The second posting in our Budgeting for Healthy Eating series is written by another friend of EF, Rachel. A mommy of two and one of the sweetest, most organized people I know, Rachel has some fantastic tips for shopping with a healthy, happy family in mind.
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Stick to your shopping list - for the most part! - by not giving into impulse purchases, but do leave a little wiggle room for sales you may come across of items that you use frequently. (Because next week, when you might actually need them, they won’t be on sale anymore!) For example, if you know that you use whole almonds for snacking and in recipes, then by all means, stock up when they go on sale! The other day I was going to pick up a rotisserie chicken, and happened to see that they had cold rotisserie chickens on sale. Instead of paying $6.99 for a hot one, I got the exact same thing (just cold!) for $3.99! So, I got several so that I could debone and freeze it for future recipes. The point is, keep your eyes open for sales. And by shopping smart (and comparing price per unit, verses total price), you can save a lot of money in the long run.
Buy in season. Yes, you may love fresh strawberries and blueberries, but if they are not in season, you may end up paying a ridiculous amount for them. In those cases, you can do one of two things: 1) Opt to buy frozen ones instead. They are just as healthy as fresh ones (they were frozen when they were at their peak of freshness), but can be a lot cheaper. Or 2) Try something new. Don't be afraid to branch out and try out something that is in season! Who knows, you may discover a new favorite fruit or vegetable!
Reduce waste. Everyone knows that throwing away food that has gone bad is like throwing your money in the trash can. So dig through that fridge and make sure that you know what is in there! Since you might be eating a lot more fresh produce during this Clean Eating Challenge (good for you!), make sure you store those items properly, and consume them before the week is out.
Planning out your meals wisely and ahead of time will help to reduce waste. A good tip to remember is to order your weekly meals by eating those groceries that will perish faster earlier in the week. For example, if your menu includes beef stew on one day, and lettuce wraps on another, cook the lettuce wraps first. The carrots and other root vegetables for the stew will last a lot longer than the fragile lettuce for the wraps. Don’t wait until the end of the week to make them, only to discover your lettuce has wilted or browned.
Another tip is to prep those fruits and veggies as soon as you bring them home, so that they are less likely to mold or spoil. One thing you will want to have in your pantry is white or apple cider vinegar. Soak/wash your produce in a diluted solution of vinegar and water (i.e., fill your sink half full of water, and then pour about a 1/2 cup of vinegar in it). The vinegar is a natural way to clean produce, and the acidity will not only kill any “bad stuff” on the food, but will also help prevent mold from growing on things like strawberries, grapes, oranges, etc. (And don’t worry about the vinegar smell/taste - just pat items dry and the smell should evaporate, leaving no lingering vinegar taste.)
Freezer
I hope you realize how valuable your freezer can be! If not, then here are some tips to help you utilize it so that you can keep your clean eating on a budget!
Double up: Double up recipes (hopefully from extra sale items) and make 2 of everything. That way, it's ready and "fast" and you'll be less likely to spend money on "dirty" fast food in a pinch. And, it doesn’t have to be a “casserole.” It can be soup, stews, breakfast casseroles, pre-made waffles, or just cut and prepped fruits and vegetables.
Buy in season: Buy things like fresh veggies and fruit when they are in season, and prep and freeze them so that you have some tucked away when those items go back up in price (not in season anymore).
Leftovers: Portion out leftovers in quart-sized freezer safe ziplocks, so that they are ready to grab and go when you are in a hurry, or need to pack something for lunches. This will save you money on eating out, and ensure that your lunches are “clean.” Also, we all know that leftovers can get tiresome, so instead of eating a meal’s leftovers all week long, go ahead and freeze some of it the next day. That way, you won’t be tired of eating it, and it won’t sit in your fridge all week and end up spoiling!
Ice cube trays. Think outside the box. There are a lot of things you may be tempted to throw away - like the tiny bit of unused tomato paste leftover from a recipe (happens to everyone!) - but you can quickly freeze these kinds of things in ice cube trays (and then store cubes in a freezer-safe bag,) and then the next time a recipe calls for 1 or 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste, you will have it. Here is a brief list of things you can freeze in small portions that will save you money:
Tomato paste
Pizza sauce (I make a whole batch, and then freeze it all in trays. Then, when I make a pizza, I only have to grab a few cubes per pizza, instead of making the sauce each and every time. Saves time and money!)
Pesto
Smoothie mix (You can pre-make baggies full of smoothie ingredients, or save even more space and time by blending them all together at once, and then freezing the mix in trays. When you need a smoothie, simply blend a handful of cubes with your favorite (clean!) liquid. (Almond milk, regular milk, soy milk, coconut milk, juice, coconut water, etc.)
Yogurt (To add to smoothies. Also good for making healthy “popsicles” with the yogurt you need to eat up before it goes bad.)
Applesauce (handy for tossing into hot oatmeal that you need to cool down fast!)
Broth
Coffee (Use to make your own iced coffee drinks, so you don’t have to spend money on fancy coffee drinks!)
Waste not, want not: Make sure you are not throwing your (invested) money away by keeping your food safe from freezer burn, and make sure to eat them from the oldest dated item to the newest. This will ensure that nothing goes to waste. I won’t go into detail about the specifics on how to freeze properly and what can and cannot be frozen. There are a lot of great articles and resources out there that cover those tips in better detail than I can here. However, here are a few links to help get you started if you need it!
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Rachel Maddox is a wife and mother of two very busy little bees. She is a master planner (I am amazed
by her weekly meal list posted on a white board in her kitchen), and overall great gal. Her favorite form of exercise is hiking and her healthy meal of choice is homemade veggie pizza...with a freshly-ground, whole wheat crust, of course.
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