How to Eat Healthy on a Budget (2024)

Download Your Free 7-Day Aldi Meal Plan

One of my favorite budget stores to shop at is Aldi - check out my 7-day healthy Aldi meal plan for more meal inspiration!

You can also download this free 7-day Aldi Meal Plan!

Meal Planning - One of the Best Ways to Lower Grocery Bills

Without a good system in place, meal planning can take a lot of time and money!Through trial and error, I have found thatthe only thing that has worked in budgeting for meals is by simplifying our monthly and weekly meal planning system.

I have tried both monthly and weekly meal planning. For me, monthly meal planning is a more budget-friendly choice. When I go to the store less, I spend less. Also - when I'm planning monthly I can plan for purchasing bulk items.

A weekly meal plan is a great place to start if you have never meal planned before. Or, if your schedule is completely unpredictable, weekly meal planning can be helpful.

My Monthly Meal Planning System

This is my 8-step system for making a monthly meal plan that requires just a little planning.

1. Take inventory of what you have. At the beginning of the month, I take an inventory of everything we have in our pantry, freezer, spice cabinet, and fridge to see what items I need to buy and what I can use in the following month.
2. Print out a blank 30-day calendar. I use the printable PDF calendar from Time and Date. You could also use Google Sheets or Excel to organize this.
3. Write out all of your commitments for the month. If I know I'm going out of town, I know not to plan meals for those days. I also know that going out of town for the weekend can shift my meal prep day to Monday.
4. Make a list of family favorite dinners or other recipes. Write two to three recipes per week assuming you are going to double each recipe. I usually reserve one day a week for eating out, one for leftovers (unless I freeze them), and one day to eat at the home of friends or family.
5. Gather the recipes for these items and compare them to your pantry inventory. Mark which items can be purchased in bulk.
6. Make a note of budget-friendly meals you can make: When preparing my meal plan, I like to include a few lower-priced meals like Naan pizza, quinoa power bowls, or veggie chili.
7. Create your bulk and weekly healthy grocery list and go shopping! Freeze any meat or other freezable items that you've purchased for making later in the month.
8. Make a plan for leftovers. Wrap any leftovers in freezer-safe containers, place them in smaller portions, and freeze them to eat for a later date. Alternatively, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to eat a day or two later.

Shop Locally, in Bulk, or at Discount Stores

Shopping at farmer's markets or local farm stands for in-season fruits and veggies is a great way to support local businesses. Buying local produce will also help to get the best prices during the season.

The produce will be super fresh and less expensive than traditional grocery stores or buying out of season.

When adding whole foods and fresh produce to your healthy grocery list, the easiest way to save money is to shop in season.

What's the Cheapest Healthiest Food to Eat?

Here are my top 10 favorite cheapest healthy foods that are my healthy grocery list staples that you can add to your grocery list:

1. Rice, beans, and lentils - a great source of healthy whole grains that make a base for power bowls, chili, or vegetarian pasta sauce.
2. Quinoa - a versatile, inexpensive, and protein-rich grain that is great for a plant-based breakfast or a quinoa power bowl.
3. Nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter.
4. Oatmeal - grind into oat flour, make homemade oat milk, baked oatmeal, or overnight oats.
5. Whole chicken - when on sale, whole chickens give you tons of meat that you can use in lots of chicken recipes, in bone broth chicken soup, or to make your own bone broth.
6. Tuna - a can of tuna is a cheap protein to top a salad or to make into a tuna salad.
7. Salsa - a staple ingredient in our favorite Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
8. Greek yogurt - a less expensive source of protein for breakfast, or use as a marinade for chicken, or as a mayonnaise replacement in tuna salad.
9. Almond milk - great for making smoothies for breakfast or snacks.
10. Frozen vegetables and frozen fruit.

10 Healthy Meals to Tame Your Grocery Bill

Here are ten of my favorite easy meals that I can make on the cheap using my healthy grocery list!

What is the cheapest, most nutritious food?

While researching this I found that WebMd has a great resource of 15 Nutritious Foods for $2. The list includes whole grains like brown rice, whole-grain pasta, Greek yogurt, frozen veggies, oatmeal, and more.

What if I have a special dietary preference?

If you are eating a low-carb or keto diet, check out these 55 Keto Items at Aldi. I also have a guide for eating the plant-based diet on a budget and pescatarian on a budget.

How to avoid spending too much on groceries?

10-Minute Air Fryer Naan Pizza

The best air fryer naan pizza recipe with a crispy golden crust. Make homemade and super quick in just 8 minutes in the oven or air fryer with only 3 simple ingredients.

Servings 4 pizzas

Calories 262kcal

Nutrition

Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.4g | Protein: 8.7g | Fat: 5.1g