the price of your food is going to
be more expensive than a local grocery spot. Some benefits of Whole Foods are
it is a one-stop place you can find most of your healthy foods in one spot and
the employees are very helpful. However, I have found prices at competing
grocers like Kroger, Aldi and Meijer to be much more reasonable. Plus, more
grocery stores now sell organic and natural products than ever before. Even Walmart
frequently has some organic, healthier options available. A few other ways to
get the best deals on your food are:
2) Purchase
foods in bulk at a Warehouse Store like Costco or Sam’s Club. During summer
months my family frequently purchases produce at Costco since it’s usually the
best bang for your buck. The downside is that if you
are a single person or live in a small, city dwelling it might not make much
sense to have a box of 50 apples that you can never finish taking up half of
your refrigerator.
3) Check
sale ads in local papers. This will alert you to where the best sales are going
on. Also, it can help you become familiarized with what a good deal is on family
favorite and allow you to stock up until the next great sale comes along.
I hope that my top 5 tips on saving money
while grocery shopping for healthy food was helpful! Happy Shopping!!
