Budget Food: Cheap And Healthy Meals For Beginners

Are you faced with a sudden loss of income? Going grocery shopping will seem like a real challenge and you may worry you won't be able to make ends meet. Adjusting your spending habits may make your money go a lot further. Here are some tips to get started. 

Don't Forget The Veg

In Europe, in the country where I live and in many others, going to the farmers' market to stock up on fresh and nutritious vegetables is the cheapest option for the budget-conscious consumer. A food pyramid in which veg makes up the majority of your diet is healthy as well as affordable. Not so in the United States. Research shows that Americans eat more cheaply than anyone else the world, only spending a little over nine percent of their disposable income on nutrition. Unfortunately, spending less on food does not translate to eating healthier meals, because fast foods and processed foods tend to be the cheaper options.

People living on a tight budget certainly have to cut corners somewhere — organic foods will almost certainly fail to make your priority list, because actually eating enough is more important than eating all-natural produce. Still, avoid the temptation to make fatty and sugary processed foods the foundation of your diet. Planning your vegetable spending first is one way to do this.

Buy Store Brands Or Go To Cheaper Stores

Research from the Private Label Manufacturers Association shows that consumers can save as much as 33 percent on their groceries if they commit to buying store brands. If you have not been buying store-brand products yet, making the move can seriously benefit your wallet. Four in 10 Americans have already made the decision to benefit from the price of store-brand products. Many are extremely happy with the quality, and some say the quality exceeds that of the brand name products they used before. 

What's more, store brands no longer necessarily represent a sub-standard quality that is in the stores only for those who can't afford something better. Indeed, store-brand products make the store more money, even though they are sold at lower prices. This is both because stores do not conduct expensive (or in fact any) marketing campaigns to boost the sales of the products: the lower price speaks louder than any advertising could. Store-brands also build consumer loyalty, so it is certainly in the manufacturer's interest to ensure the quality of these items. 

You can find out more about products you are considering buying by Googling them, but it will also simply take some experimentation to figure out what you do and don't enjoy eating.

See Also: Don't Skip Your Green Vegetables!

On a related note, frequenting discount shops like Aldi and Lidl can really bring your expenses down. Lidl is known for its excellent-quality veg and also offers some organic options, while Aldi has good cheese and dairy products. Lidl has special themed offers, meaning you will be exposed to a wide variety of different products.

Food On A Budget? Wallet-Friendly Tips

Make A Shopping List And Stick To It

People buy more if they come without a shopping list, because they overestimate what they need. This leads to overspending, food wastage, and often to making impulse purchases of items like cookies and freezer meals. Don't do fall into this trap. Start your week off in front of the computer, meal planning for the next seven days. Make a grocery list and stick to it, and you will find that you simply can't exceed your budget. If you are not sure what items will be available at the store, write down several alternatives along with your first choice so you will not go into a full-blown panic and change your plans completely if a single item is not available.

Don't Go To The Store When You Are Hungry

No, really. Research consistency shows that people who have not eaten all afternoon buy more calorie-rich foods than those who have had a meal or snack just before heading to the store. "Don't go shopping when you're hungry and you don't have a list, because you're just going to buy all sorts of junk food," Amy Yaroch from the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska warns consumers. 

Buy Less At Once To Avoid Wastage

Have you committed to eating a vegetable-rich diet, like I have? If you live in an urban center where you have access to stores all the time, buying smaller quantities of fresh produce more often will help you avoid wastage. When you are at the store or the market, you can choose the freshest, most appealing produce you see and use it over the next two or three days. At home, you may find that that broccoli does not all that wonderful any more. Instead of eating it, you may decide to buy something else or even head to a fast food outlet. 

People who just have to buy that extra cheese or some beer every time they're in the store should probably shop no more than once a week.

See Also: Top Kitchen Appliances You Need In Your Healthy Kitchen

Watch The Offers And Buy Non-Perishables In Bulk

Couponing can seriously help you if you're in the United States, but make sure you don't go for foods completely devoid of nutrients. What you can definitely do is watch special offers on your favorite stores' websites. Sign up for their email news letters or set up Google alerts for products like dried beans, rice, diced tomatoes, and whatever other non-perishables you want to stockpile. Do watch the expiry dates.