Your menus should also provide for any special diet needs you have. Your own menus can include your favorite recipes, and they can match your time, energy, and interest in cooking. Planning menus is the first step to eating well on a budget. There are some big advantages to making a plan:.

For variety, the meal pattern below can serve as a guide. But other patterns are okay, too. A meal pattern helps you get the vitamins and minerals you need. The grains group includes breads, cereals, rice, and pasta that are either whole-grain or enriched. These are important sources of B vitamins, which help you make energy from the foods you eat.

Try to get half of your grain intake from whole grains—or at least 3 ounces of whole grains per day.

Whole grains include brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, popcorn, millet, quinoa, whole wheat, barley, whole rye, and whole-grain cornmeal.

Products made from whole grains include whole-wheat breakfast cereal flakes as well as whole-grain bread, crackers, pasta, and tortillas. Other important nutrients found in this food group include iron and protein.

The fiber you get from whole grains prevents constipation and may help prevent cancer. To stretch your food dollar, you can use grain products as side dishes, and you can combine them with small servings of meat, poultry, or fish in main dishes.

Choose the low-fat items in this group. Limit the amount of high-fat pastries and sweets you consume from this food group. Dark green and deep yellow vegetables are especially high in nutrients and are good choices.

The high levels of vitamin C and vitamin A in vegetables help your body stay healthy. These nutrients also function as antioxidants to help ward off major chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

All vegetables are important to your diet and will provide nutrients, including fiber, for health, so aim to vary the variety of vegetable you eat. Fresh vegetables are less expensive when purchased in season. But if not in season, frozen or canned vegetables can be good buys.

Some canned vegetables contain high amounts of sodium. Check nutrition labeling to make the best choices. A variety of fruits are high in antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

The brighter in color, the higher level of antioxidant the fruit contains. Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and vitamin C keeps gums and tissue healthy.

Buy fruits in season to get the best buys without added sugar, fat, or salt. If not in season, choose dried, frozen or canned fruits, but go easy on fruit juices as they lack the fiber found in whole fruits.

This group contains foods made from milk such as cheese and yogurt that are considered the best natural sources of calcium. There are also foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter—they are not part of this food group.

Calcium is needed to keep bones and teeth healthy. Many people get less calcium than they need. If you are lactose-intolerant, choose lactose-free products.

Or if you cannot drink milk, choose foods from other food groups that are fortified with calcium to meet your nutrient needs. Check labels on cereals and juices to choose those with high amounts of calcium.

To make your food dollars count, choose less expensive forms of milk, yogurt and cheese. The healthier versions are the low or nonfat types. Drink fat-free milk at meals; put it on cereal and use in cooking.

Some products, such as ice milk, may have little fat but will add calories to your diet because of the sugar that they contain. Enjoy these foods, but in smaller portions. Foods included in this group are meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, dry peas, soybeans, lentils, eggs, nuts, and peanut butter.

These foods not only provide protein, but are also sources of vitamins and minerals. Iron is an important nutrient found in this food group.

Your meat and poultry choices should be low-fat or lean. Choose cooking methods such as broiling, baking, or grilling to reducing adding fat to your meal. Plant sources such as nuts, seeds, and beans contain healthy sources of fats and are less expensive than other choices from this food group.

Eggs have very good quality protein and are low in cost. Have most of the fat in your diet come from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils such as canola, olive, soybean, corn, safflower, and sunflower oil.

Examples of food items that contain oils include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft tub or squeeze margarine with no trans fat. Solid fats include butter, shortening, stick margarine, lard, and meat fats and are not part of the oils category.

Sugar has many names: syrup, molasses, and honey are some of them. Candy, jam, jelly, and many soft drinks are mostly sugar, too. Sugars are high in calories and low in nutrients. Limit them in your menu plan. Much of the salt in our diets is added to foods during cooking and at the table. Try using less table salt and eating fewer salty foods.

Many of these foods have salt in them:. Not everyone loves to cook. Even those who enjoy cooking do not always have the time or the energy. Buying convenience foods or eating out can be costly.

But there are ways to eat well at low cost without spending hours in the kitchen. Again, planning ahead will help you. Consider these ideas:. This menu is planned for two people.

If your family is larger or smaller, adjust it to suit your needs. You can find recipes for the foods in bold print in the companion bulletins in the Thrifty Meals for Small Families series. Serving sizes are included in the recipes. Measure content performance.

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List of Partners vendors. Healthy Eating Budget Cooking Guide. Whether you are living on your own for the first time or just testing the waters of cooking at home more, we have you covered. Thrifty keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.

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Frozen chicken breasts Frozen or canned fruit (in its own juice or light syrup) Frozen vegetables

Thrifty Eating Choices - Dried beans and lentils Frozen chicken breasts Frozen or canned fruit (in its own juice or light syrup) Frozen vegetables

Avoid buying highly processed foods. Not only are they expensive, they often contain lots of sodium or sugar, with little to no nutritional value. Fresh meat and fish can be quite expensive. However, you can get many cuts of meat that cost way less.

Look for chuck steak, pork top sirloin steak, whole chicken, or ground meat or poultry. It may also be helpful to buy a large and inexpensive cut of meat to use in several different meals during the week.

Less expensive cuts of meat are great to use in casseroles, soups, stews, and burritos. These types of recipes usually make big meals and lots of leftovers. Try having a couple of days per week where you use other protein sources, such as legumes , hemp seeds , eggs, or canned fish.

These are all very inexpensive, nutritious, and easy to prepare. Most of them also have a long shelf life and are therefore less likely to spoil quickly.

Try replacing meat 1 or 2 times per week with beans, legumes, eggs or canned fish. These are all cheap and nutritious sources of protein. Produce that is in season is typically cheaper and more nutritious. If you buy too much, freeze the rest or incorporate it into future meal plans. Quick-frozen produce is usually just as nutritious.

Frozen produce is great to use when cooking, making smoothies, or as toppings for oatmeal or yogurt. The rest will be kept safe from spoiling in the freezer. Frozen fruits, berries, and vegetables are usually just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts.

They also keep for a long time if you store them in airtight containers. This is also true for beans, lentils, some nuts, and dried fruit. These are all staple foods that are relatively inexpensive and can be used in a variety of nutritious meals.

Many foods are available in bulk for a way lower price. They keep for a long time in airtight containers and can be used in a variety of nutritious, inexpensive dishes.

Seeds are very cheap to buy. With some time and effort, you may be able to grow your own herbs , sprouts, tomatoes , onions , and many more delicious crops. Home-grown produce may also taste a lot better than the store-bought varieties.

You can also guarantee that it is picked at peak ripeness. Eating out is very expensive, especially if done regularly. Packing your lunch, snacks, drinks, and other meals is less expensive than dining out. Packing your own lunch reduces the expense of eating out. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.

By cutting the cost of products needed around the house, you can spend more of your budget on nutritious foods. Coupons may be a great way to stock up on cleaning products and nutrient-rich foods. Just make sure to avoid the coupons that involve processed foods.

A lot of foods are both inexpensive and nutritious. By making some adjustments and using ingredients that you may not be used to, you can prepare many delicious and inexpensive meals.

Try increasing your use of eggs , beans, seeds, frozen fruits and vegetables, cheaper cuts of meat, and whole grains. Incorporating more inexpensive yet nutrient-rich foods into your daily routine will help you save money and eat well. By registering, you get access to daily discounts and deals.

In fact, there are many ways to eat nutrient-rich foods even on a very tight budget. These include planning your meals, cooking at home, and making smart choices at the grocery store. This is because eating lots of foods high in sodium or sugar could lead to various health conditions.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It can feel like eating healthy is just so expensive! But the truth is, there are lots of things you can do to help make your money go further while making healthier food choices. If you are looking for simple ideas that are doable for the average person, this list is for you!

I love adding them to salads. And if I am making a Mexican-inspired recipe, I almost always swap out some of the meat for black beans instead. Here are a few easy, delicious bean recipes:.

Pretty much all food is still safe to consume after the expiration date. This simply means that the food should be sold by that date but that it still will be okay to consume for at least several more days.

For example, the texture may change slightly or it may lose a bit of flavor. Being less quick to throw out food that is past the expiration date can save lots of money and help avoid food waste! Read more: Food Expiration Dates…What to Know. Choosing healthier snack options such as a piece of fruit, veggies and hummus, sunflower seeds, nuts, a piece of dark chocolate or cheese and crackers will allow you to give in to that snacking urge while also nourishing your body.

Related: 30 Cheap Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids and Adults. One simple way to combat this is by looking for low-sodium choices in things like canned beans, canned soups and canned vegetables. While convenient, diced onions, shredded cabbage and cubed watermelon cost at least three to four times as much buying whole onions, a head of cabbage or half a watermelon.

Not only are processed foods typically full of preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients, but they are also often loaded with sodium too.

Eliminate processed foods where possible or make your own convenience foods from scratch! Homemade yogurt is ridiculously easy to make and will save you a lot of money!

Here are two recipes to try: Super Easy Homemade Yogurt made using your oven and Instant Pot Yogurt. Generic brands can be a great way to save and often they taste just as good as the name brand, sometimes even better! Buying lettuce by the head is much cheaper than buying it pre-chopped and bagged.

Homemade granola is super easy to make and cheaper than buying storebought. This Basic Homemade Granola and this Super Easy Chocolate Granola are our favorites. When you are making a recipe, double it and then use the extra for another meal later in the week. This not only saves time but it also can help save you money by reducing the chance of you feeling like you need to grab takeout.

In fact, you can even grow tomatoes and peppers in pots on a balcony or deck! Hard-boiled eggs make a great snack or lunch and are delicious in salads.

Egg salad is easy to make and quite tasty. And Shakshuka is a simple, delicious dinner. Figuring out what you will eat ahead of time lowers your chance of resorting to grabbing takeout and it also allows you to think through creating more balanced meals. Not sure where to start with meal planning?

Coffeeshop iced coffees, lattes and frappuccinos are pricey and they also are usually loaded with sugar too. Healthy Eating Budget Cooking Guide.

Whether you are living on your own for the first time or just testing the waters of cooking at home more, we have you covered. Thrifty keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life. Newsletter Sign Up.

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