Thayer adds that people also can eat inexpensively on value meals and fast-food fare, but there's a tradeoff. "For me, that's the best part of cooking dinner - you get lunch, too." To avoid waste, take leftovers for lunch the next day, Ward says. Make a list to take to the store to cut costs, but it's OK to deviate from it for sale items that you know you will use. So is a grilled cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread, green salad and fruit. An omelet with vegetables, whole-grain toast, fruit and milk is a relatively low-cost meal. To save money, your beverages should be tap water and low-fat or fat-free milk, she says.Įlizabeth Ward, a registered dietitian in Boston and author of MyPlate for Moms, says you can save both time and money with simple meals. "People spend a lot of money in the grocery store on their beverages," Thayer says. And when it comes to inexpensive whole grains, you can eat store-brand old-fashioned oatmeal for 9 cents a serving, she says. Thayer points out that there are many inexpensive protein choices - beans, eggs, peanut butter and other nut butters, she says.
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Ross also tells patients to think of meat as the side dish, not the centerpiece of their meal, because it's often the most costly part of the meal. "Throwing food away is like throwing money in the trash can." That way you aren't eating the exact same thing but you don't waste food, she says. You can serve it as an entree one night and then other nights put it on top of a green salad or incorporate it in soups, wraps, casseroles or chicken salad. Planned-overs are taking one main food, such as chicken, and using it several different ways throughout the week. She advises her patients to plan for five evening meals a week and then have a night or two to clear out the refrigerator of leftovers or incorporate what she calls planned-overs. To eat cheaply at home you have to make an investment of time to plan meals, grocery shop, cook and prepare the food, says Tami Ross, a nutrition expert in Lexington, Ky., and co-author of Diabetes Meals on $7 a Day - or Less!, written with Patti Geil. Buying store brands instead of national brands can save you up to 30%, she says. You have to shop sales, buy produce in season, purchase store brands and buy canned and frozen vegetables when they are on sale. It is possible to eat healthfully on $146 a week, but you can't do it without planning, says Bethany Thayer of Detroit, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Registered dietitians who work with families and dieters say how much people spend on food depends on their income, how much they budget for groceries, where they live and a number of other factors. The limit for calories from solid fats and added sugars is the same in all the plans. It does not allow more desserts such as chocolate cake or cheesecake because it represents a nutritious diet, Lino says. The liberal plan allows for more expensive cuts of meat and types of seafood. People who spend the higher amounts on food can buy more expensive fruits and vegetables and even pre-cut and pre-washed ones, he says. Eating a healthy diet on that amount of money means buying the lowest-cost fruits and vegetables such as bananas, apples, carrots, potatoes and greens, says Lino. The thrifty plan is used as the basis of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. "We constantly hear the claim that you can't eat healthy on a budget, and to us that's a myth because a family can eat a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables that meets the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," says Robert Post, associate executive director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.īut you do have to use "smart shopping strategies" like the ones on Post says. Some food waste is built into these costs. The latest numbers for a four-member family: a thrifty food plan, $146 a week a low-cost food plan, $191 a week a moderate-cost plan, $239 a liberal plan, $289 a week. The USDA uses national food intake data and grocery price information to calculate different costs for a healthy diet at home. It doesn't include one-dollar deals at fast-food restaurants or splurges at pricey restaurants. That's based on preparing all the meals and snacks at home for a couple with two school-aged children. The cost of feeding a family of four a healthy diet can run $146 to $289 a week, according to the latest numbers from the U.S.
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