Seven More Ways to Save Money on Healthy Food

In addition to planning your food purchases, changes in how you use staples can also help you save money.

Drink sparkling water with flavors you add yourself rather than soft drinks

The $1, $2, $3, or $10 a day your family spends on soft drinks can add up in a hurry. Soft drinks can cost hundreds of dollars per month without delivering any nutritional value. There is a way to save money and add nutrition.

Buy sparkling water and add a splash of natural flavor. Cranberry juice added to seltzer water saves money and provides vitamin C. Orange juice added to sparkling water reduces calories but provides the same refreshing flavor.

You can buy da Vinci syrups and make up to 20 different kinds of Italian sodas, both regular and sugar free. Or buy a Soda Club and make your own soft drinks in 30 minutes or less, choosing from among over 30 sugar-sweetened flavors, all free of high-fructose corn syrup.

Don't freak out over frozen foods

A lot of the fresh produce we eat has been shipped half way around the world before it is displayed on the market shelf. While grapes flown overnight from Chile to Chicago may have great flavor and full nutritional value, transportation is not cheap, and it's only going to get more expensive. Moreover, if no one buys imported produce, it tends to sit there until someone snaps it up. It's too expensive for the grocer just to throw away.

Frozen foods are processed at the peak of their flavor and nutritional value. Many frozen food plants process vegetables and fruit within 8 hours of harvest, compared to up to 8 weeks for "fresh" food. The manufacturer is free to ship with slower, more energy-efficient transportation, and the product stays good for months at a time.

Best of all, frozen food is cheaper. Buy and enjoy fresh produce and fruit at the peak of the season locally, but use frozen fruit and vegetables the rest of the year. Just pour out what you need and reseal the package with no waste.

Buy in bulk

Bulk prices for beans, rice, cereals, and flour are usually a little less expensive than package prices. You save money because you do the packaging. The major difference between bulk prices and package prices is in what you pay for mixes. A pound of black beans in bulk may cost $0.50. A half-pound of black bean soup mix may cost $3.00. Buy $0.50 worth of black beans and $0.25 of the seasonings in bulk and save $2.25.

Spices are a special bargain in bulk. If you just need a "pinch" of a fresh spice, you can buy a $0.10 packet you weigh out yourself instead of a $5 bottle that will just go stale.

And dried fruits offer potent antioxidant power. You may pay a little more per pound for dried fruit, but you will get 10 to 20 times as many antioxidants from the same size serving.

And still more ways to save on your food budget?

• Don't go to the store just to buy one item on sale. You'll spend more on fuel than you'll save on groceries, and there will be the ever-present temptation to buy on impulse.
• Use coupons, but don't plan your purchases on the basis of the coupons you have. You will spend less money if you decide what you want, and then see if you can find a coupon for it.
• Buy in bulk, cook in bulk. Make your own frozen dinners with exactly what you want in them.
• Slice it yourself. People who live by themselves sometimes save money by buying small amounts of sliced meats and cheese and the deli counter. But if you have a large family, you will definitely save money by slicing them yourself, assuming you slice them yourself.

And an even better way to save money is to plant a garden. Start with herbs and salad greens, which cost a lot and which are better fresh. You will enjoy your food more and spend less.