6 secrets to eating healthy on a budget

You know the importance of feeding yourself and your family good-for-you foods, but noshing on meals and snacks made from ingredients such as free-range chicken, organic produce and whole grains can be a budget-buster. With a little planning and creativity, though, you can serve healthy meals without straining your budget.
1. Get organized
“It’s entirely possible to eat healthy on a budget, if you stay organized and map out your meals,” says Susan G. Weiner, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in private practice in Long Island, NY, and author of “The Complete Diabetes Organizer.”
“Keep a running inventory of items in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry, so you don’t waste food. And avoid buying excess, because even canned goods expire,” she says. “When you do freeze something or store it in the refrigerator, make sure that you label it (with a date), or you’ll end up wasting a lot of money by eventually throwing it out.”
Weiner also suggests creating a meal plan each week based on what you already have in your kitchen and any healthy food items that are on sale at your local grocery store.
“If broccoli and chicken breasts are on special, plan one or more meals using those food items, and include the tomato sauce you have in the pantry,” she says.
2. Use meat as a condiment
Offset the high cost of free-range and grass-fed cuts of meat by serving them in limited quantities. For instance, use a whole organic chicken to make chicken broth, stir-fry and a pasta dish. A hormone-free beef roast can be used to make a stew, casserole and shepherd’s pie.
When you do buy meat as the main course, make it affordable by following the advice of nutrition experts and purchasing small, lean cuts.
3. Highlight cheap protein
A wide variety of inexpensive protein sources besides meats can be used to create healthy meals for just pennies a serving. Build meals around foods such as beans, lentils and legumes, tofu and high-protein grains such as quinoa, which is a complete protein. An internet search for recipes involving these foods will produce many tasty options.
4. Choose generic and store brands
Foods don’t need a high-profile brand name to be wholesome and nutritious. Generic and store brand versions of products such as rice, pasta, grains, yogurt, cottage cheese, beans and cheese cost 30 to 50 percent less on average.
5. Try slow cooking
Cooking with a Crock-Pot can save you money in more ways than one. The long process of slow cooking tenderizes less expensive, tough cuts of meat, such as chuck steak or roasts, beef brisket and pork shoulder. Combine a low-price piece of meat with inexpensive root veggies such as potatoes, carrots and onions or rice, and you can serve up mouthwatering meals for very little money. A slow cooker also uses less energy to power than an oven or stovetop, saving on your utility bill as well.
6. Grow your own fruits and vegetables
Growing and harvesting your own produce can save a substantial amount of money. According to the National Gardening Association, gardens produce an average of half a pound of vegetables per square foot of garden space, and established fruit trees can produce 50 pounds of fruit in one season.
When you harvest an excess of produce or find fruit and veggies on sale in the market, use every means possible to preserve them. Good options include drying, freezing and canning. Some vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, peaches and plums, can also be blanched and frozen for future use.
Eating healthy on a budget does take some planning, but the results of dining on good-for-you foods and saving money in the process is worth the effort.