Eating Healthy on a Coupon Budget ~ Reader's Question Answered

A question that I was recently asked is: "How can I eat healthy and save money, without using the many coupons for processed food".

The Coupon Trend
The majority of the food coupons are in fact for processed foods such as chips, cookies, frozen meals etc. It's easy to see that the companies that manufacture these products definitely want your business and use coupons to entice buyers. However, the producers of healthier foods are coming out with their own coupons to also attract buyers.

You don't need to buy a Sunday paper to catch the coupon savings. Recently companies such as http://www.arrowheadmills.com/ have put out peelies on their products, and high value coupons at that which include $3.00 off 3 products. The makers of organic products such as http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/ and http://www.organicprairie.coop/coupons/ are also keeping up with the times and producing printable coupons. But don’t give up on that Sunday paper just yet, while there are many “junk” food coupons, there are healthy coupons which include produce, nuts, dairy etc.

Many of the health food stores such as Sprouts and Whole Foods not only accept manufacturer coupons, but also produce ads weekly that advertise specials. When there is a good price on something you might buy frequently, stock up. This will help keep your weekly spending down on the items you need such as produce and meats. Investing in items such as Green Bags to keep produce fresh for a longer period of time or a food vacuuming system to freeze portions of meat will help make your food last longer and definitely pay for themselves in the long run.

Saving Pennies In Season
Save money by buying your produce in season. For example, during the winter Strawberries can easily be around $6.00 a pound, however when in season in summer they can be found as low as .88 cents a pound. If you are looking to buy produce out out of season, check the frozen foods section.

The Price Is Right
Don’t have a health food store near you? Scope your local ads for the best deals and bring them to a store that will ad match such as Walmart. This will save you time and money. Also, check out your local fruit stands or Farmers Markets. Use a search engine such as http://www.localharvest.org/ to find locally grown food. When you purchase your foods directly from the grower, it gives you the opportunity to cut out the “middle man” known as the grocery store and gives you the advantage of getting your food fresh at a reasonable price. Co-Ops are also a good opportunity to save money while buying fresh produce, meats and breads. If you are in Arizona, Utah, Idaho or Washington, check out http://www.bountifulbaskets.org to find a pick-up place near you starting at just $15.00 per basket of food.

Cook It Cheap
It’s easy to eliminate packaged and prepared foods by cooking your own meals and you can do it fairly cheap! Many times, I can cook a complete dinner for 4 and it costs me under $5.00 total. If you are looking for recipes, check out fellow blogs such as http://www.5dollardinners.com/ (while you are there, grab a copy of her book) and http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/. If you are limited on time, make your meals ahead of time by cooking them on a weekend for the week ahead or make meals to freeze for a another day.

Eliminate The Enemy
The easiest way to save money on eating healthy is eliminating buying junk food such as sodas and packaged foods. This will free up money to buy more healthy choices when you do your grocery shopping. It also allows you to make items from scratch which is a cheaper and healthier alternative to the pre-made and packaged foods. Not only will this save money now, but this could save money in the long run. By living a healthier life style, this can save you on any medical expenses relating to eating unhealthy and of course the best bonus is living longer!