by Eva Perry

Created on: September 24, 2008   Last Updated: March 24, 2010

In today's tough economic times, money saving tips on eating healthy is definitely needed!

 Here is a guide to offer some helpful tips.

1. First of all, make a list of healthy foods and figure out your meal plans for the week. Start by writing down exactly what you need before you go to the store. This should help eliminate impulsive buying of unnecessary food items, and therefore save you some money.

2. Use coupons if at all possible, to further your savings on food items that you would buy. Coupons can be found in your local newspaper, in store fliers that you get in the mail, or at your grocery store. Remember to choose healthy food item coupons that can save you money and further your healthy eating habits.

3. Go to outdoor vegetable and food markets. You can usually find a bargain at these places, since they generally have lower prices on their vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruits play an important part in achieving a healthy, nutritional diet.

4. Try planting your own vegetable and fruit garden. This definitely will add to you saving money in lieu of spending money at the grocery store.

5. Look for the items that are on sale at your grocery store that week, which fit as part of your plan for a healthy diet. For example, when choosing meat, sale items are usually noticeable with a red sticker placed on them. If you are choosing red meat, the leaner cuts of meat are better for your health, since they contain less fat.

6. Shop for some of your food items at a bakery or bread outlet store. A person can usually find bargains on bread at these stores, but remember whole grain and wheat breads are a better choice for you and your health.

7. Limit your purchasing of snack or sweet items on your grocery list. Too much sugar and carbohydrates are not healthy for you. The less you purchase of these items the more you can also save money at the grocery store.

8. Make more homemade meals. For example, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of canned or frozen, which may be more expensive in terms of quantity. You'll be eating healthier at the same time since fresh fruits and vegetables contain more of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to remain healthy. Processed and packaged meals with meat may actually cost you more money than preparing a piece of meat and side dish of mashed potatoes yourself. This, undoubtedly, is also a healthier choice of eating.

9. Cut down on eating out at restaurants during the week or weekends. By planning your own meals you can save some money and benefit by planning a healthy meal that would include all the food groups.

It's good to know that even today, a person can still save money and eat healthy, by simply following a plan to be aware of healthy food choices  when planning their meals

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