By Bee Moser, Senior SNAP-Ed Nutritionist, Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County

We saw price increases on pretty much everything over the last few years. It is no wonder that more and more people want to save money. It becomes especially interesting when the goal is not just to put meals on the table but to ensure they’re also healthy. 

Believe it or not, it’s doable. Let me walk you through some tips and tricks on how to eat healthy on a budget.

To find out what healthy eating means, let’s look at MyPlate. MyPlate is an easy way to start your budget-friendly, healthy eating. Chosen as the successor of the Food Pyramid, MyPlate is a plate divided into five food groups. 

Let’s walk through each food group and find out not only what it is but also how to save money and eat healthy.

The largest group is vegetables. MyPlate advises making upwards of a quarter of your plate vegetables. Advised are nutrient-rich foods like beans, potatoes, beets, dark leafy greens, and lentils. Enjoy a big variety of differently colored vegetables because every color provides you with different essential nutrients. 

The next category is fruits. MyPlate says together with vegetables, they should account for half of your plate. Fruits like bananas, strawberries, grapes, oranges, and apples are rich in nutrients that support health. Save money by choosing all four forms of fruits and veggies: fresh when in season, frozen, canned, and dried year-round. Just make sure to buy “no salt” or “low sodium” canned goods (drain and rinse at home) and frozen veggies without added salt, gravy, or fat. Canned fruit should say “100% juice” to avoid added sugars. Veggies like carrots, greens, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and potatoes are easy on your wallet year-round. The same goes for bananas, apples, grapes, melons, and much more in the fruit category.

The other half of MyPlate contains grains and proteins. MyPlate advises making at least half of your grains whole. This is mostly easy since many popular grain foods, bread, cereal, and pasta, come in whole grain alternatives. Look for store brand options to save money on grains. 

Lastly, there are proteins. MyPlate suggests lean, low-fat meat and fish, as well as beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and lentils, as perfect protein providers. The most expensive items on your grocery receipt are usually animal-based proteins. You can save a lot by going meat-free once or twice a week and choosing plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, and other legumes.

Across life, planning is important. Meal planning is not different. This can be as simple as writing down on a notepad what you will eat on which day of the week. However, you can take this much further in planning not just what you will eat but searching for recipes and making a shopping list for when you go to the store. 

Remember to check your pantry, fridge, and freezer for what you already have on hand. Once at the store, make sure to find the items that are on sale. At checkout, make sure to grab any coupons offered by the store.

Additionally, many stores have perks programs that enable you to receive special deals if you are a preferred customer. Also, make sure to shop when you have enough time and aren’t hungry, so you don’t impulse buy something you won’t need. Throwing out food means basically throwing out money.

While shopping, it also helps to compare the unit prices of two brands of the same food. Most stores even spare you the math by providing the unit price in small print underneath the retail price. You can use this unit price to compare which brand really has the best deal. Keep in mind that, generally, items with more units per package sell for a lower unit price. Because of this, buying in bulk also helps a lot. 

Another great tip is to buy local foods when in season. You can find this out by googling what foods are local to your region. Buying these foods minimizes transportation costs as well as the cost you pay.

Once you get home from the store, consider using the weekend to prepare large amounts of healthy food that will last you the whole week. This means you will not have to spend your weekday evenings cooking, and your food usage will be more predictable, allowing you to buy just what you need and waste less. This also makes it easier to justify avoiding expensive restaurants and other options when you aren’t in the mood to cook.

Now you have all the tools to eating healthy on a budget. 

The key is to know what you need and know how to save money in each food group. Should you lack inspiration, SNAP-Ed New York has lots more information regarding healthy eating and saving money, as well as recipes for healthy, affordable meals.