| Posted September 10, 2014 | By Paloma Chastain, R.D. | Categorized under Families, Men's Health, Women's Health |

Convenience and expense are two of the main excuses that get in the way of Americans eating healthy every day. But the truth is eating healthier doesn't have to break the bank or consume your entire day. These five tips will help you eat well on a budget.

1. Plan before grocery shopping

Planning is essential to stay on top of a lot of routine things we do. It's especially important when grocery shopping if your goal is to eat healthier. Making a list and sticking to it will help you avoid making impulse purchases that may not be the healthiest options and may put you over your budget. Here are some tips to keep your list easy and simple:

• Keep a running list of everything you need, such as staple items you're out of, and write them down as you think of them.
   
• Think about everything you need before you step foot in the grocery store to limit impulse buys.
   
• Before you shop, consider planning meals for four nights of the week and eating leftovers the other three nights. Buy everything you'll need for those four meals. Consider the amount of time you will have to cook per week so you don't incidentally buy more than what you're actually capable of using.
   
• Go through your freezer and pantry to see what you already have that you can use for meals. Be creative with the food you already have to save money. You can find thousands of fun, healthy recipes on Pinterest, in magazines, and on the internet.

2. Buy fruits and veggies in bulk and in season

Not only are fruits and vegetables fresher and healthier for you when they're in season, they're also more abundant and therefore cheaper.

• Buy produce in bulk and freeze them so you'll have them ready to eat when they're no longer in season. Fruitsandveggiesmorematter.org is a really helpful website that has tons of recipes for cooking seasonal fruits and veggies, such as eggplant.
   
• Frozen produce offers excellent nutrition because it's typically flash-frozen the day it is picked, preserving its nutrients. Produce loses some nutrients when it takes a week or more to get from fields to the store, which is why buying locally and seasonally is ideal. Dried fruit is a healthy option but is more concentrated in sugar and calories, so it's important to pay attention to portion size.
   
• Produce that is already sliced, such as apples or celery, is convenient for people on the go, but it's also way more expensive. You can save a lot of money if you take the time to cut up your own produce and bag it yourself. For example, in most stores, you can buy a whole watermelon for less than the cost of pre-packaged slices. Cut up your produce at home on the weekends so it's convenient to grab during the week. We're more likely to eat fruits and veggies if they're already prepared and accessible.

3. It's OK to be selective when buying organic.

If you want to eat organic but can't afford buying everything that way, consider limiting your organic purchases to the Dirty Dozen, which is a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group. It includes foods that contain high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.

It's also important to know which foods are part of the Clean Fifteen that are low in pesticides (these typically include produce with hard peels or tough skins). Because these are typically low in pesticides, you don't need to buy them organically. However, don't let the expense of organic produce stop you from incorporating fruits and veggies in your daily diet. If you choose not to buy organic produce, just be sure to clean them really well before eating.

4. Shop the perimeter and portion your meals.

You will find a grocery store's healthiest items, including lean meats and fresh produce, along its perimeter. The middle aisles can be especially dangerous if you're shopping on an empty stomach. Reducing impulse items will help you eat healthier and save you a lot of money.

• Try to limit processed, packaged foods that have ingredients and chemicals you can't pronounce.
   
• Avoid sugary and salty empty-calorie foods like chips and sodas, and opt for whole foods with more nutrients. For example, celery sticks with nut butter and raisins is a better snack choice than packaged snack foods that never spoil. Most healthy foods spoil and rot!
   
• Load up on rotisserie chickens for easy meals. Rotisserie chickens can be smart to buy because you get a lot of bang for your buck. Portion it out so you don't eat it all in one sitting and save the rest for other nights or use it as lunch meat. You can even combine carrots, celery, onions, and parsley with the leftover bones and simmer to make your own chicken broth and freezes well.
   
• Only buy what you need for a meal or two or buy larger portions and freeze. Proper portion of meat per meal is only 3-4 ounces, so you don't need to eat the entire breast at once. Share with someone or eat leftovers the next day.

5. Remember this quick list to eat healthy on a budget.

If you can only remember a few things when you're buying groceries, have it be these six things:

• Low-fat milk is fairly cheap and full of calcium and vitamin D.
   
• Canola oil is cheaper than olive oil and has less saturated fat. It's also a great replacement for vegetable oil and cooks better at high heat.
   
• An entire bag of long-grain brown rice is cheaper than pre-seasoned rice packets and much, much lower in sodium.
   
• A whole chicken is cheaper than buying individual parts and will give you plenty of leftovers.
   
• Produce is cheaper and more nutritious when it's in season.
   
• Although dry beans and legumes require more time to prepare at home, you will get five times more beans than buying them pre-canned.