10 Ways to Lower Grocery Bills and Improve Your Health

A couple weeks ago I was chatting with some folks on a Facebook thread about getting healthy, losing weight and money. In the long list of things that make it difficult to get into shape, being on a budget is certainly one of them. But it’s also an excuse. I think most of us, having gone through the last decade of economic ups and (mostly) downs, will be mindful of budgets for the rest of our lives. Skimping on our health, however, isn’t wise.

OH THE AGONY OF BEING GROWN UP. We have to make choices that just aren’t easy. If you REALLY want to be healthy, to have energy, to feel good, and yes, to eek into a smaller size, are you willing to make some changes to your lifestyle? Are you willing to spend extra time cooking your meals rather than adding some ground beef to a box of prepared and processed food-like matter (or Hamburger Helper as its known in my home)? And even more difficult, are you willing to cut lasagna intake in half and fill up instead on green stuff like broccoli and spinach?

Let me be straight with you, I *love* Hamburger Helper. I think Sloppy Joes are awesome. I think about food all the time and there is nothing steeped in cream, cheese, or <insert typical Southern cooking ingredient here> that I won’t eat and love. So, I understand that it is difficult to look at a box of mac n’cheese and then get equally excited about a big head of cauliflower instead.

Many people struggling with these choices have families to look after and therefore use processed and prepared foods to stretch time and money. Again, all I can say is that there is a choice to be made. Forget about losing weight. If you are responsible for raising children into productive and healthy adults, then think about it as a long-term investment.

If your children grow up thinking that macaroni and cheese is an excellent source of calcium, there are going to be problems down the road. Cheap and easy today turns into painful and expensive later.

So here are some ideas to start moving in the right (healthy) direction. You don’t have to make sweeping changes, just start small and find the stuff that works for you and your family. These helped me break my addiction to fatty goodness:

1. Stop thinking about having to “give up” stuff and focus getting it the type of food your body really needs everyday. If you’re in the Skirt age-range, this includes LOTS of calcium, iron, lean proteins and the Vitamins at the beginning of the alphabet. Sneak spinach into an omelet, use avocados instead of mayo on your sandwich and sprinkle walnuts on everything.
2. At the grocery store, stick to the perimeter. This is where the fresh produce, dairy and meat is kept so it can be changed out easily – and this is the stuff that packs the most nutritional punch. The canned, processed stuff occupy the aisles and while it seems cheap, remember that a significant amount of what you are purchasing are the preservatives (not the food) used to keep the stuff from rotting in your pantry.
3. Exception to the above bullet – frozen fruits and vegetables have the same if not better nutritional value as the fresh stuff and are much, much cheaper. Just don’t buy the stuff soaked in cheese or butter sauce!! Steam broccoli, brussels sprouts or green beans and top with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Seriously, lemon juice makes all green vegetables taste better.
4. Yogurt!! Usually around $1 and 100 calories a serving. Yogurt and its ancient cousin kefir are both really good for bone and digestive health, taste yummy and are a perfect mid-morning, mid-day or mid-evening snack.
5. Eat more watermelon (ok, when it’s in season)! It’s CHEAP, barely any calories and is chock full of beta-carotene and lycopene which help your skin fight all the nasty things that make it wrinkle.
6. Beets are the most underrated food ever and you should eat more starting with this recipe.
7. Make meat your side dish. There is no rule anywhere that says that half your plate must be covered in meatloaf or lasagna. Serving protein as a side dish will help you create appropriate portions, limit spending and fill up on the stuff that is going to help your body work better.
8. Make sure everyone in your house eats an apple a day. Yep. It’s true.
9. Cut down or completely eliminate soda and any other drink (coffee and tea are my exceptions) that isn’t water from your diet.
10. Cook for leftovers! Make enough to feed yourself and/or your family for at least another meal. After Thanksgiving I made turkey, cottage cheese and spinach enchiladas that lasted the better part of the week and tasted better every day.

Like I said before, don’t try to change your life in a single visit to the grocery store. Start with being mindful about what you’re trying to accomplish. Being healthy is about more than losing weight, it’s about feeling great when you wake up in the morning and having energy at the end of the work day so you can actually enjoy the life part of your life. It’s about preparing your body to take on the elements and helping your family do the same.

If you decide that you want those things, try a couple of my suggestions above and let me know if you come up with your own!