When you’ve got a tight budget, meal planning and grocery shopping has its challenges.  And, when you have a tight budget and you’re dedicated to eating healthy, it’s even trickier.

I’ve talked about each of these topics quite a bit in the past, and seem to get asked this question all the time.  Here are a few tips for eating healthy on a budget that has helped my family and I.

1. Buy fresh produce when it’s in season and freeze it.
Fresh produce is always great, but the cost can add up fast.  Stick with buying what’s currently in season, and consider stocking up when you find a good deal.  Buying fruit like strawberries, or blueberries is a great way to save.  You can cut them up, freeze them and use later for your smoothies. 

2. Look for sales and plan meals accordingly.
If your local grocery store offers a savings card be sure to sign up, I have one for Smith’s and Costco.  I always check the weekly circular to see what’s on sale.  Instead of shopping for groceries based on your weekly meal plan, consider planning your meals around what’s on sale.  This helps me so much  to continue eating healthy on a budget when it comes to planning out my week.

3. Plan and prep meals ahead.
Whether it’s veggies for the week, tomorrow’s breakfast, lunches or dinners, prepping food in advance is a step in the right direction towards eating healthy.  Plus, it’s also a good way to make sure you’re eating what’s in the fridge, to minimize waste.  Wasting food is a huge pet peeve of mine.

I spend some time every Sunday planning my meals for the week.  I don’t mind eating leftovers so I plan on eating the same thing several times.  I try to at least get my lunches prepped on Sunday so I’m starting the week off right.  Then I might make something to eat on Sunday night for dinner and eat that several times as well.  Like extra meat to make different meals.

4. Shop In Bulk 

I shop at Costco for most of my frozen meats, and fresh vegetables, it cost a bit more up front but saves me multiple runs to the grocery store.  A few things I buy are spinach, chicken, fish, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oats and many more things.  I keep my fridge and pantry full and rotate it so no food will go to waste.  I love the idea of buying in bulk it has so many benefits and its one thing that keeps on me on track and helps me continue eating healthy on a budget.

There are my 4 top tips for eating healthy on a budget, we all know that is top excuse for people,  to not eating healthy. It’s too expensive.   In the long run it will save you money to take action and start fueling your body with good healthy food.  Being on a budget is hard but anything is possible, eating healthy on a budget is one of them and I believe we can overcome the excuses and not only feed ourselves healthy food but our families as well.  Start applying these tips to your weekly schedule and you’ll thank me.