Grocery Shopping and Cooking on a Budget

So in last week’s #TimerDiet101 Blog I talked about grocery prices being on the rise and it was mentioned in a Facebook posting that it is expensive to buy groceries and eat healthy. So I made this the topic for this week’s #TimerDiet101 Blog (so thanks Linda!)

What Kind of Foods are Best?

Think cooking “whole” and eating “parts.” If you buy a whole chicken, ham, or a roast then you can have what you want of the whole for dinner, then separate into parts and create different parts to eat throughout the week. Slices for deli meat and chunks for soup. The ham can be broken down into even smaller parts to add to an omelet for breakfast. Slices of your meat can be added to a salad the next day and eaten cold!  

Go For the Sales and Freeze!

Sometimes a whole chicken is not what you were thinking? Maybe you would rather have some fish or a steak. There are so many different kinds to choose from, so ask your butcher and look for sales or items that are priced to sell. Sirloin and tilapia are usually reasonably priced even when they are not on sale. If you do find a great sale do not hesitate to freeze some of it when you get home so you are not forcing yourself to eat the same thing every day.

 

Let’s Not Forget About the Fruits and Vegetables

Probably the biggest mistake people make when grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables is buying too many. They all look so pretty and yummy, but make sure you have a plan. Stick to the sales and switch it up. Buy strawberries one week and blueberries the next. Avoid buying large prepackaged fruits and vegetables if you are not going to eat the majority of them. Also, look them over very carefully and even open the package and make sure they are 100% fresh! However, if you have a large family then go for it and buy a bag of potatoes! If you can go to the store about once a week this will allow you to have the freshest foods on hand.

 

Be Sure You Have a Plan for All of Your Food!

The best way to make sure you don’t waste food is to have your menu’s figured out before you go to the grocery store. Having your menu’s written down before you go grocery shopping means you will not be buying foods that have no purpose and will probably will go to waste.

 

If you want dessert your best options are individual chocolate squares or ice cream!

 

Sherri Sue Fisher, author of TimerDiet

www.timerdiet.com