How can you eat clean on a budget? It is possible! Here are some great ways to work eating real, whole clean foods into your kitchen while you are on a budget.
How can I afford to eat clean on a budget?
I have an organic kitchen and cook with all real ingredients. We grow a lot of our own food that we eat and we share with our local community. I share a lot of what we eat daily on my Instagram stories.
The one question that I get asked the most is “how can I eat the way you do without breaking the bank”. And the comments on posts are – it is too expensive to eat clean, there are never coupons for organic food, real food costs more, and so on. The truth is, YES – organic food can cost more and YES – real, whole, clean foods can be more expensive.
Take the time to prep foods.
The one thing you need to remember is that while it may cost more and you may need a little more prep time real, whole, clean foods are more filling. For example, whole milk Greek yogurt when you add your own mix-ins or fruits is far better for you but second lower in sugars and more hearty than an inexpensive pre-mixed yogurt. So you eat less and you feel better.
Yes it may take more time to work with real, whole, clean foods but if you batch your prep work and get the family involved you will all benefit. Having kids involved allows them also to be invested in their food.
Clean eating = Healthy eating
Clean eating is beneficial to your health. Eating well keeps you and your family healthy. Staying healthy means fewer medicines, fewer doctor appointments and less missed school and work. All of that costs you money!
Ditch all the convenience foods. Just by cutting out the little yogurt containers, pre-packaged junk and granola bars you can find a lot of room in your budget. Spending a little time doing prep work and making your own food with real foods like homemade granola bars will save money and your health.
Can clean eating be affordable?
The biggest concern people have about clean eating t is the cost. Grocery prices continue to rise and finding the extra money in your monthly budget may be harder to find. But think about it this way, eat out less, think about what you can remove from your budget if you choose to make eating a part of your lifestyle.
Here are some great ways to work eating real, whole clean foods into your kitchen while on a budget.
7 Tips for How To Eat Clean On A Budget
1. Shop Local
Local farmer’s markets and farm stores in your area are a great way to shop. One note about farm stores: Often they buy the same items that are at the grocery store and just package them differently. So ask questions. They are both a great source of local produce, diary, eggs, meat and seafood depending on where you live. Since these items don’t need to be trucked in from across the country (or overseas), you’re getting fresh, high-quality food at a decent price.
2. Eat In-Season
Eating what is fresh each season means you are getting what grows naturally. Strawberries in December are forced to grow like a specialty item or come from far away. It will be cheaper, both in the grocery store and at the farmer’s market, but also be fresher. There are so many additional benefits to eating in season. The food tastes better since it is picked in its prime season and it’s better for the environment when food doesn’t have to be picked early and shipped across the country.
3. Make It From Scratch
This is one of the biggest ways to eat real, whole, clean foods. The cost of making a whole batch of homemade granola bars is less than one granola bar in some brands, literally! We’ve lost the art of making things from scratch in the past few decades. We spend our hard-earned money on sodium-free, organic chicken broth instead of boiling up the bones from the chicken we had for dinner last night and making our own.
Using real, whole clean food and cooking from scratch may seem overwhelming. But once you get your flow going it is super easy. Cook your own beans, make soups and stews from scratch and make it a goal to learn to make one new homemade thing each week. Try your hand at baking bread or make some homemade barbecue sauce. Not only will you save money, you also get full control over the ingredients. And this can be fun for the whole family.
4. Grow Your Own
Growing your own food is the number one way you can save money. You do not need a large space or even a year to grow some food year around. You can grow lettuce in a bowl on your kitchen counter. We share many of these tips over on www.sugarwatermanor.com.
If you want to get savvy you can turn part of your yard into your own personal grocery store. It is very easy to grow your own lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Give it a try. You can even do this in containers on your patio if you don’t have much of a yard.
Growing your own produce is even possible in an apartment. Grow some herbs, have some sprouts sprouting and make a growing salad bowl. You can grow spring greens in a pot or bowl in the kitchen window and enjoy a nice bowl of fresh salad every few days.
As an added bonus you get outside and learn a lot more about where your food comes from and what it takes to grow healthy fruits and vegetables that are good for our bodies.
5. Buy In Bulk
It is easier than you think to find real, whole, clean foods in bulk. You can purchase staple foods like rice, whole grain flour and even dried beans and peas in bulk. Just using dry beans and soaking overnight versus a can of beans saves you so much money. See what your local grocery store has to offer, or see if you can get even better prices online.
Buying these items in bulk will save you quite a few dollars on your food budget and it makes weekly grocery trips easier since those things are already crossed off the list. I love to keep all my staples stocked year-round and now I grow a large portion of our dry beans too.
Please don’t let budget constraints keep you from eating healthier. Not only is it very doable on a limited income, but you’ll also be saving even more down the road in avoided health care costs.
6. Try delivery services
There are delivery services that re-purpose real, whole, clean foods that the markets cannot sell. I actually use both of them in the colder months, as we have shipping issues being the last of the UPS and FedEx routes in the warmer months and because we live in the country. If you live on a typical route you will be fine year-round. See below for links and discount codes. In addition to being convenient, these companies can help you eat clean on a budget.
7. Get to know your farmers.
Follow them on Facebook and Instagram and watch for when they offer special end-of-season deals or have blemished products they are selling. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes are another great source of local food.
Basically, you buy a share of a farmer’s produce for the year and end up with a box of assorted fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season. You get what you get and you don’t get upset. I love my CSA as it introduced me to produce I did not typically buy and helps me to eat clean on a budget I can afford. Go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ to learn more and find farms in your area that participate.
Clean Eating Discount Codes
Check out two of the companies I use and love which help me eat clean on a budget. Be sure to use my links and promotional codes for special offers and discounts.
Imperfect Foods
Discount: By clicking the link above you will get $20 off your first four orders
Misfit promotional code: COOKWME-CD1GUU
By using the code below you can get $15 off your first order
I am a home cook that does things my way. In my kitchen, I make breakfast, pack lunches, prepare snacks, and cook dinner. During the week, we eat real food that is homemade, organic, and local. On the weekends we do explore more of our local restaurants. I bake my own bread, juice fresh oranges every other day, and make my own kombucha and other weekly favorites.
January 10, 2022
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