Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See all Health Conditions A-Z

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See all News

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet is not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See all Fitness

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See all Beauty

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See all Mind & Body

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Weight Loss Chevron Right
  3. 11 Ways to Save Money on Healthy Food

11 Ways to Save Money on Healthy Food

June 26, 2014
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Istockphoto
Maintaining my Feel Great Weight one carrot (and cupcake!) at a time
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Smart grocery store swaps

You've heard the old excuse before: Healthy eating is expensive. I can confidently call my food choices healthy—at least most of the time—but I'm also a cheapskate at heart. Luckily, I manage to eat healthy on a budget, thanks to a few simple swaps—some of which save calories, too!

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Fresh berries

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Frozen berries

Fresh berries are often very expensive, especially when they are out of season. Frozen berries cost much less and they're just as nutritious for you. Plus, with frozen berries, you don’t have to worry about eating them before they go bad. Throwing away rotten food is like wasting money!

2 of 13

3 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Instant oatmeal

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Quick oats

Instant oatmeal is great in a pinch, but buying a huge canister of quick oats is a much more cost-effective option. If you compare unit price on the two items, it's much more economical to purchase the quick oats. For an on-the-go option, I portion out 1/2 cup of quick oats, put them in a Tupperware container, and add hot water when I get to my destination. Plus instant packets are often packed full of added sugars (and calories!). I prefer to sweeten my bowl with more natural options, like thawed frozen berries.

3 of 13

Advertisement

4 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Vegetable chips

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Kale chips

As a salty snack, homemade kale chips are a great swap to expensive veggie chips. And at less than 50 calories per cup, they're just a fraction of the calories as the store-bought stuff. While they do require some prep work, kale chips are incredibly easy to make. Just spray washed kale with cooking spray, season with sea salt, and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. They taste just like potato chips!

4 of 13

5 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Fresh salmon fillet

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Canned salmon

We all know we should eat more fish, as it is rich in omega-3s, but buying fresh fish is not always friendly on my wallet. Instead, I swap fresh salmon for canned salmon, which is much less expensive, and I am still able to get those healthy omega-3s in my diet. Plus, salmon salad makes an über-tasty packed lunch.

5 of 13

6 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Whey protein powder

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Tofu

Tofu sometimes gets a bad rap due to its mushy texture and bland taste, but swapping it with expensive whey protein powder in my smoothies saves me quite a few dollars. As a healthy, hunger-fighting protein source, tofu blends right into my smoothies, but for a fraction of the price.

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Too pricey: Lärabars

Credit: Istockphoto

Smart swap: Nuts and dried fruit

Larabars are one of my favorites snacks, but buying them every week definitely takes a toll on my budget. Instead, I eat dried fruit, like dates and prunes, and nuts, like almonds and walnuts, and save my Larabars for a special treat. Eating dried fruit and nuts together makes a very filling snack that also satisfies my sweet tooth.

7 of 13

8 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Worth the splurge

Credit: Istockphoto

Even though I make a number of budget-friendly swaps at the grocery store, there are some items that are worth the splurge to me. Greek yogurt and almond butter, in particular, are pricey, but I can't seem to live without them. I rationalize their high price by saving money in other ways at the grocery.

Here are my 6 favorite tips and tricks for stretching every last grocery dollar.

8 of 13

9 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Plan a week's worth of meals

Credit: Istockphoto

When it comes to saving money at the grocery store, much of it happens before I even leave my house. Typically, on Sunday afternoons, I take the time to meal-plan for the week.

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Poke around the fridge

Credit: Istockphoto

The first thing I do in my meal-planning process is take stock of what I already have in my kitchen. I take the time to move things around in the refrigerator and scour the cabinets to see what I have on hand. Most of the time, I am surprised by what I find—a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, a can of pinto beans, a half-used bag of coffee. Instead of buying these items again or letting them go to waste, I incorporate them into the coming week’s menu.

10 of 13

11 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Consider your schedule

Credit: Istockphoto

Before I visit the grocery store, I look at my calendar as well as my husband's for the upcoming week and create meals around when we will be home for dinner. We typically plan a meal for each night at home and make sure to take into account meals with lots of leftovers—like casseroles or homemade pizza. I keep in mind that Fridays and Saturdays are usually "wing it" nights because we’ll often end up going out to dinner or meeting friends for appetizers and drinks, so I don’t buy extra food for those nights.

11 of 13

12 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Don't be afraid of bruised produce

Credit: Istockphoto

I always check out the reduced produce area with the hope of finding some good deals. Usually, this produce has a single bump or bruise that can easily be cut off. But, I only buy produce that I plan to use right away or have something in mind for. It's not worth buying damaged produce if I don't end up using it. Lately, I've been buying a bunch of bruised produce that I immediately peeled and freeze for smoothies.

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stock up on staples

Credit: Istockphoto

Sure, you’ve heard of the "make a list and stick to it" tip when grocery shopping. It's a great piece advice, and I usually keep it in mind. However, I also make sure to stock up on my favorite products when they go on sale. My husband and I plow through peanut butter and oatmeal like it's our job, so when they go on sale, I make sure to buy them even if we haven’t run out yet. I know that we'll use these items at some point, so I might as well stock up and save a little money.

13 of 13

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 13 Smart grocery store swaps
2 of 13 Too pricey: Fresh berries
3 of 13 Too pricey: Instant oatmeal
4 of 13 Too pricey: Vegetable chips
5 of 13 Too pricey: Fresh salmon fillet
6 of 13 Too pricey: Whey protein powder
7 of 13 Too pricey: Lärabars
8 of 13 Worth the splurge
9 of 13 Plan a week's worth of meals
10 of 13 Poke around the fridge
11 of 13 Consider your schedule
12 of 13 Don't be afraid of bruised produce
13 of 13 Stock up on staples

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

11 Ways to Save Money on Healthy Food
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.