The cost of food... eat healthy cost a lot. It is really hard for me to purchase healthy food... any one else in this situation?

Okay... so I have a family of five. My husband and I make "decent" money. But, we have three kids, childcare, and live in CA. My husband asked me the other day.... " are we going to have $200 dollar a week food bills now...that we are eating healthy." I said no, but I struggle at the store, trying to make healthy choices and stay with in my budget. I am a sociology major... I know what people at the lower end of the economic scale are heavier than those at the top... bad food is cheap. Good food is expensive. We rarely eat fish... can not afford it. We eat a lot of chicken and pork. Not a lot of red meat. What is a lower or middle income family to do? Any one else in this situation? What do you do? I buy frozen veggies, instead of canned. Fresh veggies mostly in the summer, when the farmer's markets are open. My kids love fruit....but, in winter fresh fruit is more expensive. Looking for some help.

I agree that they're more expensive, and certainly more expensive, but I suggest you keep buying the fruit. Feel free to stick to the cheaper stuff. You can get a BOX of Clementines for $5 or so. And Bananas aren't that expensive.

As far as meat goes.. you could purposely try to plan some vegetarian entrees. Noodle Entrees. What do you think about trying Tofu? It's cheaper, I think, than Chicken.

When eating meat, make sure that your deals are veggie/grain heavy, meat light.. Brown (Whole) Rice is supercheap and high cheap, comparatively.

Just do your best. :) 

Beans & rice are cheaper than... anything I can think of! Do you have a co-op or international market nearby? Bulk grains & legumes are really cheap there.

When I lived in OC there were always produce markets open. Here in Seattle the cheapest produce is at international markets.

Costco has huge bags of frozen fruit for cheap. They make great smoothies & my daughters' favourite food is thawed cherries/peaches/berries. They also have huge bags of chicken breasts for really cheap.

Good luck! Living healthy on a budget is cheaper than living off junk food. You can find the right prices if you look for the right things and you are saving money in health care costs in the long run.

Frozen veggies are VERY cheap here.

Noodles and rice, all very cheap, and come in some very large 4-5lb bags.

Oatmeal, Cereal, bananas and apples/berries tend to be pretty cheap around here also.

Throw in a few sweet potatoes or Idaho potatoes and your set. 

Think of all the money you'll save on medical bills.

this topic comes up all the time.  i guess in canada all food is expensive all the time, because i find that buying whole foods is actually cheaper than buying prepared stuff.  fast food isn't cheap here, and frozen fruits and vegetables tend to travel long distances.  i'm amazed at what i come away with when i fill most of my basket in the produce section. 

but it's also a question of quantity.  once you decide that a serving of meat really is 85g, or 3 oz, you'll probably notice a difference.

I am a single 23 year old facing the same problem as far as cutting corners to eat healthy. I started planning out what I wanted to eat for the 2 week period, then I go to Walmart. I buy those frozen meals there and they taste just as good and are half the price and taste the same as when you get them from the local grocery store. I also got into the habit of buying fruit/veggies in bulk and then buying those Ziplock Containers and I pre-cut the fruit at the beginning of the week and just leave them in the fridge. They are great snacks and are nice to grab on the way out. I always save the extra .50 cents by buying non-name brands so just grabbing the walmart version of  rice instead of the 2 dollar Minute Rice, every little penny helps. Hopefully this helps a little bit! :)

I struggle with money too. You should also look at some things you can toss off your list: chips, crackers, soda, ice cream, processed frozen foods, etc. The kids can grab a piece of fruit or raw veggies for a snack or even, a healthy breakfast bar. Processed foods are actually more expensive than preparing your own meals.

And something I've found really helpful is to pre-plan menus for the week. Then I only buy what I absolutely need for that week, and I'm not tempted to throw something unhealthy together at the end of the day. Everyone in my house tells me what they want to make for their dinner night so everyone has a chance to get involved. My kids love that.

I am at the lower end of the economic scale...no offense taken. : )

After my son's father died, I had to re-prioritize...my family's health is extremely important to me. So, I continue to shop 2x/week, usually out the second time only for more fresh fruits/veggies. I stock up on frozen Alaskan salmon when it's on sale...and buy it fresh during fishing season...spring? I also buy tilapia 2 for 1. I buy cage free eggs but our diets have changed...at 3.70/dozen, we just eat fewer...fine because we've dropped our animal protein down to 10% day. I really only use meat for seasoning stews/stir frys/soups... 

I thrive on tofu...just grill a slice w/amino acids in a pan and eat it w/a kosher dill. I go through 2 cans beans each week.

If you don't buy commercial foods, you can afford more than you think. I also bake homemade bread and cookies and muffins...using cranberries and pumpkin and nuts and whole wheat flour and wheat germ and never buy canned soup altho we eat soup daily! My son doesn't eat candy bars anymore...seldom has ice cream and we make homemade pizza. He loves it all and he is my #1 critic.

It takes planning and getting creative in the kitchen and a determination that health is more important than anything else.

Good luck to you! another mom...

one more thing...

I used to pay 5 bucks for a jar of Kretschmers wheat germ but can get the same amt for at least 1/2 the price w/bobsredmill...

Also foodclub puts out an equally nourishing grapenuts type cereal for a fraction of the cost.

So, get away from brand names, too.

I'm right with you! We have four in the house now, the kids are a 22 yr old son and the other a 17 year old boy who's a bodybuilder. That boy eats enough for two or more. If we don't stop him, we never have leftovers. He just eats until it's all gone!  A gallon of milk rarely lasts 24 hours. We actually told them they have to drink a glass of water before they can have a glass of milk! We spend way more than $200 a week on groceries.

I know that not planning enough has added to our grocery bills.  We're trying to address that in this new year. I'm going to spend more time scanning the newspapers for what's on special at the groc. stores in my town and try and plan around that. We're making large batches of meals, soups, etc. on the weekends and freezing them.  We're making our own bread, yogurt, and soon pasta. We already shop for some things in bulk. We are also going to try not to make plain meat the center of most meals by having soups, stews and cassaroles more often. We used to buy about 5-7 cans of soup a week. We haven't bought any now since mid-December but we're eating a lot more soup.

You'll notice I said 'we' a lot above. My darling hubby is wonderful in the kitchen! I sure couldn't handle all the extra prep involved myself.

I also took a second job.

Also on a budget, but I have been forever so maybe I'm more used to it?   I actually find eating healthy cheaper, but probably more tiem-consuimng to cook.  On the whole, I find veggies and plain "staples" a lot cheaper than processed and prepared foods.  And they're more bang for your buck - you fill up pretty fast on $3 worth of rice, beans and veggies, a lot faster than a small $5 pre-made meal.

I'm in Canada and there is no fruit in season here right now so mostly I'm eating apples for fruit with a few grapes once a week as a treat.  There are plenty of kiwis and mangos and cherries available, but they're $6/lb and I also feel guilty buying things that have been shipped halfway across the planet.  Bananas and oranges are pretty reasonably priced though.

A few other things save money - buy in bulk.  Buy the bigger containers of dairy IF you've price-compared and know that they really are significantly cheaper, otherwise you just lose money if they go bad.  Or share a huge container with a neighbour - helps out with storage space issues too.  No eating out except special occasions.  No coffees out/quick fast food snacks - that's what I find super expensive - although if you switch from a $3 mochachino to a $1 herbal tea in a coffee shop you're saving your waistline and your wallet.  Ditch the convenience foods - make Sunday afternoon veggie-chopping day (enlist some child labour if possible ;) and have everything ready to throw into pots for veggie chili, pasta with veggies and lentils, brown rice, veggie soup/stew, stir-fry, sandwiches for lunch.  It does take a little more time but you can make huge pots of these things and eat them for days, or freeze them if you have room after buying all the frozen fruits and vegetables!

I totally agree!! Why is it that I can stuff myself full of McDonald's for under $3.00, but if I choose a healthy lunch, I will be shelling out about $10.00 or more.

But, I know this is a fact, so I try to work around it.
*I pack my lunches. That way, I can control what I'm eating, but also what I'm spending.
*We shop at Costco!!! Costco has this FABULOUS granola cereal that has all kinds of yummy healthy stuff (including pumikin seeds). We always have a box of that around and I eat it for breakfast, lunch and snacks! They also sell ground turkey pretty cheap.
*We eat black beans about 4 nights a week. My boyfriend eats them on tortillas, but I don't want the extra calories, so I put them in a bowl and top them with raw onion, sliced jalapeno and finally a dollop of sour cream (I can afford to since I skip the tortilla). It really is my favorite meal! It's low cal and high fiber.
We mashed them up with a potato masher to give them more of a re-fried beans taste.
*this one is obvious, but clip coupons! It's worth the time. Plus I think it's a relaxing thing to do on Sunday mornings :)

food doesn't need to be expensive, so long as you

1) buy things when they are on special. If it is a good special, buy ALOT. Look at brochures, plan your buying (if the kids are old enough, get them to help with this). To start with this seem expensive, but if you pay attention, there is usually a 4-6 week cycle on specials, so if you plan right and buy enough when it is cheap you won't run out until on sale again.
go to more than one supermarket, buy the cheap things there.
2) figure out when the stores around you reduce things, sometimes this will be in the evening, other places in the morning. I've had whole months where the only meat i've eaten has been reduced because it was going out of date. (and never gotten sick) bread etc is also often reduced.
3) think about growing veges, if you have space, even if it is just herbs
4) Bake your own bread, cakes, etc
5) Stretch your meat further. Tuna fishcakes (half tuna, half mashed potatoes/carrots). Spaghetti BOlognaise (meat, plus loads of carrots, peas, beans other veges). Experiment with cheaper cuts of meat.
6) and I second the brand name thing too, in most cases home brands are fine.

EDIT 7)- use powdered skim milk, especially for cooking.

Another point - things that say "low fat" on the label tend to be twice the price.  Just buy the regular version and eat less of it.

Also, cauliflower may be your best, best friend.

I read a book once that said to shop around the outside edge of the store.  In most stores if you walk around the outside of the store you go through fresh produce, to fresh meats and to dairy.  Dried beans and rice are very inexpensive and healthy and filling.  It is a little more expensive but cabots cheese has a 75% reduced fat cheddar that will go a long way to making a big calorie and fat reduction in cheese dishes along with eggbeaters.  I buy my generic egg beaters from Sam's and get a box of 8 for about the same price as a box of 3-4 of the name brand.  I freeze them and take them out as I need them. I also buy skim milk from Sam's.  I get it there for less than any other store around here. 

You can do a lot with a whole chicken.  Boil it for the broth and refrigerate it overnight to skim the fat off the next day and discard.  Skin the chicken and discard that and the bones as well.  You can make chicken soup with veggies from the broth and have the meat to add to salads or stews or soup or barbeque sauce for a sandwich.  \

Read the recipe section and find ones that have the lesser expensive ingredients and test them out on your family.  If they like them put them into the rotation as one of your go to meals.

We can do this.  We have to do this.  And, as someone else mentioned, we can spend a few cents more now or put the money in the bank and save for our heart by passes later in life.

I do most of what you are saying. We actually eat beans once a week... I do a lot of crock cooking. We often have left overs. It is just getting harder. Food is getting more expesive add this to the price of gas... and well it just gets hard. I will just have to keep doing what I am doing.

Are there farmers markets near you?  Farmers markets have fabulous produce, and you can get bargains on the stuff in season.  Like right now, oranges and winter squash and potatoes and greens.  California has a year-round growing season so it is easier here than elsewhere.

I also have issues with budgeting for food.  I usually buy a box of boneless skinless chicken breasts and it goes a lons way, its also versatile. You can use is for stir fries, cut up into sandwiches, casseroles or broiled whole. I also have an awsome trick for ground beef. Cook it up in a frying pan then put it into a collander and rinse it under the hottest tap water possible. All the fat drains off and your left with really lean meat. Plus you can get away with buying reg. ground meat instead of the more expensive lean varieties. Your family won't even notice.

I've found that by reducing our portions of meat it goes a lot farther than it used to.  If you have the freezer space Costco has great deals on meat and fish (at the meat/fish counter and in the frozen food section).  When I buy fresh fish I always stick with whatever looks best at the lower cost.  It forces you to get better at cooking seasonally, because seasonal things are cheaper.  The suggestion above about beans is good, too, since they're so filling and good for you.  I've started making a big pot of soup or chili on Sunday and that really stretches.  I don't buy any processed/prepared or junk foods, which helps cut costs tremendously.  I'm also getting out of the habit of buying food I don't need THIS week, which takes a little more planning, but budget-wise is working better.  In cleaning out the refrigerator, freezer and cabinets (forcing myself to cook with stuff I have in the house) I've realized that I have a bad habit of buying way too much stuff that ends up sitting in the freezer or cabinets for no good reason.  So I'm now buying more expensive food, but less of it and also using smaller portions of expensive items.  I also go midweek just for more fruits/veggies (I can't believe how many veggies we're eating!).  The only problem in the winter is fruit, but it's an availability issue, not cost (I refuse to buy fruit or veggies that don't look good).  Since I'm so picky I'm basically limited to granny smith apples and bananas right now.  I can't wait til spring!  It's taken me over a month, but I've managed to get the costs almost down to pre-lifestyle change level.  It's definitely a challenge, but kind of fun, too, since I enjoy cooking.

When I'm being healthy and eating well it seems to take a huge amount of time thinking about which foods to buy/prepare.  I'm hoping that gets easier over time as I get into a routine.

Dried beans are your friend.  They taste much better than canned too, IMO.  mmmm...Chickpeas...so versitile (think hummus, falafel, chickpea cutlets, tossed in a salad for protein, yum!)

Also, ditto to all who suggested buy in bulk especially when on sale!