EastFoto is somehow maintaining my great weight A carrot (and cupcake!) Facebook Twitter Email Send message

Swap smart grocery stores

You’ve heard the old excuse: healthy eating is expensive. I can confidently say my food choices are healthy — at least most of the time — but I’m also a cheap skit to the heart. Luckily, I managed to get a simple snack — a healthy meal on a budget which saves a few calories!

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Very expensive: fresh berries

istockphoto Smart Swap: Frozen

berries Fresh berries are often very expensive, especially when they are out of season. Frozen berries are much cheaper and are just as nutritious for you. Also, with frozen berries, you don’t have to worry about eating them before you get worse. Throwing away rotten food is like wasting money!

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Very expensive: instant oatmeal

Istastphoto Smart Swap: Quick Oats

Instant Oatmeal is great in a pinch, but buying a huge can of quick oats is a much more affordable option. If you compare the unit prices of two items, buying oats quickly is much more economical. For the on-the-go option, I quickly split the oats into 1/2 cup, put them in a Tupperware container, and add hot water when I get to my destination. Plus instant packets are often full of added sugar (and calories!). I prefer my natural alternatives like melted frozen bari

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Very expensive: vegetable chips

Istastphoto Smart Swaps: Kale Chips As a

salty snack, homemade kale chips are a great snack of expensive veggie chips. And at less than 50 calories per cup, they’re just a fraction of the calories as the store-bought stuff. Although they require some preparatory work, making time chips is incredibly easy. Rinse with cooking spray, just spray the calc, season with sea salt and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. They taste like potato chips!

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Very expensive: fresh salmon fillet

IstastPhoto Smart Swap: Canned Salmon

We all know we should eat more fish because it is rich in omega-3, but buying fresh fish is not always friendly in my wallet. Instead, I substitute fresh salmon for canned salmon, which is much less expensive, and I can still get that healthy omega-3 in my diet. Also, the salmon salad makes an over-delicious pack lunch.

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Very expensive: Hui protein powder

Istastphoto Smart Swap: Tofu

Tofu sometimes gets a bad wrap due to its fragrant texture and fun taste, but it saves me several dollars to replace it with expensive Hui protein powder on my smoothies. As a healthy, hunger-fighting protein source, tofu blends into my smoothies but for a fraction of the price.

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Very expensive: Larabers

istockphoto Smart Swap: Almonds and dried fruit

larvae are my favourite snacks, but buying them every week depends on my budget. Instead, I eat dried fruits, dates and prunes and nuts, almonds and walnuts and save my larvae for a special treat. Eating dried fruits and nuts together makes a very filling snack that also satisfies my sweet teeth.

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Splurge price

Although I do a lot of budget-friendly swaps at grocery stores, there are some items that seem like splurges to me. Greek yoghurt and almond butter are especially expensive, but I can’t live without them. I justify their high value by saving money in other ways in groceries.

Here are my 6 favourite tips and tricks for extending every last grocer dollar.

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Plan valuable meals for a week

Istastfoto When it comes to saving money in grocery stores, a lot of this happens even before I leave home. Usually, on Sunday afternoons, I take time to plan meals for the week. Facebook Twitter Email Send Message

Knock around in the fridge

EastFoto The first thing I do in my meal-planning process is stock up on what I already have in my kitchen. I take the time to turn things over in the refrigerator and rub the cabinets to see what I have on hand. Most of the time, I was surprised by what I found, a jar of marinated artichoke heart, a can of pinto beans, a half-used bag of coffee. Instead of buying these items again or letting them go to waste, I’ll include them in next week’s menu. Facebook Twitter Email Send Message

Consider your schedule

Before visiting the EastFoto grocery store, I look at my calendar as well as my husband’s upcoming week and make meals around when we are at home for dinner. We usually plan meals for each night at home and make sure to take meals with lots of leftovers — such as a casserole or homemade pizza. I remember that Fridays and Saturdays are usually the “it at night” wing because we often don’t go to dinner or meet up with friends to get hungry and drink, so I didn’t buy extra food for that night. Facebook Twitter Email Send Message

Do not be afraid of injured products

Istockphoto I always check the field of reduction products in the hope of finding some good deals. Typically, this product has a single wound or sores that are easily cut. However, I only bought products that I plan to use now or remember something for. It is not worth buying if I do not use damaged products. Lately, I’ve been buying a bunch of brood products that I immediately peeled and froze for smoothies. Facebook Twitter Email Send Message

The main stock up

Eastfoto Of course, when you buy groceries you hear the “make a list and draw on it” tip. That’s a great part, and I usually keep it in mind. However, I also make sure to stock my favourite products when they are sold. My husband and I work with peanut butter and oatmeal as it is our job, so when they go to sell, I’m sure we’ll buy these even if we’re not finished yet. I know we’ll use these items at one stage, so I can stock up and save a little money as well.