Most people think it’s expensive to eat healthy. But I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be.

No matter how big your family is or how tight your budget is there are options to incorporate healthier meals for your family.

The biggest advice would be to add as many fruits and vegetables into your meals as possible. Organic is definitely the best option but if you can’t afford it at the current time. No worries! There are lots of grocery stores that completely overcharge to organic produce. You can start by only choosing to purchase organic produce from the twelve food listed with the most pesticide sprayed on them. They are called the dirty dozen.

However, ultimately do the best you can with your current budget.

Right now, I shop for my family of 3. I have listed below the most helpful tips that have helped me keep our grocery budget under control.

Tip #1: Make a meal plan
This tip is most important because once you have a plan for what you are cooking, you won’t end up spending unnecessary money on other things, not on your list. I will create a future post discussing this in more detail but this is a very important tip. Choose 2-3 meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, depending on the size of your family, to cook for the week. Don’t forget to include leftovers on your meal plan. Feel free to choose these meals based on foods that are in season or what’s on sale at your local grocery store.

Tip #2: Create a shopping list
After you have created your meal plan for the week. Create a shopping list for the items you need to purchase. Make sure you check your pantry for items you may already have and cross them off the list. Make sure you only purchase items onto your list!

Tip #3: Shop Local
I attend my local farmers market weekly when shopping for my family. Here is a link to find your local farmer’s market. Believe it or not! You can find some great deals on produce at the farmer’s markets. Most times I find the farmers market to be much cheaper than the grocery store, especially for organic produce. They typically have better prices for meat and dairy as well.

Tip # 4 Shop for Food in Season
These foods can also help your pockets because they will be cheaper due to their abundance. Foods that aren’t in season will be very low in supply and the prices will be more expensive.

Tip #5 Buy in Bulk
Have you noticed the bulk section in your local grocery store? Bulk items such as oatmeal, rice, and spices are much cheaper because you don’t have to pay for the packaging. I really love the bulk section because you can get exactly how much you need for that week or purchase a larger quantity to last longer. Stores like Sam’s and Costco are great places to shop in bulk also and have a larger amount of produce, meat and dairy sections.

Tip #6 Consider a CSA
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a membership you can purchase through a local farmer to provide weekly shares of the food grown on their farm. This is a great way to try different foods you may not have purchased otherwise.

Tip # 7 Try meatless meals
As we all know meat is very expensive. When making your meal plan for the week, and a few meatless meals to cut down on the cost.