Eating healthy is important for your long term health but sometimes it seems like your grocery bill is getting bigger every week! Cooking your own meals doesn’t have to break your budget. Here are 12 tips for staying on track with healthy meals for less!
- Use a slow cooker. Cheaper cuts of meat can still be great when cooked in a slow cooker. It’s pretty quick and easy to prepare a full meal that will be ready by the time you’re home from work, meaning you’ll be less inclined to order take out. Even breakfast can be prepared in a slow cooker! Steel-cut oats make for great oatmeal and can be bought cheaper in the bulk section of the grocery store.
- Eggs are a great source of protein and can be prepared in many different ways or added to all kinds of dishes and best of all they’re cheap! Adding an egg to your meal is a great filling and healthy addition.
- Plan at least one meal each week that you’ve cooked before. Having regular go-to recipes is great for your budget because it means you likely already have several of the ingredients on hand and can save a little on groceries for the week!
- Waste not, want not. Try designating one day each week to using up as many of your leftovers as possible. You won’t be wasting any food and your fridge will be ready for your next round of groceries.
- A great meal doesn’t have to be expensive! Here are 103 recipes from Cooking Light that can feed four for under $10!
- Plan your meals within the season. Vegetables and fruits are cheaper when they’re in season, particularly if you can get them from local farms. Basing your meals off of what’s readily available will bring down your grocery budget.
- Planning is key! Take the time to plan out your meals for the week and do all your grocery shopping at once. That will allow you to take advantage of current deals and plan meals around what’s on sale. You’ll also make fewer trips to the store which saves time and prevents frivolous purchases!
- Did you know you can regrow some vegetables from their leftover roots after using them in your meals? Green onions, romaine lettuce, garlic sprouts and more can all be regrown a least once, saving you money on your next grocery bill!
- Buy frozen fruits and vegetables! They cost less and last longer.
- Cook larger batches of foods that can be used in multiple meals, like chicken, pork, onions, etc. Use what you need and then freeze the rest for later. This allows you to buy in bulk or when items go on sale at your local grocery and save money.
- Check out this blog post where the writer made all her meals for a week on less than $5 a day! While food prices and access varies depending on your city this should give you a few tips you can incorporate into your grocery budget to help keep costs down!
- Are meal kits worth it? While they won’t necessarily save you money on groceries, if you’re a busy person who relies on takeout a lot you could save money by investing in a meal kit subscription. Savvy New Canadians takes a look at the pros and cons!