1) Quinoa (packed with protein and inexpensive in bulk)
2) Frozen Spinach (a great bang for your buck!!)
3) Chickpeas (again, protein and inexpensive!)
4) Frozen shrimp (bought on sale and used judiciously adds a PUNCH to less expensive dishes)
5) CHIA seeds (higher Omega 3 than salmon and pretty inexpensive in bulk)
6) Dried beans (peas, black beans, pintos, chickpeas, cranberry beans, etc)
7) Ground flax seed very inexpensive and I add it to smoothies and other foods..it is very filling and has lots of fiber and health benefits
8) I use minimal amounts of oil and add spices and water to stir fry veggies..if you let it cook down you have a tasty thick sauce.
9) I buy boneless chicken breasts and cut into strips for using in a variety of dishes..the whole breasts are usually lots cheaper than buying them already cut into filets.
10) cook your own dried beans vs buying canned (sorry for the repeat)
11) take advantage of fruits and veggies in season they are always cheaper and lots better
12) at a loss for anything else to add
13. Fresh fruits and veggies. We grow our own in pots on our patio. Seed packets are .99 and produce tons of plants.
14. Everything fresh. We do not buy any prepackaged meals, or boxed items. Not only are they costly, they are chock full of sodium and preservatives. Bad bad stuff!!
15. Lemons. I use them to flavor everything from salads (delicious) to making my own fresh lemonade, on rice, to fish and even as marinades on other meats.
16. Not an option for everyone but we only eat meat that we have hunted and processed ourselves. IE deer, duck, chicken, fish, turkey, hog, etc. We do not buy store bought meat. Once again, chock full of preservatives and hormones we don't need. Not to mention fresh meat tastes so much better!
Some of mine are similar to all of the above. I do think it is more expensive in my area to eat healthy.
Or is that my excuse???
17. We raise our own cow to take to the processor. I think the meat is healthier than what you purchase at Walmart. No filler and garbage added. And the expense is up front but cheaper in the long run. (And mentioned in #16)
18. I buy chicken in bulk directly from one of the processing plants. It is a lot cheaper. (I have a friend who is a manager there)
19. DH hunts turkey. It is free (except for the ammo
) and tastes so much better than store bought turkey. One of the few wild game I will actually eat. (And mentioned in #16)
20. This time of year we get fresh fruit and veggies from a little old guy down the road. LOTS cheaper than the store and they taste LOTS better!!!
21. If you don't have a little old guy down the road, look for a farmers market.
22. Buy in bulk and separate it. On most things, bulk is cheaper. Even if it is veggies you can freeze or can them. And the advantage is you get the good veggies all year round. Buy one of the vacuum type things that suck out the air in all the bags. I don't know what it is called. Anyway, it will make the veggies last longer in the freezer.