My favorite affordable foods & best budget tips
It's rough out there y'all - I know we all feel it!
That doesn't mean it's time to give up our pursuit of eating well; our health is truly an investment.
Here are my recommendations for budget buys and affordability tips!
Keep in mind prices will vary by location and accessibility!
Best Bang for your Buck Foods
Carrots 🥕 - a giant bag of carrots will only run you a few bucks! And in even better news - they made the EWG 2023 list of the “clean 15” foods - which means buying conventional will not expose you to quite as many pesticides as other non-organic foods! Favorite ways to use? Raw carrot salad (recipes in my meal plans and Batch cookbook), roasted with garlic & thyme (recipe in my Fixin's book), or in my carrot cake (Fixin's!)!
Eggs 🥚 - Yes, there's a price spectrum here - but even if you're buying conventional eggs, they still pack a nutritional punch! I prefer local and pasture-raised and can still find those near me for about $6 per dozen. Do what you can and know that eggs are still a great choice! See my meal plans for how to best balance a scrambled eggs breakfast!
Dried goods like legumes and rice 🍚 - I prefer to buy organic as conventional rice in particular can be a high source of arsenic, but even organic bulk bags of dried goods are a great way to stretch your dollar. Check my Batch book for how I soak and sprout legumes and grains for better digestibility, or check out my Pinterest video!
Potatoes, both white and sweet 🍠 - Potato bags are typically fairly affordable, and while I prefer to buy white potato varieties organic, orange sweet potatoes also landed on the clean 15 list last year!
Onions 🧅 - A great source of inflammation-fighting quercetin and of course, flavor! Big bags are usually easy on the wallet!
Ground meats - As usual, I do prefer standards like organic, grass-fed, etc, but even with those qualifications, ground meats (red in particular) is often the most affordable cut!
Whole chickens 🐓 - Buying a whole chicken can feed a big family for a couple meals, and then leave you with bones for broth! My favorite rotisserie recipe is my lemon and herb from my Fixin's book and my bone broth recipe is in my meal plans!
Other affordability tips
Buy bulk - as a general rule, bulk-buying can be very budget friendly, but check the price per weight! Box stores like Costco in particular usually have great pricing on larger bags of whole food items (squash, fruits, frozen fruits, potatoes, etc!).
Buy local - I think I'm going to surprise some of y'all here! I can get organic grass fed primal ground beef for $6 at my farm co-op - that's better than some conventional ground beef! Check with your local farms, but cutting out the middle man can actually save a lot per pound AND give you better quality!
Buy frozen produce - frozen produce often has a higher nutrient value when frozen immediately (vs fresh that has been transported long distances and sat out!) and is usually wallet-friendly, especially for those items not currently in season!
Use the clean 15 - I know I've referenced this a couple times, but take advantage of those lower pesticide foods that you can safely buy conventionally! Items like cabbage, sweet peas, pineapple, mangoes, and avocado often make the list.
Splurge where it counts - when I AM going to prioritize quality, I use it on milk and dairy, thin-skinned produce, higher fat meats, and grains.
And let me leave you with an idea I stand by: eating conventionally grown whole foods is still better than eating man-made and overly processed items.
Do the best you can, friend.
And don't forget I have a full sourcing guide with brands, tips, and more in my meal plans!
As always, if you need recipe inspiration for turning these foods into delicious meals like a farm fresh egg skillet, sausage and egg muffin cups, bacon & potato soup, sweet potato casserole, red beans and rice, cappuccino custard, shrimp & lime rice bowls, rainbow root veggies, and SO much more - take a look at my cookbooks! You can use the code COMBO anytime to save on 2 or more products!