Don’t get me wrong, I love living off campus. But for that split second when I’m paying for groceries and remember that Stop and Shop doesn’t take Block Points, I’m suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia for on-campus living.
Buying healthy food on a budget can be challenging, but after some investigating I found a few ways you can save your money and your healthy diet. So whether you’re on a tight budget, trying to fit in those tight jeans (or both) check out some of these tips that your body and your wallet will thank you for.
1) Look for Diversity
As a savvy collegiette™ yourself, you’re a pro at multi-tasking, so why shouldn’t your food do the same? Stop and Shop has 100-calorie whole-wheat deli flats for just $2.25 per package that can be used plenty of ways. Use them as bread for a sandwich, hamburger buns, or replace your morning bagel with a deli flat and some cream cheese (which saves you about $2.00 and 200 calories per serving). Buying separate packages of bread, bagels, and hamburger buns can easily add up to $10.00, so it’s smarter to choose the deli flats.
Whole grain brown rice is also a healthy, yet diverse food. It goes great with some chicken and vegetables, or even add it to a salad for some extra flavor. Stop and Shop offers 2-pound bags of long grain brown rice for just $1.79- that’s just $0.19 and 200 calories per serving!
2) Choose Chobani
Plain non-fat Greek yogurt is an excellent source of low calorie protein, not to mention it’s a quick and easy breakfast along with some fruit. So which brand is the cheapest? Chobani is the cheaper option compared to Fage and Oikos brands. It goes for $1.39 a cup, whereas the others offer the same nutritional benefits for at least $0.40 more.
Tip: Add some truvia, an all natural, no-calorie sweetener to your yogurt. Plain yogurt tends to be a bit on the sour side.
3) Try the Vegetarian Way
Stop and Shop’s Boneless Chicken Breasts adds up to $3.99 per pound, but 1 pound of Stop and Shop beans are only $1.00. Next time you make your salad, replace your chicken with chickpeas – they’re a great source of low-calorie, low-fat protein just like chicken, except $2.00 cheaper.
Try a veggie burger! One Franklin Farms Veggie Burger is only 90 calories with 1 gram of fat versus a Nature’s Promise Beef Patty with 260 calories per serving and 15 g of fat. And the best part, you save $0.20 per patty if you take the veggie route.
4) Take Advantage of the Season
It’s important to be aware of the fruits that are in season because they’re the cheapest. Luckily, the fall has plenty of healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables for cheaper prices than normal. Look for apples, grapes, sweet potatoes, and spinach this month and you’ll get much more for your money. Try to avoid watermelon, berries and pineapple because their prices are highest around this time of year.