Eight Ways to Eat Better on a Budget

One of the best things you can do for yourself is taking care of your health.

What we do and how we eat can have a huge impact on our quality of life, both now and in the years to come.

Eating Well on a Budget

While health should be a priority when it comes to spending, but I understand the reality of only having so much money in the budget.

It can be incredibly tempting to grab whatever is on sale, but with a little bit of effort you can have some incredibly delicious and healthy meals.

Here are eight ways you can eat more organic and higher quality foods without breaking your budget.

Grow a garden. You don't have to have a green thumb or a ton of land to grow a garden. Pick a few easy to grow plants and you'll offset some big bucks with your grocery budget.

Don’t be confused by the labels. Protect yourself and money by understanding food labels. For example, ‘natural, is practically meaningless as there is no standard, so you may not get the benefits you expect. Consumer Reports has a great explanation of the different food labels being used.

Shop local. You don’t have to visit all the farms in the area (though it can be fun!). There are farmer’s markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs that allow you to be more familiar with how your food was grown or raised. For the last fours we’ve been a part of produce delivery service that has made it incredibly easy for us to keep to a healthy family menu.

Shop in season. Eating seasonally can save you big bucks at the grocery stores. If you can, preserve or freeze what you can for off season.

Spend on organic food when it makes a big difference. When you’re shopping on a budget it can wise to prioritize the dollars. If you want to go organic, make sure it’s worth the extra cost. Learn which are the best buys and which ones you can pass on.

Plan ahead for the week. Fresh produce goes quickly so only buy what you know you can eat (wasted food can be a big money drain). Try and decide what meals you’d like to have before you head into the store. Need ideas? Check out I Am The Lady for some shopping lists.

Go frozen. That said, you can get some wonderful frozen vegetables and stock up.

Put a coupon on it. Though you might not see as many coupons for organic foods,some grocers do have them out there.

Thoughts on Eating Well and Frugally

How do you spend your food money? What are some of your favorite spots to buy? Any tips to help make the most of your spending?