Six Healthy Ways to Cut Grocery Bills

There has been a deluge of articles online, in magazines, and on TV about cutting your food bills. Many suggestions seem reasonable: buy in bulk, freeze it yourself, shop less often, never shop when you are hungry, use coupons, and cut out processed food.

Often overlooked is the fact that the body needs nutrient rich food. Food that is cheaper may not be your best value because your body will crave more nutrients, that is, your body will still be hungry no matter how much you eat. You may end up eating more because you will not be satisfied. Nutrient rich food may be more expensive, but if you can find ways to need less quantity you will have your nutrients and your savings, too.

I am particularly concerned about the idea to shop only every two weeks that some are suggesting. This would cause you to do without fresh produce too much of the time. The most nutrient rich food is on the farm. Travel time and shelf time decrease the nutrient value, and only having fresh fruit and vegetables for a few days a month will not be often enough to support your nutrient requirements for good health.

Here are 6 tips to deal with getting nutrient rich foods on your table without breaking the bank.

1. Buy nutrient-rich foods like brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc. in bulk from the grocery store or health food store. Fix enough for several meals and reheat as needed.

2. Consider eating more beans or lentils. They are good sources of protein and are really inexpensive. You can buy these in bulk, too.

3. Reduce your dairy and cheese consumption. You were weaned for a reason: you can get your calcium and magnesium from dark leafy greens. If you can tolerate dairy, just use smaller amounts for flavor. Need more reasons why to cut dairy? Check out Health Concerns about Dairy Products



4. Where possible start growing some of your own food. Years ago people with yards had gardens. Why did we stop this? Too busy, too much trouble? My excuse is the deer, but I still can do some container gardening on my deck. (See photo of some of my containers where I grew kale, kohlrabi, basil, parsley, leaf lettuce, and a some flowers in 2008. It was a joy to watch everything grow and to eat the produce!)

5. Buy produce from local sources such as farmers' markets. This is great for the local economy, and the fruit or vegetables will usually taste wonderful having avoided the 1400 mile ride to your plate that most food endures.

6. Drink more water and less coffee, beer, wine, dairy, soda, etc. Water is really the best way to quench your thirst, anyway. Water is a critical nutrient that is needed for every cellular function. According to Deepak Chopra, who I heard speak at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, water is needed for 6 trillion reactions taking place every second in every cell. Most people do not get enough.

We all need to cut back on our spending to get through this economic stress, but remember that illness is much more expensive than staying healthy. Cutting out healthy foods is not the best way to save money. You can cut your grocery bills, but do it intelligently!

Copyright ©2009 Ruth S. Sheets. All rights reserved.