As a mom, you want to make sure your family is eating healthy, but you also don’t want to break the bank. With food prices so high, it can be tough to strike a balance, but it’s definitely possible – with a little planning and creativity. In this article, we’ll share some of our best tips on healthy eating on budget, with kids in tow.
You may think that it’s to expensive to eat healthy food. But really, it’s easier to eat nutritious foods on a budget than junk food. Following a healthy diet on a budget doesn’t have to be hard.
Read on for some easy ways to make healthy eating on budget doable for your family.
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Strategy for Eating Healthy on a Budget
One of the best ways to save on the cost of food and eat healthy is to cook at home. Meal planning with leftovers in mind can help you save both time and money. Planning ahead by checking for coupons and sales at your local grocery store and basing your meals around those foods can also help you save a lot of money on groceries. Then, cooking in bulk and/or making freezer meals to save both time and money in the long run.
By eating from a clean eating meal plan, you’ll reduce food waste by only buying what you need, and be able to focus on making healthy choices.
By cooking at home instead of eating out, you’ll save a good bit on your food budget. This doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; even simple meals can be healthy and affordable.
Check out the Busy Mom Meal Prep – the done-for-you plan to get healthy meals on the table. It includes a grocery list and one week meal plan, plus prep instructions.
Meal Planning to Save Money and Time
When you are on a tight budget, one of the best ways to save money is to plan ahead. You can make a list of meals for the week and then shop for groceries accordingly. This will help you avoid last-minute trips to the store, which can be expensive. Planning ahead will also help you make sure that you are cooking healthy meals for your family, rather than eating out.
Look for healthy recipes with simple ingredients that you can make in the instant pot or slow cooker. These healthy dinner ideas can help.
You may also want to consider batch cooking meals so that you have leftovers for the week. This will help you save time on meal prep and ensure that you always have a healthy meal on hand.
Freezer meals and meal prepping are also great options for staying on budget. This allows you to take advantage of make extra food that can be eaten later. This can be a great way to have quick and easy meals on hand when you are short on time or money.
Another way to make healthy eating easier is to involve your family members in the process. Let them help you plan meals and choose recipes. You can also involve them in meal prep and cooking. Not only will this be a fun bonding experience for your family, but it will also teach your kids about healthy eating habits.
Read more about meal planning ideas for families here.
Meal Plans for Families
- One week clean eating meal plan – complete plan with ideas for every meal
- 5 day meal plan – just dinners for the week
- Easy clean eating meal plan for Fall – breakfast, lunch, and dinner based on seasonal options
Use A Clean Eating Grocery List
If you want to eat healthy on budget with a family, it can help to have a clean eating grocery list. This type of shopping list will help you resist impulse buys while grocery shopping and make smart food choices.
You can download a copy of our clean eating grocery list by signing up below! It includes the key clean eating staples you need for maintaining a healthy diet – lean protein sources, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
How to Reduce Your Grocery Budget
Lowering your grocery bill is essential for healthy eating on a budget. There are a few things you should keep in mind when grocery shopping.
1- Buy Fresh Produce
First, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only is fresh produce healthy, but it’s also also relatively inexpensive. Save even more by choosing local produce and seasonal produce – as it’s often dramatically cheaper when in season.
You can also save money by buying in bulk and freezing items like fruits and vegetables that you won’t be able to use right away to avoid food waste.
2 – Avoid Junk Foods
As much as possible try to avoid processed foods, which are often more expensive and less healthy than unprocessed whole foods. Name brand junk foods can add a good bit of unnecessary spending to your grocery bill.
Read food labels and choose products that contain real food ingredients and little to no additives.
A general rule that’s always helped me is stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store (produce, dairy, meats) – this is where you’ll find the most healthy options. When you do venture to the middle aisles, choose store brands over name brands. The product quality is often similar and it’s a good bit cheaper.
3 – Choose your meats wisely
Also, buying meats when they are on sale, will help put a little less strain on your wallet.
Lean meats are often less expensive. Look for the cheaper cuts of meat, as well.
For example, consider buying a whole chicken rather chicken breasts. Or chicken thighs with bones rather than boneless. These simple switches can help you save a lot.
4 – Make your own snacks and desserts to save more
Don’t forget to factor in snacks and dessert! Making your own healthy meal prep snacks is a good option that costs less than buying individual prepackaged options. You can also make simple desserts like this Healthy Fudge with just 3 ingredients.
While it’s important to limit processed foods and sugary drinks, it’s OK to indulge every once in a while – just be sure to balance it out with plenty of healthy choices.
5 – Order groceries online
One thing that has really helped me stay on budget with grocery shopping is ordering online and doing pickup. This is a great tool for staying on budget.
Many local grocery chains now provide this for free and the prices are the same as in the store. Check your local stores to see if this is an option. Walmart also offers this option.
The great thing about ordering online is you can see when you hit your upper spending limit and stop so that you can stay within your budget. Then you can subtract and add items as needed to get what you need, but not go over your spending limit.
Plus, this is way easier than taking the kids to store and having to say no (or even worse yes!) to all the random items they may want.
6 – Look for the sales
Finally, look out for coupons, store sales and special offers! You can often find coupons for healthy foods in the Sunday paper or online. Many grocery stores also run special offers during certain times of year (usually around holidays), so watch out for these and take the opportunity to stock up on needed items.
Following these simple tips can help you lower your food bill each month.
Final Tips on Healthy Eating on Budget
Eating healthy on a budget with kids can be challenging, but it’s totally possible. With a little planning and creativity, you can make nutritious meals that your whole family will enjoy.
Try to cook simple meals at home whenever possible and take advantage of discounts and sales at the grocery store. You can also pack your own snacks and lunches to save money. With a little effort, you can make eating healthy affordable for your entire family.
Check out our Busy Mom Meal Prep Plan for an easy way to get started today.
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More on Healthy Eating
Healthy Recipes for Moms – recipes to help you nourish yourself through all phases of motherhood
Clean Healthy Breakfast Ideas – list of recipes you can make ahead
Kitchen Tips for Busy Moms – time saving tips to make healthy eating easier with a family
What are you best tips for healthy eating on a budget??? Share them in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!
