by JQ Adams

Created on: January 29, 2009

Eating healthy can seem more expensive than the dollar menu at the local fast food drive thru, but there are a number of tips you can use to help make your healthy eating a cheap habit!

1. For meat eating families, couples or even single people - buy your meat in the family pack size. It is almost always cheaper per "unit" than buying smaller packages. For example, a package containing 3 chicken breasts might cost $4.20 but the family pack of chicken breasts containing 8 or more breasts may be about $11. Simply repackage the meat when you get home in single-use portions (what you would cook at one time) and freeze.

2. Skip the processed foods and eat the real thing. It's often more convenient to grab a box of something and whip it up for dinner, but it costs more per serving and it's just not as healthy as getting the raw ingredients and making it yourself. If time is an issue, you can always spend an hour or two on the weekend preparing meals and freezing, but honestly- can you really not find 30 minutes to prepare a healthy dinner?

3. Drink water. Your coffee habit isn't healthy, and it's costing you money. So is the soda, kool-aid, powdered drink mixes and anything else you drink on a regular basis. Switch to tap water (get a Brita or other filter if you're afraid it's not safe to drink) and not only are you giving your body something healthy that it needs, but you'll save unnecessary money on other beverages. Save your other beverage selections for special occasions and lunch dates and make water your primary every-day drink.

4. Plan ahead, make and use a shopping list. You can literally plan your meals in advance to make sure you use up all of the items you buy. Have you ever bought broccoli for a recipe and had some left over that just went to waste? Plan your meals so that you use every last bit of the produce and meats you purchase, and your food budget will go further with less waste. Shopping from a list stops impulse buys, too.

5. Plant a garden or shop from the local farmer's market. If produce is expensive at your local grocery store, plant your own garden. You can grow most of your own vegetables and herbs and save considerable amounts of money. Your vegetables can be cut and frozen to last into the fall and winter months, as well. If you can't make time to garden, visit the local farmer's market for your produce purchases- they usually have healthier produce with lower prices.

You can save money on healthy eating with a little planning, but it's not the only benefit of eating healthier. Healthier eating gives you a healthier body, which will result in less trips to the doctor. Healthy means feeling good, too, which effects everything you do!

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