Eating Healthy Doesn't Have to be Expensive!

One of my friends yesterday commented that eating healthy is more expensive then she could afford. While I can agree with that comment to some extent, many organic and fresh foods can be more pricey then process foods that have been subsidized by the government, healthier eating does not necessarily mean a thinner wallet. I'm not sure what the average person spends on groceries each week, or what each individual considers expensive, but I would say I average less than $50 a week on groceries. I also tend to make a majority of my meals at home. Preparing meals at home instead of dining out is an instant savings right there! Since I travel so much for work I absolutely love when I'm home and can eat fresh meals. I avoid going out for lunches or dinners since I have the opportunity to eat out on the companies dime while traveling for work. When I'm not traveling, I probably only eat out once a week. So $50 feeds me for 20 meals plus snacks! Now wine falls into a different budget category....

I pictured this weeks groceries in Monday's post. The first trip for bread, tofu, veggies, fruit, and a splurge for chips was $20. My second trip to Trader Joe's, if you take out the wine that is pictured, was $35. I also had a trip to the store Saturday morning where I got eggs, spinach, onion, english muffins, and Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packs (LOVE theses!) which was an additional $15. So I'm at $60 for this week, but I was also out of town the week prior so had a lot to stock up on! I will probably end up doing one or two more shopping trips next week to stock up on fresh produce for another $30 - $40. Fruits and vegetables lose nutrients the longer they sit so I usually do several shopping trips a week, but the majority of my food should get me through the next 2 weeks. So I'm looking at $90-$100 for 2 weeks of meals! The government's standard dinner allowance is $33.75 for dining out. The savings for eating fresh, healthy meals at home quickly add up!

Tips For Not Overspending at the Grocery Store

• Never go hungry! I know this can be hard and my wallet definitely feels the difference when I go hungry. Try shopping after a meal and you will be less likely to grab things out of impulse.
• Buy only for the next few days. When I walk through the grocery store and try to plan meals weeks in advance, I end up with many things I don't need and that end up going to waste. For me, I like doing several small trips several times a week. This also means you'll have the freshest produce, dairy and meats.
• Make a List! If you have a list of key items you want/need you'll speed right through the store and spend less time gazing and buying gimmick "featured" products. 
• Shop the outsides of the store. This is more of a health tip but will help your budget too. If you think of how the grocery store is set up all the fresh foods, produce, dairy, deli, butcher, etc, are on the outer walls of the store. If you walk the parameter of the store and only walk down isle for key items like, brown rice, you will be less likely to fill your basket with items you don't need and items that lack nutritious value. I never push my cart down the middle isles. I leave it at the end, walk down to get what I need, and return to my cart and walk the parameter to continue shopping.

What are tips do you have for saving money? What groceries are a must for you? Please share your ideas in a comment below.


I have strangely had NO appetite today. I told you earlier I had to force my yogurt down and then I never got hungry for lunch... Very strange as I LOVE food and usually look forward to my next meal. I finally left the office and ran home for a quick bite at 2:00pm. I made this yummy salad.

This salad had spinach, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, lots of tomatoes, a scoop of hummus, a Wholly Guacamole 100 calories pack, and then some marinated tofu from the other night I cooked in a frying pan.

I topped it off by sprinkling some sesame seeds, added some fresh ground pepper and sea salt, and dribbled a little rice vinegar over top. Perfect! I also brought this back to work for an afternoon snack. A Laughing Cow Wedge and some Wisecrackers.

I'm headed off for a run! It's a friends birthday and St. Patty's Day so seems like a good reason to celebrate! I'm going out tonight so I need to run to make room for the extra calories. I'll always go by the Work hard, Play hard motto! Have a safe holiday everyone and I'll update in the morning!