Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Time to Read: About 31 minutes

This information can help you make healthy food choices while cutting down on food costs. It has tips for food planning, shopping, and cooking. It also has a list of healthy, low-cost pantry items, a sample meal plan, and recipes.

Healthy food choices help your body get more of the nutrients it needs to work its best. Making sure your body gets enough nutrients can help you feel better overall. It also can help you manage your symptoms and weight during cancer treatment.

To learn more about making food choices during cancer treatment, read Eating Well During Your Cancer Treatment.

Planning

Planning is the key to healthy eating on a budget. You can plan by looking for sales, making a shopping list, and avoiding wasting food.

Look for sales

Look for sales on things such as:
- Fresh produce (fruits and vegetables).
- Lean proteins, such as poultry and fish. Poultry is meat from birds, such as chicken and turkey.
- Low-fat dairy items, such as yogurt and fat-free or 1% milk.
- Whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread.
- Canned tuna, salmon, and sardines.
- Dried or canned beans.
- Items you use often or that are on your shopping list.
Make a weekly eating plan based on what’s on sale. Plan meals around fresh produce, lean proteins, low-fat dairy items, and other sale items. For example, you can make a simple meal with a lean meat or fish, vegetables, and whole grains. It’s also helpful to plan meals that use the same ingredients.
Stock up on items when they’re on sale, especially non-perishable items. Non-perishable items are ones that last a very long time before spoiling. Examples are nut butters, canned beans, canned fish, and pasta.

Tips for finding sales

Check newspapers, store circulars (flyers and ads), and store websites for sales and coupons.
Download and check apps for sales. Stores that have apps include:
- ALDI
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Target Circle
- ShopRite
- Stop & Shop
- Walmart
- Wegmans
Online markets that have apps include:
- FreshDirect
- Imperfect Foods
- Instacart
- Misfits Market
- Shipt
Visit different grocery stores in your neighborhood and compare their prices. Items can cost more at one store than another. Apps (such as Flipp) and websites (such as www.coupons.com) offer digital coupons. They can also compare prices of deals in stores in your area.
If you need a certain product, visit the company’s website to check for coupons.
Think about making a weekly habit of checking for sales. You can compare prices and stay aware of sales.

Make a shopping list

Make a shopping list based on your weekly eating plan. Stick to your list when you shop.
Spend most of your food budget on nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and whole grains. For more examples, read the section “Low-cost items to build a healthy pantry.”
Try to buy fresh produce that’s in season. It’s flavorful, there’s lots of it, and it often costs less than produce that’s not in season. Visit www.seasonalfoodguide.org to learn what produce is in season in your area.
If you need to buy produce that’s not in season, buy it frozen.
Avoid items with added sugar or salt. Check the item’s ingredient list to see if sugar or salt was added.

Do not waste food

Use highly perishable items early in the week. Highly perishable items are ones that spoil quickly, such as fish and seafood, salad greens, berries, and fresh herbs. Save less perishable items for later in the week. Less perishable items are ones that do not spoil as quickly.
Have leftovers for lunch.
Create new meals from leftover ingredients. For example, use leftover cooked meat and vegetables as fillings for casseroles, frittatas, and wraps, or for soups.
Freeze foods or leftovers to use later.

Shopping

Here are some tips for smart, low-cost grocery shopping.

Do not go food shopping when you’re hungry.
Only buy items on your grocery list. Sticking to your list will help you avoid spending money on things you didn’t plan on.
Choose store brands instead of name brands. They often cost less, and their quality and taste are just as good.
Avoid pre-prepared items, such as washed or cut vegetables and shredded cheese. Pre-prepared items cost more. It’s better to prepare the items yourself if you have time.
Avoid pre-packaged meals. They often cost more than cooking yourself.
Buy bulk goods online or from warehouse clubs (such as Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s). Remember only to buy things you know you’ll use before they spoil or expire.
- Buying in bulk can seem like a high cost, but it can help you spend less over time. Spending a larger amount all at once means you will not need to keep spending smaller amounts that add up.
Know how much you’re spending. Use the calculator on your cell phone to keep track of how much you’re spending while you shop.
- In New York, most food items are not taxed. Foods that are taxed include:
  - Heated foods.
  - Ready-made foods, including sandwiches.
  - Carbonated (fizzy) drinks.
  - Candies and sweets.
  If you’re buying these items, make sure to account for tax.
Compare the unit price of items. The unit price is the price for a set volume or weight. It’s often listed on the tab below the item on the shelf. Checking the unit price helps you better compare costs, especially for items that are different sizes.
Check the clearance shelves for discounted items.
Skip aisles or sections with soda, chips, cookies, and candy, if you can.
Avoid buying sugary drinks, such as sodas or juices. Drink water at home instead.

If you go to the same store often, sign up for their loyalty or rewards program. You’ll get member-only discounts automatically at checkout. Some programs even offer extra benefits, such as cash rewards if you shop at the store often.

Cooking

Use the same ingredients and leftovers for different recipes. For example:
- Make a double batch of brown rice. Use it the next day, too.
- Chop broccoli for a potato dish. Use the leftovers for a broccoli stir fry.

Low-cost items to build a healthy pantry

The items in this section are low-cost and healthy. Think about making them part of your weekly eating plan, especially when you see them on sale.

Proteins
Eggs Tofu Peanut butter	Canned legumes (such as beans and chickpeas)* Dried legumes (such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils)*

* Beans and other legumes cost less to buy than other sources of protein, such as meat and poultry. Choose dried legumes rather than canned legumes. A bag of dried beans costs less to buy and has more servings than a can of beans. You can cook dried legumes faster with a pressure cooker or slow cooker, such as a Crock-Pot^® or Instant Pot^®. Cooking dried legumes at home does take time, but it can be rewarding if you plan for it.

Grains
Tortillas Pasta Noodles All-purpose flour Whole wheat flour Oats	Whole wheat bread Cornmeal White rice Brown rice

Dairy and Non-Dairy Items
Fat-free or 1% milk Unsweetened nut milk (such as almond or soy milk) Nonfat or 1% plain yogurt	Soy yogurt Queso fresco Cheddar cheese Mozzarella cheese

Canned Vegetables
Crushed tomatoes Tomato paste Asparagus Spinach	Corn String beans Beets Carrots

Non-Starchy Vegetables
Lettuce and other greens Carrots Celery Broccoli	Peppers Tomatoes Garlic Onions

Starchy Vegetables
Potatoes Sweet potatoes Butternut squash Acorn squash	Pumpkin squash Plantains Taro

Fruits
Apples Bananas Watermelon Cantaloupe Honeydew melon	Casaba Oranges Limes Lemons

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Berries Peas Green beans	Corn Edamame

Pantry Items that Add Flavor
Low sodium soy sauce Low sodium chili sauce Coconut milk Low sodium fish sauce Low sodium miso paste	Sardines Low sodium anchovies Olive oil Wine vinegar

Spices
Garlic powder Chili flakes Cumin or cumin seeds Paprika or smoked paprika	Dry oregano Dry parsley Mustard seeds or ground mustard

Sample menus and recipes

This section has 7 days (1 week) of sample menus and recipes that are healthy and use low-cost ingredients.

Each sample menu includes:

Examples of healthy foods to try at each meal and snack. We list balanced options from different food groups (grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy).
Total cost. This is the total cost of ingredients needed to make the meals for each day. The total cost is an estimate. The exact cost depends on when and where you buy the ingredients, and if they’re on sale.
Nutrition information. This is the amount of nutrients for each day, such as total fat and protein. The nutrition information is an estimate. The exact information depends on the ingredients you use and the serving size of the meals.