Cut the Cost of Healthy Foods - iVillage Your Total Health

Cut Cost of Healthy Foods

Trying to eat a healthier diet can be tough, particularly when you're on a budget. So often, foods that are not good for us are cheaper than healthy alternatives. It's a fact of life that a bag of apples or oranges frequently costs more per serving than that two-for-one box of cupcakes on the supermarket shelf.

So, if we choose foods that make our bodies healthy, are we doomed to making our wallets feel a little anemic?

Not necessarily. Studies have found that people who switch to a healthier diet often discover that their grocery bill decreases over time as they become better bargain shoppers.

With a little careful planning, you can trim the financial fat from your food bill. Here are a few tips for making healthy food choices more affordable:

Build flexibility into your diet. Healthy eating becomes more affordable when you bend your diet to fit what is on sale. Planning to buy pea pods only to find that fresh green beans are 50 percent off? It makes sense (and cents) to choose the beans and adjust the meal.

Look for coupons, sales and clearance items. Always keep an eye out for coupons, sales or other specials that can help stretch your budget. Two-for-one offers result in big savings if you enjoy one of the items now and freeze (or store) the other for later.

Some supermarkets also slash prices on fresh foods that are nearing the end of their shelf life. Bananas may go on sale as their skins begin to turn even though they are still ripe and delicious. Buy plenty, peel them, cut them up and freeze them so you can make tasty and nutritious smoothies anytime.

Certain stores also offer discounts on food products for people with frequent-shopper cards.

Buy dried beans and peas. Dried beans and peas are just as nutritious as the fresh or canned varieties. Though they take longer to prepare, you get a greater volume of chickpeas or kidney beans per dollar when buying the dried variety compared to canned or fresh. Beans and peas also help boost dietary fiber content.

Compare the prices of different brands. Do you typically buy fresh mushrooms sold by Company A? Don't be afraid to defect over to Company B if you discover a coupon or sale. Also, buying store-brand or generic products almost always will save you money over buying brand-name competitors. This often is true even when you have a coupon for the brand-name product.

Buy in bulk. This usually can result in significant savings. However, it's important to avoid being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Don't buy a tub of yogurt if you won't finish it before the spoilage date. Otherwise, you'll just end up tossing half the tub -- along with your savings -- into the garbage.

Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of life's joys, a product that actually goes down in price as the quality goes up. Produce that is in season is almost always tastier and cheaper at the peak of the harvest. So, try to buy apples between September and May, oranges from November to June and cucumbers from May to August.

Blueberries, for example, are expensive most of the year but a bargain in summer. If you like them, buy as many as you have room for in your freezer. Wash them, let them dry and freeze them in airtight containers. In autumn and winter, you'll be able to add a nutritious taste of summer to your oatmeal.

If an item is not in season and you can't freeze it for later use, it is often cheaper to buy frozen or canned versions of the food. Just keep in mind that canned fruits may be higher in sugar, just as canned vegetables often have high sodium content. If you buy canned products, look for those canned in water or with low-sugar or low-sodium alternatives.

Cut back on restaurant meals and convenience foods. We often fret over the cost of buying healthy foods, but think nothing of spending $7 each week on espresso and pastries at a favorite coffee shop. How many of us balk at the price of out-of-season tomatoes, only to drop $50 or more each month ordering take-out lunches? Cutting back on these costs can free up money to be spent on healthier alternatives. Skip the coffee shop and brew your own java. Or, make your own turkey sandwich for a fraction of what the deli charges.

It's important to remember that it may take a little time before you master the techniques that make a healthy diet more affordable. Early on, you might buy fresh broccoli at its full price. Over time, you'll notice that broccoli tends to go on sale every three weeks at your favorite grocer, and begin to buy fresh broccoli during these times.

One day, you may notice that broccoli often is cheaper at your local farmers market or roadside produce stand and begin making your purchases there. Finally, you may find a bargain on frozen broccoli and buy a couple of bags to tide you over at times when fresh broccoli is too expensive.

Practice makes perfect. In no time, you'll fashion a new, affordable diet that both your body and wallet will appreciate. And just maybe you'll find the strength to resist the siren song of the 99-cent hamburger at the fast-food joint on the corner.

More: Get helpful advice from the message boards -- try Ask the Nutritionist, Fitness and Health, The Latest Diets and Workouts and many others.