Healthy Family Meals on a Budget
June 19, 2010 by Erica
Filed under Healthy Family Meals
Eating healthy meals can be a daunting task when you are on a family on a budget. Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually high priced and therefore seem unavailable for the average family on a budget.
You must employ a smart shopping and meal planning technique in order to successfully plan healthy family meals. Here are some tips for planning money saving, and healthy family meals on a budget.
Clipping coupons should be come a weekly practice. Even if you do not get the Sunday paper, you most likely know someone who does, who would be willing to give you the coupon pages. Clipping coupons can save you money on your shopping trip. You can make a game out of it with your kids, have them locate the items you have coupons for, then reward them with a task, like helping with dinner. Also you should pay attention to your local grocery store sales ads. When pairing these ads with the coupons you’ve clipped, your savings may be likely to double.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local road side stands or your local farmer’s market when items are in season. By doing this you are cutting out the middle man, getting fresh produce at good prices, and supporting your local farmers. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Plant a garden, and grow some of your own food. If you think you don’t have space for a garden, try flower pot gardens. There are many things like leaf lettuce, spinach, even tomatoes and some peppers that grow well in flower pots. This is also something fun to do with your kids, not only does it teach them about gardening, it teaches them about healthy choices.
Sit down with the family and make a meal plan. Planning out your meals for each night of the week can save you time and money. Have everyone pitch in and give their ideas about the meals you will be eating that week. Make sure that they all know that the meal must contain a meat, a vegetable, a grain, and some dairy. Doing this will allow you to buy only what you need, instead of impulse buying at the spur of the moment. Again this is a great thing to do with your kids , as it teaches them to be smart shoppers, and to be conscious of what they consume.
Buy 100% frozen juice concentrate, instead of buying premixed juices. Frozen concentrates are always cheaper than juice that someone else has already mixed for you. They come in a wide variety and can be found at most every grocery store. Buying frozen vegetables can be cost effective too. How many times have you made a can of corn or can of green beans, only to throw the left overs in the trash? With frozen you can dish out only what you need, and put the rest back in the freezer for another meal. Also frozen vegetable are usually better for you, because they don’t contain the salt and preservatives that are in some canned goods.
Make a budget and stick to it. Do a some price comparisons when you make your next trip to the grocery store. Look for items you may want to purchase in the future and make note of the prices. Also do some item comparisons, don’t buy an item just because it’s a name brand. Most times items in generic packaging, are just as good as there fancier labeled competition.
If you take the time to make some simple changes, you will find that you can come up with simple, cost effective, healthy family meal choices, that the entire family will be happy with.
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