Purchasing food for your family with keeping health in the forefront of your mind is quite a challenge. However, it can be delicious and nutritious while keeping your budget from plummeting. With the high price of restaurant and take-out food, try making meals at home instead. You can choose to buy healthy foods for your family and prepare them together. You can control your food dollars too by preparing and cooking just what you need. Get the whole family involved in planning and preparing the meal.

Certainly, if you don’t know what you’re doing, grocery shopping can be very expensive. However, armed with the right tips and tricks, you can beat the register, stick to your budget and save some cash.

 Here are some great tips to keep your budget on track:

  1. Have a plan, making a list is crucial. If not, you will most likely purchase far more items than intended.
  2. Meal plan if you can. Check in with the family to their input on what sounds good for the week. There are a wide variety of websites and phone apps for great recipe resources (check out Google, Pinterest, Food Network, and EatRight.org).
  3. Do NOT go to the store hungry! Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, which leads to budget sabotage.
  4. Avoid center aisles – you will end up spending more money on unhealthier options. You will also end up wasting more time at the store.
  5. Substitute with frozen – vegetables and fruit do not necessarily need to be fresh. Frozen is a great alternative because the produce is flash frozen at peak ripeness to seal in nutrients.
  6. Eat less meat – meat (especially good quality) can break your bank. Examples of high protein, low cost plant foods include beans, legumes and tofu.
  7. Use leftovers for different meals – this makes for an exciting way to create new dishes.

For example, utilizing a roasted chicken in various recipes including enchiladas, soups, salads, wraps, etc. Try making this recipe using leftover chicken to make healthy Hawaiian wrap.

Click here to download and print the recipe.