Eating Healthy on a Budget

These are a few a tips on how to eat healthy food without breaking the bank.

1) Be on the lookout for discounts. While shopping in the supermarket, it is wise to look for food that is on sale. This could be a buy-one-get-one deal, a manager special, a 20 or 40 percent off discount, or buying those ugly bananas that are way cheaper than the other ones. Stocking up on food that isn't full price can save a fair amount of money in the long run. This also applies to coupons. Coupons are tricky, though. They only save you money if it's food you're going to eat and would buy anyway. If you don't like seafood, a coupon for shrimp won't do you anything. Same story if your vegan and have a coupon for beef or chicken.

2) Store brands. Store brands such as Market Pantry or Great Value usually cost less than their brand name counterparts. They are usually on the higher or lower shelves so they may take some searching to find. Store brands aren't as bad as they're made out to be, too. Blind taste tests show that subjects can't consistently taste the difference between name and store brands. In some cases, subjects reported that the store brand product was actually better than the name brand.

3) Convenience has a higher price tag. You can save money on food if you're willing to apply some effort in food preparation. Buying a whole chicken and cutting it into parts costs less for the same amount of food if you were to buy the pieces separately. Blocks of cheese are more cost effective for their volume than already shredded or sliced cheese. Bagged lettuce costs more and usually lasts for a shorter time than a head of lettuce. Food that you can extend over a longer time gives you the bigger bang for your buck.

4) Buy in bulk. Buying foods in higher volumes often come at a lower price per calorie than smaller portions. Buying the biggest jar of peanut butter that lasts a month would cost less than buying small jars that last only 10 days at a time. Buying big bags of rice or cereal is also a safe bet. Buying in bulk is difficult, however, because you can't buy food that goes bad quickly in large portions unless you have a way to store it. Buying meat in big portions is only an option if you a have freezer to store the meat when you're not eating it. Storage considerations are also necessary for eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and things of that sort.

5) Avoid wasting food and money. Avoiding the candy bar at the check stand is a must in order to avoid wasting money. Foods like candy, Go-Gurt, and Oreo Cereal are foods that aren't worth a dent in your bank account. Foods that have nutritional value are the only ones worth spending your money on. And remember to never waste food. If you ate a meal and couldn't quite finish it then save it in the fridge for later instead of throwing it away.