Meal Planning on a Budget

Let’s make a conscious decision to budget our food expenses. Get buy-in from family members to eat out less, minimize “convenience” and packaged food, and regularly plan meals.

Are you worried about compromising on nutrition while keeping the grocery bills in check? Well, you're not alone. With the rising cost of food, it can be challenging to eat healthy while being cost conscious.

Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, a few simple changes to your shopping habits and cooking routine can help you save money by creating easy budget meals. We have some tips to help you stretch your dollar, to eat well, feel well and live well.

10 Tips for Planning Good Meals on a Budget

#1 Commit to Healthy Eating

Make a deliberate effort to choose nutritious food that energizes your body and mind. This entails eating enough fruits and vegetables, protein, and whole grains while reducing processed and high-sugar meals. Establishing a commitment to healthy eating has many benefits, including increased energy, weight control, and a lower chance of chronic diseases. It also helps to involve kids in this activity to motivate each other, and create a collective effort to commit to healthy eating.

#2 Set a Monthly/Weekly Meal Budget

Setting a monthly/weekly food budget is a key step in taking control of your spending and reducing your grocery bill. Begin by calculating how much you can afford to spend on groceries and how often you can order out/dine out per month.

#3 Plan Your Meals

When you plan your meals ahead of time, you get a clear understanding of what you need to buy and how much you are able to spend. This can help you avoid impulse purchases and overspending at the grocery store.

#4 Check What’s In Your Fridge

One of the easiest ways to save money on groceries is by checking what you already have at home. Look inside your fridge and pantry and take stock of ingredients that you already have on hand. This will not only save you money by using what you already have, but it will also reduce food waste. Pay special attention to items that are about to expire or spoil, and plan accordingly!

#5 Find The Deals

Before planning your meals and snacks, explore flyers, and ads to decide where you can get the best prices. Comparing prices and promotions is a great way to determine which stores have the best deals on the food items you need.

#6 Cook Meals At Home

Cooking meals at home is usually less expensive than dining out/ take out. Plan your meals around easily accessible, budget-friendly ingredients to make meal preparation more efficient. Make meal preparation a family activity with everyone playing their part. This could become another opportunity to spend quality time with your family, while reinforcing the commitment of a healthy diet.

#7 Know What Your Family Likes To Eat

When meal planning on a budget, it's important to involve your family in the process and consider their preferences. Involving your family in the meal planning process can also increase their enthusiasm for cooking and eating, boosting their mood.

#8 Plan Plant-Based Meals

Legumes like beans, lentils, dried peas, tofu, nuts/seeds and nut butters are high-quality sources of protein at a good price. By adding plant-based meals to your weekly menu, you can improve your budget by cutting down on pricey animal protein. There are many tasty plant-based recipes available, such as the ultimate mixed bean salad, chickpea masala, quick quinoa, and veggie casserole. Canned fish, like tuna and salmon, is an affordable source of protein and omega-3s, and have a longer shelf life than fresh fish.

#9 Avoid Recipes That Need Special Ingredients

When it comes to meal planning on a budget, it's important to avoid recipes that call for expensive or hard-to-find ingredients. Before you start a recipe, consider the cost and availability of all the ingredients.

#10 Prepare Seasonal Recipes

Incorporating seasonal produce into your meal planning is a great way to save money on groceries without sacrificing nutrition. When fruits and vegetables are in season, they are less expensive and easily accessible, making them an ideal choice.

Bottom Line

Meal planning is essential to eat healthily and save money. The key is to be creative and flexible and to stick to your plan as much as possible. With a little effort and practice, meal planning will become a natural part of your routine, helping you stay on track with your budget and your health goals.

At ACE Nutrition, our team of Dietitians ↗ can provide tips on incorporating budget-friendly protein sources and seasonal produce into meals. Contact us ↗ and stay on track with your nutrition goals while saving money.