The good news clean eating on a budget is completely doable from grocery shopping to eating out. It is all about being a conscious shopper and meal planning. 

When it comes to clean eating on a budget at home there are so many ways to keep it clean and not break the bank.  

Pss…be sure to read to the end to the link to one of my favorite clean eating recipes. 

Tip #1 Meal Plan

Meal planning, meal planning, meal planning, yup said that three times because it is so important when eating clean on a budget. It is my top tip for eating clean on a budget for several reasons. 

One reason is that it will save you time. Spending a little extra time planning out your meals will save some time later. You will have already got meal planning out of the way for starters and in probably less time than if you would planning them out daily.  

Ideally, if you can pick the same day and time of the week to sit down and plan out the week’s meals that you be great. By doing this you will essentially be creating a helpful habit that will help clean eating on a budget easier. 

Your meal planning may include all breakfast, lunches, and dinners or whatever meals you will be preparing.

I also find that giving yourself a day and time to plan out meals for the following week helps to help to reduce any stress about what to make and when to make it.  

You will already know what meals you will make on what days so there is no scrambling to come up with meals on the day of. This is especially useful if you have a full plate and packed schedule. 

Another reason meal planning is key to clean eating on a budget is that it can save you money when it comes to your grocery bill.  

By listing out what ingredients you need for your meals it may be easier to scan over what ingredients you may already have and scratch those off your list. This way you are not spending money buying foods you already have. 

Substitutions are great too because they can save you some money some of the time.

For example, if a recipe calls for maple syrup you can use honey if you have that on hand and save on having to buy the maple syrup.

Or if a recipe calls for sour cream but you already have greek yogurt, you can sometimes substitute the yogurt for the sour cream saving you money once again by using an ingredient you already have. 

Tip #2 Buying veggies and fruits that are in season 

Buying veggies and fruits that are in season tend to be less expensive than if they are not in season.  

If what you need is no in-season then another alternative to saving money is to buy those foods either frozen or canned. Sometimes this is even a healthier option. 

How is that so you ask? Well, believe it or not, those foods that are canned or frozen are picked when they are ripe and in season and typically processed within hours of being harvested. This helps preserve the nutrients. 

Now please don’t get me wrong fresh 9 out of 10 times is the better option nutrient-wise that is to canned or frozen. However, we are talking about ways to still eat clean on a budget and giving options to still be able to do so. 

Tip #3 Buy in bulk

Buying certain foods in bulk can be some major money savings for you. Keep in mind though you don’t want to go crazy with the bulk buying if you don’t think you will use all of it. 

Rember buying more than you need will just add to your bill and mean less green in your wallet.

A good healthy food staple to buy in bulk would be organic (or not organic) rolled oats. Another great stable to buy in bulk would be brown rice, black beans, almonds, lentils, and quinoa just to list a few examples. 

These foods are great staples to have on hand but don’t overdo it. You don’t want a crowded pantry if you don’t have to. 

Tip #4 Shop local

When I say shop local I mean hit-up farmers markets, food co-ops, or local grocery stores such as mom and pop grocery stores. Because most of these types of vendors cut out the middle man they tend to be less expensive and sell fresher foods since the food tends to be local and less travel distance. 

This is sometimes called farm-to-table way of eating and shopping. 

Tip #5 Try your hand growing veggies and fruits at home

No, I am not joking, a simple way to start is small by growing some herbs and simple veggies at home. Planting a small garden is a great way to save on fresh veggies. 

Try going to your local nursery for some ideas and tips on how to start a garden. It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. Tomatoes grow great in pots if you wanted to start small and simple.

Tip#6 Shop around for the best price

I know that saving time is a plus but so is saving money. Sometimes saving money means having to do your grocery shopping in more than one place. 

What I mean by that is if the produce you need is on special at Sprouts but the protein you need is on special at Vons then maybe a trip to both places might save you some money. 

Being a coupon shopper is another way to get a better price. Look through the local ads to see if there are any specials at your supermarket.  

The main takeaways are to plan ahead, get creative where you shop, and know that clean eating on a budget is completely possible. 

With the tips, I have shown you hopefully you use them to your advantage and know you can eat clean no matter what your budget is and you don’t have to break the bank. 

Bonus Alert

As promised here is one of my go-to clean eating recipes. I hope you enjoy it! https://monica-living.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Copy-of-Yummy-Overnight-Oats.png

As always from my heart to yours.