The number one complaint (Or excuse?) I get from clients lately is “Eating healthy is sooooo expensive”.

These days with prices even higher on food essentials, coupled with the food stamps cuts, even those who previously managed are really struggling.

When reading clients’ food logs, I keep noticing that they’re skipping salads and veggies. When I question this, they share with me that they’re cutting back on buying produce and other healthy essentials due to monetary concerns. I got at least 40 whatsapp messages and emails over the past few weeks asking me for tips on this so I decided to put together my top insights, and what better forum to do so than Mishpacha Magazine?

I also asked a few of my clients who have made it work and incorporated their first hand advice.

Ok, so let’s get right to it.

PRACTICAL TIPS:

Make menus. Planning prevents waste, reduces impulse buying, and makes shopping simpler.

Make shopping lists. It’s your best defense against the “ooh this looks good” aisle trap. Stick to the list and you’ll stick to your budget.

Look for sales and plan accordingly. Many kosher supermarkets also have “manager’s specials” or discounts on close-dated items that can be used the same or next day. During Thanksgiving season ShopRite has a can can sale (See canned section).

Call in or send in your order versus shop in person. This keeps you focused and less distracted by impulse purchases.

Pre make and freeze. Buy in bulk, cook ahead of time, freeze into correct portions and label of course. Examples: Roast two chickens at once, double your quinoa or rice and freeze half. Turn leftover Shabbos veggies into Monday’s omelet or soup.

While all of the above are money saving tips, notice how all these tools will also help you actually stick to your eating plan.

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE:

Make your own oil spray. Take a shpritz bottle and fill it up with oil.

Marinade yourself versus buying pre marinated

Learn to check lettuce yourself versus buying expensive pre checked lettuce

Eat leftovers. My fave dinner happens to be Friday night soup on Sunday night

Use real dishes instead of plastic. You will save money AND your food will be more appealing to eat.

STOP BUYING:

Riced veggies
Cauliflower crusts
Pre marinated
Pre portioned
Pre cut veggies and fruits
Ready dressings
Water bottles (Fill up your own)

These are things you could do yourself and do not need to pay extra for. You may call it eating healthy is expensive but it’s actually these conveniences that make it even more so.

Out of the box food related $ saving tips:

-Walk to the grocery versus driving. You’ll save on gas and the meter plus get in those steps. Carrying bags versus having them delivered also saves money and is a great upper body workout.

• Delete your uber eats app. If you really need it, you will have to download it, re-log in (meaning actually remember your password) , etc.
• Make date night a (cheap) activity versus going out to eat.
• Sit when you eat. You will be fuller with less and enjoy your food much more.
• Chew your food. Sounds silly but this actually helps with the digestion process and to keep you full.

Perspective shifts:

Without the right perspective, none of these tips will actually work so let’s discuss that for a second.

• What you make and eat isn’t only about you. Your kids will want what they see you eating and will end up adapting your habits. This isn’t selfish and only for you, it’s for them too. CL, my client who is a kollel wife and mom of 8 always tells me her kids “steal” her Broccoli and string beans which she buys very little of since potatoes end up being cheaper.
• Make this a family project. Get everyone on board and include them in the planning and extra prep required now that you got rid of the costly shortcuts. This will be a great chinuch lesson and a fun family project.
• Veggies are cheaper than proteins. S.W, my client who is a hard working mom of 11 on a very tight budget said it well: “Make veggies the star of the show and the rest the accessories versus the other way around”.
• Choose your hard. Spending money is hard. Eating unhealthy is also hard. Choose your hard.

Let’s get to some ways to eat… cheaper!

CANNED FOOD:

Canned fruits and vegetables are cheaper than fresh (And even frozen). Another advantage is you can stock up versus risk buying too much and having it go bad. You will get the most nutrients from fresh vegetables but this is a great alternative and certainly better than not having veggies at all.

Keep in mind canned fruits can have added sugars, while canned vegetables have added sodium. For fruits look for no sugar added. The only ingredient should be the actual fruit. For vegetables, compare the sodium and choose those with the lowest amount. I recommend rinsing them out before eating to get rid of any extra sodium. Here are some examples of canned veggies:

More starchy: beets, corn, chick peas, corn, peas.

Less starchy: Green beans.

MORE ON VEGGIES:

PSA: You DON’T need to buy organic!

Veggies are expensive as is, you don’t need to spend extra money on organic ones.

• Frozen vegetables are lifesavers. They’re already cleaned, often cheaper than fresh, and retain the full nutrients.
• Seasonal produce costs less. Buy what’s in season — apples in fall, cucumbers in summer, etc.
• Sturdy veggies like cabbage, carrots, and onions last long and can stretch multiple meals. They also have varied uses such as stirfry, soups, a stew. etc.
  Great tip:
  Most stores have vegetables that are a little older or don’t look perfect which are cheaper. They may not make it to your family whatsapp photos but they’re perfect for soups and stews.

Lettuce is the most expensive item of a salad. Here are some salads that you don’t even need lettuce for:

Israeli salad

“Kids’ salad” named so by my own kids. It consists of baby corn, regular corn, black olives, green olives, pickles, and cucumbers.

Celery plus “the kitchen sink”. You can make this a green salad with cucumbers, green peas, scallions, or anything you want.

A cheaper alternative to lettuce is cabbage. Another cabbage use is as a “wrap” for your proteins. I personally love sauteed cabbage with mushrooms, yum!

FILLING AND BUDGET FRIENDLY SOUPS:
Butternut squash
Mushroom Barley
Cream of chicken
Bean soup
Zuccini
*Health tip: Avoid butter/margarine. Use olive oil instead.

BUDGET FRIENDLY PROTEINS:

Who said proteins had to be chicken or meat?

Here are some more affordable options:

• Eggs
• Turkey breast
• Veggie burgers
• Chick peas
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Beans
• Peanut butter
• Almond milk
• Yogurt

REGARDING FISH:

• Tilapia is generally the cheapest fish
  Add tomato sauce plus mushrooms, chickpeas, and zucchini plus rice for a delicious balanced meal.
• Salmon is generally more expensive but you can look for sales and Bingo often times has specials on it. Tip: When making salmon for kids, cut into appetizer pieces versus entree pieces. They usually don’t finish it anyway and this way you’ll get more mileage out of it.

BUDGET FRIENDLY SIDE DISHES:
Most people know this is the cheapest part of a meal. Here are my top picks and how to get the most out of them.

PSA: Grains don’t have to be whole wheat. Whole wheat/brown will have more fiber and will keep you fuller longer but if your kids won’t eat it or it’s more expensive, you can buy white. Another advantage to grains is that you can buy huge packages which are cheaper without the risk of overdoing the nuts or popcorn which are risky in large packages because they are ready to eat.

Rice,Quinoa, and potatoes are all good side dishes.

You can pre-bake potatoes and warm up as needed.

PSA: You don’t need to be gluten free unless you actually need to be gluten free.

Gluten free items are generally more expensive and require separate shopping from your family. They also happen to be higher in calories, fat, and often have unhealthy ingredients.

I once read a very powerful quote:

If you think eating healthy is expensive, try being sick…

If we don’t invest in our health now, it will cost us more later.

BUDGET FRIENDLY SNACKS:

Fruit plus peanut butter

Chummus plus baby carrots

Pop your own popcorn

Family size pretzels, divided

Protein bars bought in bulk (And on sale)

EASY AND CHEAP MEAL IDEAS:

“Shabbaton chicken”

Named so because whenever I went to a shabbaton in high school this is what the hosts served and is part of my best memories.

It’s literally duck sauce chicken with potatoes or rice on the bottom.

“Salt chicken”

Sounds crazy but anyone who tries this loves it:

Take a whole chicken, put in a 9 by 13 pan. Create a “mountain” of salt out of kosher salt around the chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden. It is so juicy and delicious. Pair with rice and a cooked veggie and you have a complete meal.

Stuffed peppers:

This is literally all food groups in one.

Make a mixture of left over or pre boiled rice and ground chicken or veal.

You can add sautéed carrots and onions. Stuff the peppers. Pour tomato sauce over it and bake covered for 45 minutes to an hour on 350.

Stew

Sautee diced onions and the chicken or the meat that was on sales

Add any of the “still good just not perfect” veggies we discussed earlier (celery, carrots, onions) work well .Add potatoes or butternut squash. Add spices to taste. Cook in a pot or crockpot for 1.5 hours. This is also an all in one and so perfect for these freezing nights.

And just in case you do need to buy out… many places have a take out special

BBQ chicken plus 2 sides is only $30 and can fit a small family

While I’m not saying that eating healthy is cheap, I definitely feel that with the right planning and choices, everyone can eat

healthier and make their food stretch and last longer.