I have heard a lot of moms say that eating healthy is expensive. I beg to differ! Now, if we are talking all organic and shopping at pricey stores only, then yes, I can agree with that statement. But I do not believe that we should just throw in the towel and feed our families Mc Donalds every day because we think it is “cheaper”. Eating healthy does require some preparation and budgeting, so if we do our homework we can feed our families healthy, nutritious foods while maintaining our budgets no matter how big or small they may be.
Here are some tips on how to be a savvy FIT MOM shopper!
1) Shop different stores to get the best prices! For instance, I get pretty much all my spices at Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers. I have found they have the BEST prices on bulk natural and/or organic spices.
2) Shop sales! Look at the flyer local grocery stores send in the mail. Pick up in-store flyers and coupon books. Clip coupons from the Sunday paper. BUT, please don’t shop JUNK just because it’s on sale!! Stick with healthy, fresh, non-processed foods!
3) Write out your menu for the week and make a list of what you will need. Sticking with a list helps stick to your budget!
4) Stock up on health foods, especially if you can freeze them for later use! I love hitting up the sales on eggs, veggies, and meats. Eggs can be used for multiple meals. Eating them for breakfast, snacks, or even in a dinner dish! Veggies and meats can always be frozen and are great to have on hand when in a pinch.
5) Take advantage of your local Farmers Markets for great prices on fresh produce.
6) Never, ever shop hungry! We tend to go for processed snack foods when we shop hungry. Have a protein shake for a quick “before you shop meal”.
7) Watch for sales on organic foods! Sometimes you can get organic foods cheaper than non-organic foods.
8) Find multiple recipes using the same foods. I have a ton of recipes using chicken and tons using oatmeal. These are two of my staple foods!
9) Cook from scratch. I know, I know…we are ALL busy moms. But if you own a crock pot, you can prepare gourmet meals with very little prep time. This can cook an entire week worth of food for your family and save you tons on preparing the foods yourself versus buying already prepared meals.
10) Join co-ops. We have several here in Colorado that not only can save you money buying in bulk or by even splitting it with another family, it is super convenient to have them delivered right to your door! Here is a website I found with a few of the co-ops: http://www.growlocalcolorado.org/distribution–food-co-ops.html.
I would LOVE to hear how other FIT MOMS out there eat healthy on a budget! Remember, even if we find ourselves spending a tad more on healthy foods from time to time, we will save in the long run by raising a happy healthy family!
“Lift, Laugh, Love” ~ Fit Mom
