One of the biggest myths about eating healthy is that healthy food is too expensive. There are so many good-tasting and good-for-you foods that are affordable, even on the tightest budget—provided you know how to shop properly.

By “Shop Properly,” I mean going through your store’s flyers, picking up loss leaders, buying items in-season and on sale, and then incorporating those foods into a menu plan. What is not “Shopping Properly?” Going into any store, particularly a Whole Foods and buying everything organic, prepared, and/or full price!

In addition to this list, I also recommend using coupons whenever possible to lower costs and looking for unadvertised Manager’s Special and mark downs. Many, many times, I will find huge reductions on produce including organics, so it always is worth a look.

Here is a list of all the food I can find for $1.00 or less. It was compiled over many years. First, by saving old flyers and entering the amounts in a notebook; now, I keep track of everything online with FreshBooks.

1. Almond Milk (I’ve found shelf-stable and fridge milk for $1.00 on sale.)

2. Apples ($0.79/lb during autumn sales, typical price is higher.)

3. Bananas ($0.49/lb or less year-round.)

4. Barley (Cheapest in bulk.)

5. Beans (I can buy cans of Goya Prime Premium for $0.79. Store brand is even cheaper.)

6. Cabbage (As low as $0.17/lb around St. Patrick’s Day.)

7. Carrots (Even organics are only $0.99/lb.)

8. Celery (Usually $1.29, but I’ve seen it on sale for $0.99)

9. Chicken ($0.99/lb for split breasts on sale; legs can go as low as $0.49/lb.)

10. Citrus Fruit (I’ve found limes 4/$1.00 and lemons 3/$1.00 many times.)

11. Corn (5/$1.00 is a common summer sale here in New England.)

12. Cornmeal (I’ve seen small canister for $0.79 on sale.)

13. Cucumbers ($0.50 each all summer.)

14. Frozen Veggies (I find bags of mixed veggies on sale for $0.88 each often.)

15. Grapes ($0.99/lb on sale. Great as a frozen treat.)

16. Grapefruit (I’ve found them 4/$1.00 in the winter.)

17. Kale (wonderful in smoothies, salads & as a side. I freeze extra.)

18. Lentils (A great substitute for beef in sloppy joes.)

19. Lettuce (Romaine is often $0.99 each, iceberg is even cheaper.)

20. Mangoes (Bought by the case, these can be very affordable.)

21. Mushrooms (8-oz packs can be $0.99 on sale.)

22. Nuts (Generally super expensive, but the trial size packs are usually only $1.00)

23. Oatmeal (Unflavored, rolled oats are not only cheapest but healthiest.)

24. Onions (2 or 3-lb bags for $1.00 is common.)

25. Pasta (Aways under $1.00, year round. Good stuff like Barilla is usually only $0.88.)

26. Peaches ($0.79/lb during summer.)

27. Pita Bread (Whole Wheat can be found for only $0.99 a package.)

28. Potatoes (Both white & sweet varieties. 10-lb bags are cheapest.)

29. Pumpkin (Look for deals on canned and fresh in the Fall).

30. Rice (White is cheapest, but brown isn’t too much more if found on sale or bulk bought.

31. Seeds (I can find small packs of pumpkin and chia seeds for less than $1.00 on sale.)

32. Spinach (This tends to be cheapest when you buy the economy size bag. Extra can be frozen.

33. String Beans (I can find fresh for $0.99/lb during the summer and frozen all year.)

34. Tea (Much better than soda, especially Green variety.)

35. Tomatoes (Look for canned year round and fresh in the summer.)

36. Tofu (A cheap source of protein. Buy plain & marinate yourself to save extra.)

37. Tuna (I found solid white albacore on sale for $0.88 regularly. Chunk light is even cheaper.)

38. Turkey (I’ve seen it for 0.59/lb around Thanksgiving. I always buy extra.)

39.Yogurt (Plain, unsweetened can be found for $0.89/lb.)

40. Zucchini  (0.99/lb usually.)

While this is a large list, there are more items that I didn’t include simply because I don’t eat it (pork and radishes are  good examples). If there’s a food you enjoy not on the list, compare prices; the odds are good you can find it cheaply if you look around.

Cooking at home can save so much, but only if you know how to prepare that food. If you don’t know how to cook, attending a culinary class is definitely worth the investment. 

 

What’s your favorite cheap healthy food?