Our food budget has gotten out of control the past few months. It is so expensive to eat healthy, fresh and so much cheaper it seems to eat processed, canned, etc . . . It's frustrating, and people wonder why there is a weight problem in our country!

To keep our bill down we purchase only fruits and veggies that are on sale. We buy meat only when it is on sale. I was a vegetarian for years and now only eat chicken and fish, so we don't buy a lot of red meats and I do make a few meals each week that don't have any meat. I try to use coupons with sale items to bring purchases down even more. We eat a lot of rice, beans, etc, that are inexpensive but healthy. I still splurge on nuts for snack and decent coffee because we drink that everyday. 

Kathy

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My grocery budget has really dropped every since I stopped buying animal meat, and instead I cook beans.  There are some tons of amazing and flavorful bean recipes out there (I like the Moosewood recipe cookbooks for my bean recipes).  Beans are inexpensive, especially if you soak and cook them yourself, and so, so healthy.  I love that there is so much fiber and protein from one source.  Not only has do I spend so much less on groceries now, I also got to stop taking fiber supplements because the beans cured a digestive health problem I had while eating meat.

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Base ingredients are still pretty cheap, even here where food costs lots more than the US.  Plain flour, eggs,  yeast, salt: there are pasta and bread.  I don't even know what packaged bread costs, but even people without bread machines can make Italian or French bread extremely cheaply.  That was sort of the impetus for the NY Times No Knead bread.  Sure it takes a day, but other than a couple of minutes, it spends the day alone. 

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Thank you, Catherine, for this timely and informative article. The links to resources is useful. 

We go back and forth sometimes at my house on this and concede that it takes commitment to eat healthy and stay on a budget. We're better off eating at home budget wise. Fast food value meals are quick and sound cheap, but down the road all the money you think you've saved goes to a doctor bill. There's a separate price for eating fatty fast food when you've got genes leaning toward diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure.

I say that like I'm some kind of pro at saying no to treats, but often I get home and have to go into a psychic boxing ring with myself not to order pizza because I'm tired and it seems easier. :-)

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Being prpared is my healthy eating trick.  I buy what's on sale and keep a stocked pantry.  I find that store brands are good esp if it is well seasoned.  We also go to the bakery thrift store for the good bread and buy the day old bread in the market and freeze it.  I buy bags of salad that are marked down and can make at least 2 lunches from them with some chicken and veggies.  I go to the store on a mission to get what is on my list and my meals are preplanned.  I love my crokpot for this.  I eat whatever fruit is in season and freeze some before it goes bad to use in my plain oatmeal or yogurt. 

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

I save money on my food bill by buying my spices in bulk at the warehouse store, health food store, or ethnic grocery store (I find seriously cheap spices at these mom and pop stores in my city!) That way I can make the same basic stir fry meal made of up of say, cut up chicken breast (so it stretches to feed more than one person), cut up vegtables (or frozen for time) and rice or pasta taste like an italian dish one night, middle eastern another night, asian the next night, and mexican the night after that.

I also learned to cook with tofu as a protein source. It's cheaper than meat and as long as you realize that a block of tofu doesn't have a taste - it takes on the taste of whatever you cook with it, you'll be OK. I always suggest that beginners sustitute tofu for the meat in spaghetti sauce.

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Interestingly, once we started trying to shop local and avoid Wal-Mart, we started saving on the grocery bill and eating healthier. There are fewer impulse buys from non-grocery related items, and we think our purchases through much better. It's much easier to toss a bag of chips in your cart if it only costs 99 cents (Wal-Mart). When a smaller bag of chips costs almost $2, it makes us stop and think. Anyway, we've cut our shopping bill by 1/3, just by thinking things through at the local store.

I also agree about putting in the time to prepare more foods at home. We make a meal plan for the week, and then a list based on that plan. If we stick to the list (and shop after we've eaten), we find that we keep our grocery spending under control.

We also do coupons and sales.

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It honestly takes very little time to make a menu plan (think of 7 easy things you want to cook this week, and write them down).  Then it takes even less time to check which ingredients you already have.

Shop with the remaining list, and you'll save a heap of money.

Of course you can get all fancy, and take sales and coupons into account (before you make the menu plan).  And it's always a good idea to see what already needs eating in the freezer and the pantry.  But that simple menu plan can make the world of difference to your shopping trips.

I think I have a recipe for that...

I am in the process of working on a site http://wwww.bogoqueen.com that will help you with ways to save money at the grocery and other tips to make life easier - check the site ofter.

You can save 30 to 40% of your grocery bill - the site tells you how, just click the above link. 

I usually reserve Sundays for a do nothing day.  I only go to church and sit home the rest of the day.  I find if I make my meats and some starches on Sunday I always have meals ready.  I put chicken or roasts in the oven, and maybe make spaghetti sauce and just relax as eveything slowly cooks. if I am going to have beans or other vegies that take time I put them on a simmer and read or watch TV while they cook. I then let everything cool and put it in the fridge.  This is a good day to make some soups or stews to freeze as well.  And the bonus your house smells great!

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

I see figures now and then for this topic, but am never clear as to whether that includes items like:

wine/beer

household items like paper towels and soap

? We are a family of three and somehow we spend what seems to be a very high dollar amount each week... my husband is the cook and is great at it, but doesn't like to cut corners. I'm trying to get him to rethink having to buy fresh herbs for one dish if dried might do, or leaving out the quarter cup of buttermilk if something we already have might do (sour cream? milk?). Does anyone know where to get national average figures, where it's spelled out as to what that might cover? Thanks!

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but I congratulate you on asking them.  The more we are curious about food, nutrition and pleasures of the table, the better we will eat.  I use a lot of products that would be hard to find or expensive in other countries, and I plan to start offering ideas on what to substitute because of your question.

I'm working with a fellow in a different city on faster foods, but there's no reason not to work as well on being cheaper.  I've been worried about people especially in the USA, trying so hard to remove fats and hfcs from their meals while not even noticing how many mysterious packaged products were going into the oven and the pot. There seems to be too much concentration on the detail to the detriment of the whole.

At least with basic ingredients you know what you're eating!

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I am in the process of working on a site http://wwww.bogoqueen.com that will help you with ways to save money at the grocery and other tips to make life easier - check the site ofter.

I am in the process of working on a site http://wwww.bogoqueen.com that will help you with ways to save money at the grocery and other tips to make life easier - check the site ofter.

I am in the process of working on a site http://wwww.bogoqueen.com that will help you with ways to save money at the grocery and other tips to make life easier - check the site often.

I am in the process of working on a site http://wwww.bogoqueen.com that will help you with ways to save money at the grocery and other tips to make life easier - check the site often.  I save at least 30 to 40% of my grocery bill.

this is very helpful.. stay healthy and eat healthy as well. this is good nowadays since we are really in a tight budget and it is very good to choose what you eat.

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