Healthy Grocery Shopping On a Budget
One of the common misconceptions about eating healthier is that it’s impossible or extremely hard to do on a budget. It can be pricier, but it’s good to look at this as an investment in yourself and your health.
I used to have zero concept of pacing myself when it came to spending on food - freshman year I ate at Whole Foods salad / hot bar multiple times a week… $15 a meal, it was a little much. As I became more aware of what I actually needed, found balance, and identified a budget that made sense for me, I started to find a flow with my weekly grocery shopping!
Now, I sit down on Saturdays and plan out general meals for the week ahead: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. I have a set budget based on my needs (this doesn’t include eating out with friends, I have a separate budget for that). Then, I keep in mind my usual stores and check any deals so I can see where it makes sense to buy what that week.
I’ve picked up a few tips through the years on how to stick to eating healthy while on a budget AND having balance. Yes, it’s possible!! Here are some things I recommend:
Set up your weekly / monthly budget.
This is going to look different for everyone. Some factors that influence your grocery budget may be: your income, where you live (cost of living), how many people you’re feeding, dietary needs, and what stores you have available.
Something I do (and recommend) is having separate budgets for grocery, eating out with friends/coffee shops, personal care/household products, etc. That way you’re able to see where your money is going more clearly and honestly, this helped me build a better relationship with my finances and spending!
Decide how many trips.
Do you want to shop once for the whole week? Or do you want to break it up into two trips, going once at the beginning of the week and another in the middle of the week?
Make a meal plan.
Choose 2-3 recipes for each meal (breakfast, lunch dinner) and 2 snack options. Make these and have leftovers the following day - rotate recipes throughout the week.
OR
If you have the same thing for breakfast each day, choose recipes to alternate for lunch and dinner - have leftovers on the following day.
OR
Choose 2-3 proteins, a number of veggies, a number of starches / fruits, healthy fats, and greens to have on hand. You can cook them as you wish ahead of time so they’re cut and ready to eat - then for mealtime you grab and put together whatever sounds good!
ex. One lunch could look like zucchini, greens, butternut squash, ground turkey, with avocado, and the next day for lunch you have the same base but switch proteins for salmon instead.
ex. A typical meal plan for me looks like: 1 breakfast option, 2 lunch options, 2 dinner options, 2 snack options. Plus, my daily matcha and bone broth.
Write out what you need.
Keep a note on your phone that you edit every week or write out a physical list on paper.
This helps with overspending on items that you don’t necessarily need. Without a list, extra items tend to magically appear in your cart.
Find which store would make sense to shop at. (optional, extra step if needed)
If you have multiple options for grocery stores, try to find which have the best prices for certain items. Some may have better weekly deals or have a better selection.
If you can, look up grocery stores online and see their weekly ads, current prices, and compare. This seems like an extra step but sometimes one item can have a price difference of $2+ depending on where you go - it’s worth trying!
ex. Trader Joe’s is where I buy certain items I can’t buy at other stores but it isn’t where I do the bulk of my shopping because the produce tends to be a lot more expensive than other stores! Aldi is where I buy my grass-fed beef because it’s significantly less expensive for good quality.
Buying in bulk can be a good option! If you have a Costco membership, buying items in bulk can save you money on future weeks because most likely the items you purchase are going to last longer than one week of meals.
Local farmer’s markets are also great options for high quality, well-sourced, foods that are affordable.
The main takeaway is, try different stores, explore, and find what makes the most sense for you!
Shop the perimeter of the store.
The perimeter is typically where the whole, natural, nutrient-dense foods are - produce, meat/seafood, etc.
When shopping in the aisles be mindful of ingredients, read the labels. Ideally, minimal and simple ingredients are easiest for the body to process. Also, these can raise the price of your cart quickly so stick to your staples or treats.
Shop “dirty dozen” and “clean fifteen.”
Not all produce has to be organic… if you can afford it and want to, then do that!
Buy the “dirty dozen” organic. The “clean fifteen” can be bought non-organic.
Click here for a full list of both and what they mean.
Identify what’s important to you.
What are your current health goals? Do you have dietary restrictions? Do you want to focus on all organic or can you focus on high quality when necessary and choose otherwise for the rest?
Find what makes sense for your needs at the moment and go from there.
General advice for health support and nutrient variety - stick with high-quality protein sources (grass-fed, pasture-raised, raw, wild-caught, etc.), and follow the produce lists above.
Have balance! Healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet - it’s supposed to be fun and sustainable! we’re setting ourselves up to feel our best, support our entire being, and optimize our health. Enjoy the whole foods but find a balance that makes sense for you.
Don’t Restrict.
When you hear the word “budget” your mind might go straight to “I can’t afford…” I know that’s what I jumped to at first. I felt restricted because that was the money mindset I had around budgeting. Let’s expand and look at budgeting as tapping into financial awareness and creating a stable foundation. Budgets help create abundance in various areas of our lives!
Give yourself wiggle room - if you go over budget, that’s okay. If you’re under, that’s okay too. Prioritize your needs, always.
Progress over perfection. Finding what works for you takes trial and error, time, and patience. Be kind to yourself!
Do you set a budget to grocery shop? I’d love to hear what that process / prep looks like for you and any other tips you have!