How to Save Money on Groceries and Still Eat Healthy: 5 Strategies to Share

Inside: More than ever, people want to know how to save money on groceries and still eat healthy. So, when dietitians talk with people about their eating choices, we need to address this rising question that’s top-of-mind for many people.

In a survey conducted by The Hartman Group, 85% of consumers note food costs rising.

• Over half of those people say rising prices have impacted their ability to purchase foods, beverages, and other grocery items “at least somewhat.”
• And nearly 1 in 4 of them report they’ve “really had to rethink how they shop for groceries.”

And in a survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a similar 83% of people noting rising food costs, with 59% identifying the increases as “major.”

Shared with permission. International Food Information Council, 2022 Food and Health Survey (See References for link.)

People are adapting to these rising costs in a variety of ways. Some actions could turn out to make eating habits more healthful. But some might not. 

Here are some steps people are taking to manage food costs, and some considerations about how they might help you – or work against you – in eating habits that support your health.

Shared with permission. International Food Information Council, 2022 Food and Health Survey (See References for link to the report.)

Strategy #1: Eat Out Less

40% of people in the Hartman Group survey reported this as a response to rising food costs.

As in the early days of COVID-19, when people had frequently relied on restaurants for meals discovered the side benefits of doing more home meal prep, eating out less often can save money and make eating habits healthier. But it doesn’t necessarily do so, if you simply choose the fast-food restaurant equivalent of foods that supply more calories than nutrients.

What to do: Consider the challenges encountered in cooking healthy meals when restaurants were closed for several months. Based on those experiences, do some troubleshooting to make it easier now.

Tips for Healthy Eating on a Tight Budget… At Home

• Do you lack confidence in choosing and cooking some of the healthy foods you would order in a restaurant?
  Check here for tips and resources for getting comfortable with whole grains and beans.
• If eating out has been part of how you enjoy shared meals with family and friends, check these ideas on how to take shared meals from daunting to doable.

Strategy #2: Choose Less Expensive Foods Selectively

From 18% to 36% of people in the IFIC and Hartman Group surveys reported examples such as choosing more store brands and substituting different products.

This is an important point to explore, since the nutritional ramifications of these strategies could vary widely!

😟 Unfortunately, 18% of people in the IFIC survey said they were buying less healthy options than usual to save money.

What to Do: Take a closer look. If it’s an incorrect assumption that the new foods are less healthy, then let’s shed the guilt.

Confirm for people that store brands and frozen produce, for example, can be every bit as nutritious as name brands and fresh produce. Try to remove any sense of guilt that this makes meals “not as good”.

Likewise, when people choose less expensive foods without the “natural” label, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stepping down. Although 39% of people in the IFIC survey regularly choose these foods because they think the foods are healthier, it isn’t a legally defined term for food labels. Foods bearing the “natural” label can still be high in added sugar and salt or low in fiber, for example.

If swaps truly involve eating less healthful choices, this is the time to look at what other swaps could save money and maintain or boost nutrition. For example, skip or reduce soft drink and energy drink use, swap a couple meat-focused meals each week to include dishes based on canned beans or lentils, choose large containers of unsweetened yogurt to dish out and mix with unsweetened fresh or frozen fruit, and choose canned or frozen seafood.

Tips for How to Save Money on Groceries and Still Eat Healthy

Check these resources for help picking out foods that support health and help cut food costs.

• Budget-Friendly Healthy Choices in Every Aisle – from USDA’s MyPlate
• Healthy Eating on a Budget tips – from Purdue University Extension
• Get a free downloadable pdf of shelf-stable, budget-friendly foods to keep on hand from the Purdue site. It’s available in English and in Spanish.

Strategy #3: Reduce Food Waste and Save Money

57% of people in the IFIC survey voiced concern about food waste. Especially among older adults, this was strongly tied to concerns about wasting money. Among people concerned about waste, 35-45% have adopted strategies like using leftovers, being careful with food storage, and watching expiration dates.

What to Do: Reducing food waste is a win-win for saving money and for the environment. And using leftovers adds another bonus by helping to save cooking time in the future.

Tips to Include When Talking About Making Healthy Eating Affordable

To use leftovers and cut food waste, you need to be able to store food safely and know how long you can keep it.

• Here’s what you need to know about storing leftovers – from Purdue University Extension
• The USDA FoodKeeper website shows how long you can safely keep a wide range of foods in the refrigerator and freezer. There’s even a downloadable app. (The app can be downloaded from the website or in smartphone app stores as “USDA FoodKeeper”.)

Strategy #4: Use Sales and Coupons Wisely

28% of people in the IFIC survey reported using sales and coupons more often to cope with rising food costs.

For healthy eating and maximizing cost savings, be selective. A name brand with a coupon may still be more expensive than some other brands or the store brand. And if it’s for a “convenience” food flavored with sauces or seasonings high in added sugar, sodium or unhealthy fats, think again about the “bargain”. Often, you can choose the simple, unseasoned version, flavor it yourself more healthfully, and save even more money than the sale or coupon offers.

Tip for Savvy Use of Coupons to Save Money on Groceries and Still Eat Healthy

• For brand name products that are enjoyable healthy choices, be proactive about getting coupons to save money. You can follow these brands on social media, subscribe to get coupons regularly by email, or periodically visit their websites.

Strategy #5: Make at least a rough plan of meals before shopping

42% of people in the IFIC survey who were concerned about food waste reported planning meals before shopping.

What to Do: Even if it’s only a rough plan, this provides a tried-and-true strategy for saving money. It helps you avoid over-buying and lets you know when to cook a little extra to use for another dish. Meals tend to be healthier and involve less stress, because you avoid the horrible feeling of staring into a refrigerator just before mealtime wondering what on earth you can throw together.

Tips for Planning Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget:

• For people who aren’t used to planning meals, or who see this as confining, the challenge is to find an approach that allows for flexibility in last minute adjustments. A good planning tool helps ensure that you include healthful proportions of nutrient-rich foods in each meal, build in food variety across the week, and have the foods you need on hand to make those meals.
• Try using the free 5-Day Meal Planning Worksheet from Iowa State University Extension
• And check the Iowa State Extension’s Spend Smart-Eat Smart program’s recipes for ideas of what to make.