How I Eat Healthier (and CHEAPER) Than Everyone Else, and How You Can Too!
Isn’t crazy how the healthiest food for us can seem the most expensive? Being entirely plant-based, I get it. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
While there are many alternative ways to supplement the cost of food (growing food or spices in your garden, local garden spaces, local nonprofits like the Food Pantry Network, or even changing how you wash and store your food so it keeps better!), this article is only going to cover how to make your grocery bill cheaper in the store, just by making a few swaps.
So lemme define what I’m calling “Healthy”. Healthy Foods are foods that promote good health markers and prevent or mitigate death and disease. These would be food items that check one or more of these boxes: low in saturated fat, low in dietary cholesterol, or contain some amount of fiber.
Now not only have I created an example grocery list with the cost of foods as they stand at the time of the article (September 2024), but I’ve also put together an example of the macronutrient needs for someone consuming a 2,400 kcal/day diet. You read that right. This grocery list is everything you would need to hit your protein, fat, and carbohydrate targets every day if you were consuming 2,400 kcal a day.
Let’s look at the numbers: for one week’s worth of groceries, it would cost $105.86 at Aldi and $20.45 at Kroger for a total of $126.31. With a good portion of these items being pantry items that will last a few weeks or even a month, you’d be looking at an average monthly cost of about $378.93. This is about the same price as a moderate spending plan for a single adult in the USA. On top of that, this is also without factoring in the price of foods that can be bought in bulk to be even cheaper!
With that being said, this is also without the cost of eating out, as that would be outside of the nutritional plan.
Please Note: This is an example grocery list and is not meant to be a prescription diet. Please consult your healthcare provider before taking on major changes within the diet, if for no other reason than to let them note your effort accordingly! This list also does not contain regular pantry staples, such as basic spices, oils, and others.
The List:
3 Honeycrisp Apples
3 Oranges
7 Bananas
1 Pineapple
2 Mangoes
5 Medjool Date
4 Cups Frozen Berry Medley
6 Cups Spinach
6 Cups Kale
1 Head Celery
2 Cucumbers
2 Crowns of Broccoli
2 Red Bell Peppers
2 Yellow Bell Peppers
4 Carrots
4 Roma Tomatoes
2 Sweet Onions
3 Avocados
1 Head of Garlic
1 Cup of Basil
1 Bunch of Parsley
1 Bunch of Cilantro
1 Bunch of Green Onions
4 Shallots
2 Red Onions
3 Sweet Potatoes
3 Russet Potatoes
2 Beets
2 Cups of Lentils
2 Cups of Chickpeas
2 Cups of Black Beans
2 Cups of Pinto Beans
3 Cups of Brown Rice
3.5 Cups of Rolled Oats
3 Blocks of Extra Firm Tofu
3 Patties of Tempeh
2 Blocks of Firm Tofu
1 Jar of Natural, Unsalted Peanut Butter
1 Jar of Red Raspberry Preserves
1 Loaf of Dave's Killer Bread, 21 Whole Grain and Seeds
How This Grocery List Breaks Down Nutritionally:
*This grocery list was tracked in its entirety for 1 week. The nutrition label above reflects the nutritional makeup of the total amount of food on this list.
So there you have it! This example grocery list shows that while eating healthier food options can still fit within a moderate food budget, and that there are still ways to make it cheaper, the only thing keeping you from the life you want are the habits you’ve built along the way. Simply by changing your environment, you create the future that you desire.
Stay Strong, Stay Safe, Just Start. 💪🏼
