Healthful Shopping on a Budget

Before You Go…

 Eat something!
Shopping when you are hungry is a recipe for disaster, and you’ll likely shop
with your belly. Have something to eat before you go to avoid impulse
purchases.
 Determine your Budget
Decide if you’re shopping weekly or monthly and make
a realistic budget accordingly.
 Make a List, AND Stick to it
You can make a list based on planned recipes for the
week or simply just based off items you know that you
need. Either way, having a list will help keep you on
track.
 Check out Coupons and Circulars
Focus on the items that you usually buy when looking for deals. Sometimes
a really good deal might tempt you to buy something you will not really eat
or something unhealthy. You can also look for phone apps that offer
coupons.

While You’re There…

 Choose In-Season Produce:
Buying fresh can be expensive and lead to waste. Stick to sale items and
foods in season to keep cost low. Buy fresh only for meals that require fresh.
 Choose Frozen and Canned
These items are picked at their peak of ripeness so they are nutritionally
dense. They also have a great shelf-life and are good to keep stocked in your
freezer. Even better, they often go on sale. Be sure to check ingredients to
avoid added salts or sauces.
 Choose Veggies that Last
These will hold longer before spoiling so are great options to buy fresh.
They include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.
 Hit the Bulk Bins:
Some grocery stores have bulk bins for seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. You can
buy just what you need, and they are often cheaper than buying pre-bagged.

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 Want to go Organic?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) created a list of organic foods
ranked by the amount of pesticide residue they contain. The worst offenders
are called “The Dirty Dozen” and the best are “The Clean 15.”

The Dirty Dozen The Clean 15

1. Strawberries 1. Sweet corn
2. Spinach 2. Avocados
3. Nectarines 3. Pineapples
4. Apples 4. Cabbage
5. Peaches 5. Onions
6. Pears 6. Frozen peas
7. Cherries 7. Papayas
8. Grapes 8. Asparagus
9. Celery 9. Mango
10. Tomatoes 10. Eggplant
11. Sweet bell peppers 11. Honeydew
12. Potatoes 12. Kiwi
13. Cantaloupe
14. Cauliflower
15. Grapefruit

 Reduce Meat Costs

Meat can take up a big chunk of your food budget, so focus on reducing it
where possible. Buy lean meats (ex. fish, chicken breast, lean ground beef)
when they go on sale. Buying in bulk is a good option too. Leave some in
the fridge and portion out the rest into freezer bags. Buy cheaper cuts of
meat and cook them in a stew or slow cooker. Another great tip for reducing
meat costs? Skip it! Have a “Meatless Monday” or one day a week with
vegetarian meals.
 Check the Unit Price
It can be hard to navigate through the
endless sea of cereals and yogurts at and
decide what is a good deal or not,
especially when items come in all
different sizes. When comparing
products, look at the unit price instead of
the flat price.
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When You Get Home…
 Freeze and refrigerate:
Breads will last longer in the fridge, or even in the freezer, if you do not plan
to finish an entire loaf. Remember to freeze any meat you will not eat
within the week.

 Serve Appropriate Portions

BONUS TIP
We really love huge portions, but this can
contribute to extra calories and extra cost.
Know which foods Especially when it comes to more expensive
pack the best bang for food items, limit your portion sizes to really
your buck! The stretch your dollar.
following items are  Reduce Food Waste
both high in nutrients Did you know that about one-third of food
and low in cost: produced globally never even makes it to the
 Beans plate? That’s about 1.3 billion tons of food that
 Lentils is thrown away. Reducing waste is important to
 Sweet potatoes saving money:
 Eggs o Use more perishable items earlier in the
 Peanut butter week (ex. spinach)
 Canned o Make use of leftovers. Buy containers to
tuna/fish portion out leftovers to grab on the go. Find
 Oats soup, stew, or salad recipes that can utilize extra
 Brown rice meat or cut up produce before tossing it.
 Quinoa
 Frozen fruit
 Frozen
vegetables MORE INFORMATION FROM THIS PACKET CAN BE
FOUND AT…

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - www.eatright.org

The Environmental Working Group - www.ewg.org

The American Heart Association – www.heart.org

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 Still Think Healthful Food is Too Expensive?

Whopper Meal at Burger King

QUICK TIPS
1 Whopper
FOR HEALTHY SELECTIONS
1 Medium fry
1 Medium soda
Total: $6.94 Go for Whole Grains
 First ingredient reads
“100% whole grain”
VS.  About 2g fiber per 100
calories
Healthful Dinner for 1
Check the Sweet Stuff
1 chicken breast (@ $1.99/lb) - $0.50
½ cup whole wheat pasta (@ $1.79/box) - $0.22  The American Heart
½ cup marinara sauce (@ $1.49/jar) - $0.30 Association
¼ cup low fat mozzarella (@ $2.00/bag) recommends limiting
1 cup broccoli (@ 1.59/lb) - $0.32 added sugar intake to
Total: $4.29 25g for women and 32g
for men. That’s about 6
to 9 teaspoons.
_____________________________________________
 A lot of “low-fat” food
is loaded with sugar.
KFC meal for 4
8 piece chicken Limit Your Sodium
4 biscuits  The 2015-2020 Dietary
2 sides Guidelines for
Total: $19.61 Americans recommend
consuming less than
VS. 2,300 mg
 Salt can be hidden in
Healthful Dinner for 4 processed foods so be
4 pieces tilapia (@ $4.98/lb) - $4.98 sure to check labels.
4 servings of peas (@ $1.99/bag) - $1.99 Look for Healthy Fats
4 servings of baby carrots (@ $1.44/lb) - $1.44
1 box Uncle Ben’s rice - $1.49  Unsaturated, or plant
Condiments (salt, olive oil, etc) - ~$1.00 based fats, are heart
Total: $10.90 healthy.
 Avoid Saturated fats,
which should be less
than half the total fat.

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