25 Cheapest Healthy Food When You’re On A Rock Bottom Budget (Free Digital Grocery List)!
Last Updated on 03/05/2024 by Nicky
Foods to buy on a budget
Have you been grocery shopping lately?
Dude the price of groceries is insane, amirite?
Inflation and shrinkflation (which is the ever-shrinking size of food packaging) have moved in and plan to stay for a while.
They’re like squatters who you’re not allowed to kick out. So what are you supposed to do when you’re broke and on a tight budget but you want to eat healthily?
It’s not easy but it is possible to buy cheap food that’s also healthy and today I’ll share with you how you can do it!
Oh yeah, and this post contains affiliate links to great products that will help you in your health journey. I will get a commission if you decide to buy from these links but I’m only recommending products that I feel confident about and from companies that I trust like Amazon and others. Please let me know if you have any questions.
– The Importance Of Healthy Foods
It’s hard to be healthy without eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
One reason why fruit and vegetables are so important is that they contain vitamins and minerals that your body needs. They also help provide energy for your body.
Another reason why fruit and vegetables are important is because they’re low in calories.
Eating a diet rich in these items helps you maintain a healthy weight, which can help improve your health later on in life (and help you avoid costly medical bills).
It also prevents some diseases like cancer.
One of the best ways to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet is by incorporating them into recipes like soups, salads, pasta dishes, or smoothies.
These meals make it easier for you to consume a larger quantity of these items than if you were just eating them raw or alone as a side dish.
– Cheapest Local Grocery Stores: Where To Shop For Cheap Foods
Okay so if you’re on a grocery budget (and let’s face it, who isn’t), then it’s important to shop at the stores with the cheapest groceries so you get the most bang for your buck.
Let’s start with some of the best grocery stores to shop for cheap(ish) groceries.
1) Aldi
This is still one of the best places to shop for cheap produce, meat, and dairy.
Although I will say that they have significantly raised their prices and sometimes certain things are not as cheap there as they are at other grocery stores.
Even still, they still have some of the cheapest foods around so it’s definitely worth taking a look.
2) Kroger
As gimmicky as I think Kroger with their “buy 5 save $5” sales, they still do have some of the best grocery prices especially if you are okay with buying multiple items.
They can be tricky with their pricing but if you can figure out all of their sales then it’s worth going there.
Plus they also have good clearance prices.
3) Walmart
This used to be my go-to but their prices have been going up too. However, they are still cheaper on some grocery items so I still go there from time to time.
I really urge you to comparison shop in order to find the best prices. Let me show you how…
– How To Comparison Shop To Find The Best Grocery Prices
If you have the time, comparison shopping can save you so much money. It’s super simple to do.
First thing is to download the apps of the local grocery stores in your area.
Then search for a specific item that you are interested in.
Let’s take milk for example. I have the Walmart & Kroger apps on my phone.
If I’m in Aldi and the price of their milk doesn’t seem like a great deal, then I will search for a comparable item on the Kroger and Walmart app to see if it’s cheaper.
I buy half-gallon organic milk so that’s what I will search for on the apps to see who has the better price for this item.
Now, I only do this if I was already going to one of these stores in the first place.
If I wasn’t already going to Kroger then I’m not going to go there just to save .50 cents.
Why? Because besides the time it takes to go to another store, I’ll also see other items that I “need” and buy those too even if they weren’t on my list.
This does not save me money in the long run.
To summarize, check the grocery apps to find the best price for your items but only go there if it will truly save you money.
Want to read this post later? Save it to one of your Pinterest boards!
– How To Save Even More Money On Groceries
You can save even more money on groceries by using apps like Ibotta. Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries, gift cards, and so much more.
This is how it works.
You download the Ibotta app for free.
Once you open the app, you can look for available cash-back offers on a variety of items from a variety of stores.
I like to search for specific items like bread and see if there are any cashback offers on that item.
For instance, I’m not loyal to any one brand of bread, so if I’m at the store and I need bread, I will do a search on Ibotta first to see if there are any offers on a loaf of bread that I’m interested in buying.
I was in Publix not too long ago looking for bread.
They were having a sale on Nature’s Own bread. I then did a search on Ibotta and saw that there was a cashback offer of $1.00 on Nature’s own bread.
I clipped the offer on the app, bought the bread that qualified for the offer, scanned my receipt on the Ibotta app, and Ibotta gave me $1.00.
And this is just one example. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars at this point using cashback apps like Ibotta, Shopkick, and more.
You can use the link below to get started for free.
Click here to learn more about Ibotta!
On another note, Ibotta has a lot of cashback offers on healthy items like fruit, veggies, and meats so if you want to save money on healthy food then Ibotta should be your jam.
– Cheapest Foods To Put On Your Grocery List
Making a grocery list is an easy way to avoid overspending on food.
When you make a list of the groceries you need, it’s easier to have tunnel vision when you go into the store.
When you don’t have a list, then you’ll just wander the store putting all sorts of random items in your basket.
Here are some cheapest groceries you can put on your list while still being healthy and kind to your body.
– Best Vegetables/Fruits To Buy On A Budget
It goes without saying that fruits and vegetables are essential to your diet and yet many times, we (I) don’t eat enough of them.
If you’re on a health journey and on a tight budget then start by eating some of these foods below:
- Apples
- Cabbage
- Bananas
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Frozen vegetables
- Onions
- Pasta sauce
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Squash
- Tomatoes
– Best Meats/Protein To Buy On A Budget
- Canned tuna
- Chicken thighs and legs (don’t scoff…dark meat is healthy and delicious. Remove the skin for even more health benefits)
- Eggs (yep, not even fancy free-range organic eggs either…just regular smegular eggs are good enough)
- Ground Turkey
- Pork chops (you can buy them in bulk)
- Cheese (you can pick up cheese in bulk when it goes on sale…it last for months)
- Ground Beef (grass-fed is best which fairly cheap at both Walmart and Aldi)
– Best Legumes/GrainsTo Buy On A Budget
- Beans of all kinds
- Peanuts
- Rice
- Oatmeal
- Peanut Butter (no added sugar)
- Whole wheat pasta
- Lentils
- Popcorn
If you want a digital grocery list, you can find one in my New Year, New You Fitness Planner.
You can learn more by clicking here.
– Which Cheap Healthy Food Is Your Favorite?
Contrary to popular belief, you can eat healthy on a budget. No, it’s not as cheap as eating junk food but we pay for that in the long run.
If you follow the tips in this post and use this list of cheap grocery items as your guide, you can totally eat healthy for the low!
– Resources Mentioned In This Post
Ibotta: a free cashback app to save you hundreds on your groceries. Click here to learn more!
Digital Fitness Journal & Planner: Create your grocery list, plan your meals, work outs and so much more with this weight loss planner. Click here to learn more!
Buy The Money Saving Meal Planner Now!
– Money Saving Meal Planner
When I make a grocery list, meal plan, and use coupons or cash back apps, I save money consistently!
But when you don’t have tools to guide you on where to begin, trying to do all of this can get overwhelming!
That’s why I’ve created a Money Saving Meal Planner just for you! Let me tell you more about it!
The Frugal Money Saving Meal Planner has:
– Weekly Meal Planning Pages: 3 different types of weekly meal planning pages & 2 themed weekly meal planning pages
– Monthly Meal Planning: Plan meals for the week but also for the month. Or for many months for that matter. Includes a meal planning calendar
– Pantry Pages: Use the Pantry Inventory and Pantry Challenge pages to help you plan meals based on what you already have at home.
– Freezer Inventory Pages: Using the Freezer Inventory and Freezer Challenge pages will help you plan meals based on what you already have in your freezer.
– Favorite Foods Pages: Write down your and your family’s favorite foods so you can also stay stocked on the things you love to eat.
This meal planner is a must-have for anyone looking to save money on their grocery bill or who is just looking for a way to make their life a little bit easier.
Who Is This Money-Saving Meal Planner For?
– Budget-Conscious Women & Men
– Moms who plan meals for their family
– Women who want to eat healthy on a budget
– My people who shop at Dollar Tree for groceries (I’m with you…although let’s be honest…sometimes they aren’t the best deal, either)
If you want to take a closer look at the Money Saving Meal Planner then you can click here!
If Foods to buy on a budget has helped you, please share it!
Medical Disclaimer: While Healthy As You Can strives to provide the most accurate information, anything you read on this site is purely for informational or entertainment purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice or as a replacement for a doctor’s care, diagnosis, appointment, advice, etc. I am not a medical professional at all. Any information, tips, or ideas that you try as a result of reading this blog is tried at your, the reader’s, own risk.
Health Disclaimer: The owner of Healthy As You Can is not a physician, nutritionist, or medical professional. Any tips or ideas that you implement as a result of reading the information on this blog are done at your own risk. The results that may be discussed are not typical or guaranteed. Please talk to your doctor before starting any workout, exercises, diet or nutrition plan. Please stop any workout if you start to feel any pain. Healthy As You Can is not entering into a Doctor-Patient relationship with any reader and is not responsible for any errors or omissions of information.
