7 Tips For Eating Well On A Budget

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The benefits of healthy eating are well known, but buying veggies, fruits and lean protein can be expensive.

The cost of nutritious foods cranks up your grocery bill, while fast foods and processed foods are cheap in comparison.

So do you sacrifice health to save money?

WCCO's Natalie Nyhus talked with registered dietitian Christina Meyer-Jax who said eating well doesn't have to break the bank.

Meyer-Jax even offered a few tips to saving money while eating right.

1. Learn the basics of cooking: You don't have to be Julia Child, but cooking at home saves the most.
2. Buy frozen: Fresh is not necessarily more nutritious. Frozen foods like fruits and veggies tend to cost lest.
3. Cook in bulk: Rather than cook one or two chicken breasts, cook six to 12 and pull from that all week to make various recipes i.e. chicken quesadillas, chicken soup.
4. Invest in containers: When you cook in bulk, you need a good way to store foods.
5. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture): If you take part in a farmer share, you get huge boxes of fruits and veggies at a fraction of the cost. Freeze what you can't eat.
6. Buy cheap, nutrient dense foods: Eggs, beans, lentils, potatoes are all inexpensive and packed with nutrients.
7. Buy canned veggies: Rinse the veggies three times to remove a lot of the salt.

A few of Meyer-Jax's favorite healthy cooking sites can be found here.