How to Eat Healthy On a Very Tight Budget (part two)

-- 11  Eat smarter not harder, smaller portions, eating protein first and high fiber last gets you full faster and keeps you full longer; knowing how much you actually need of each food group, like only 8 ounces of protein per day or only 1 1/2 cups of milk for toddlers, all helps you save money and be healthier too.

-- 12  Buy Generic food and store brands. They taste like brand name foods, sometimes better, but they’ll save you money on packaging & advertising.

-- 13  Buy supplements. They can be cheap and make your life easier but make sure the bulk of your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods.  Whey is the cheapest protein you’ll find, put some in a smoothie for a cheap but complete and filling breakfast. Fish Oil is cheaper than fish, so take them when your budget or palate doesn't allow them, just before bed to avoid the "fish burps".  Vitamin deficiency is common, Vitamin D esp. right now, so taking a multi-vitamin can help you make sure that there aren't any gaps in your nutritional needs.


-- 14  Buy calorie and nutrition dense foods.  Whole milk, potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta & rolled oats are very filling.  Fruits and veggies like blueberries and yams are high in nutrients.

-- 15  Always read the ingredients, avoid foods that are full of fillers instead of real food, like most ketchup has a lot of High Fructose Corn Syrup that is mostly there as a filler but Hunt's has one that has no added sodium or high fructose corn syrup and it tastes great too.

-- 16  Shop the discounts, meat, bread, and many other things go for a lot cheaper when they are getting close to their expiration or sell by dates, look for those first.

-- 17  Get the Customer Card and only shop at one place unless you are going there already, you may save a little going to that other store for a couple of items that are cheaper there but once you add the cost of gas, extra wear and tear on your car and the extra time you usually save more by just getting it all at once.

-- 18  *Play the "grocery game", clip coupons and use them in conjunction with sales to get the best price possible.  There's a website called The Grocery Game that is a great way to get you started if you think you need help.  I started there and now do it on my own and my grocery bills were cut in half while I was actually buying more.

-- 19  Check the unit price, it's amazing how often something looks cheaper but actually costs more when you break it down.  Like two boxes of pasta, one is $.50 less but it is actually one ounce less which makes it more per ounce than the other box.

-- 20  Stop buying food out, make your own meals and take them with you instead.  Taking your lunch to work, keeping healthy snacks like nuts in the car and your purse can save you from buying

-- 21  Stick to your list and eliminate impulse buying, the easiest way to do this is to do your shopping online and pick up your groceries or have them delivered, you'll save for more on the things you don't buy and the time and gas you save than you spend on the fees you pay for the service.  Even if you can't do this make sure that you make a list and keep strictly to it, if it's not on the list it doesn't go in the cart.

*   (Although most of my recipes say how much they cost I am stating the cost without sales or savings, I haven't included how much I saved with coupons or anything I grew on my own.)