Simple Tips to Stretch Your Grocery Budget

From diabetesfoodhub.org

Looking for ways to eat well while spending less? These easy tips can help you shop smarter, use food before it goes bad, and get more nutritional bang for your buck. From protein choices that cost less to simple meal prep ideas, you'll learn ways to help make healthy eating fit your budget.

Look Beyond the Price Tag

Check the Cost Per Unit

When grocery shopping, the price shown may not tell you the whole story about how much you’re paying, and the cheapest item may not give you the best value.

Price tags at grocery stores are printed with both the price of the item and the cost per unit. The price per unit is a better way to compare the cost of similar products than the price of the whole item. For example, a single 2-ounce snack bag of nuts may cost $1.40, and a 16-ounce bag of the same nuts may cost $3.00. Even though the 16-ounce bag is more expensive, it’s a better value because the price per 2 ounce serving of nuts is only 38 cents.

The price per unit can be very different for name brands, store brands, and different sized packaging. Name brands are often the most expensive, so choose store brands when you can or whichever option has the lowest price per unit.

Save on Protein

Think About the Protein Included, Not Just Price

Protein is an important part of a healthy eating plan. When shopping for protein foods, comparing prices per pound isn’t the only thing to think about. Depending on what’s included with the protein (for example, bone-in meats or premade items like kabobs) you could be paying more for what you won’t eat, also called “waste.” Waste items can include bones, wooden skewers, skin, and shells.

Ideas for budget-friendly protein choices: 

• Tofu is a protein-rich option with little to no waste. 
• Canned tuna, salmon, sardines, and chicken are easy-to-use, low-cost options.
• Eggs are a versatile, low-waste protein option that can be used in many recipes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 
• Chicken breast or turkey breast that is boneless and skinless offers little to no waste and can be added to soups, salads, or wraps, or had on its own.

Get Rid of the Waste with Protein Purchases

It’s a better deal to buy boneless, skinless proteins because you’re only paying for the edible or healthier part of the product.

If you do purchase bone-in or skin-on cuts, you can use the waste (bones and skin) to make homemade stock. This reduces waste, saves money, and the stock can be used in other recipes!

Put Your Freezer to Work

Your freezer can be one of the best tools for saving money and having less food waste. Freezing foods helps them last longer so you can use them when you're ready instead of worrying about them spoiling quickly in the fridge. Keeping frozen ingredients on hand can help stretch your grocery budget, reduce waste, and make healthy eating more convenient.

You can freeze items such as:

• Extra bread: Found a good deal on bread, rolls, tortillas, or bakery items? Freeze them and thaw what you need as you want to eat them. This can help keep them fresh and you’ll waste less food.
• Fruit: Before fruit is overripe, wash, cut, and freeze it. Frozen berries, peaches, mangoes, and pineapple are great for smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and easy snacks.
• Ready-to-use ingredients: Cook larger batches of protein, such as chicken, and portion it into freezer-safe containers. You can also prepare and freeze whole grains, such as quinoa, for quick meals.

For whatever you freeze, label the container with the name of the food, the date you froze it, and the portion size. This will make meal planning easy throughout the week.

Build Meals Ahead of Time

Save Time and Money By Having Healthy and Budget-Friendly Options Ready

Having meals that are ready to go will help reduce the need for takeout or going out to eat, which are more expensive options on a busy night. Try cooking large meals and separate them before storing so you can just grab them when you’re ready. Prepping your vegetables early in the week can also help reduce food waste and offer you options for mix and match meals throughout the week.

Roast a Sheet Pan of Vegetables

• Choose non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peppers, carrots, onions, or zucchini.
• Roast a large batch at the beginning of the week.

Easy Ways to Use Roasted Vegetables 

• Add to scrambled, poached eggs or omelettes. 
• Mix into quinoa or grain bowls.
• Serve as a side dish with dinner. 
• Add to salads, wraps, soups, stews, or pasta dishes.

Bottom Line

Small changes to shopping habits, food storage, and prepping meals can help stretch your grocery budget while making healthy eating easier and more enjoyable. Focus on cost per unit, protein options with the least waste, making use of your freezer, and meal prepping.

https://diabetesfoodhub.org/blog/simple-tips-stretch-your-grocery-budget