7 TIPS FOR HEALTHY GROCERY SHOPPING WHILE ON A COLLEGE BUDGET
Health Nut Photo: Denae Duren
Health Nut Writer: Denae Duren
I’m pretty sure I can count on one hand how many times I’ve gone grocery shopping over the summer purely because grocery shopping STRESSES ME OUT, HARD. Just the thought of preparing a list, going to the store, carrying my bags into the house, making room in the refrigerator to put things away… it’s just too much, especially after a full day of classes and work. However, over the years I’ve come up with a few tricks that help me tackle my grocery endeavors and I’m excited to share them with y’all!
1. Budget for the month, week, day, etc.
a. Decide whether you’ll go grocery shopping on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis. I prefer to plan on a weekly basis.
b. It is easiest to begin thinking about how much money you’d like to spend each month on groceries/food in general, then break it down to biweekly, weekly, or daily. The USDA publishes a monthly reports for the average U.S. cost of food at home at four levels: thrifty plan, low-cost plan, moderate-cost plan, and liberal plan. The information is categorized by weekly and monthly cost, gender, and age group. For me, this is a helpful tool when deciding how much to spend on groceries each month based on my income. If my income is lower than other months, I choose to stick to the thrifty plan rather than one of the other levels.
2. Shop weekly advertisements for different grocery stores
a. Knowing where the sales are before you start making a list will help you decide what you’ll be eating in the coming weeks.
3. Be on the lookout for individualized discount and rewards programs
a. Stores such as Albertson’s and Lucky’s have apps you can register for to receive personalized discounts and/or rewards for shopping in-store (sign-up for Albertson’s here, and Lucky’s here). Missoula Fresh Market has a nifty gas rewards program that rewards 10 cents, sometimes $1 off PER GALLON of gas for the money that you spend in-store on groceries. You can either sign up here, or in store. Natural Grocers offers an email rewards program for spending money at their store that you can sign up for online, and the Good Food store offers a rotating coupon that you can receive via email each month!
4. Know what you like to eat
a. I know, this seems like common sense, but if you know what your “go to” foods are from each food category, you’ll be able to prepare snacks and meals with minimal items that also taste great. Here is the way I lay out my grocery list:
Fruit: bananas, blueberries, apples
Veggies: zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots
Grains: brown rice, pasta/couscous, lentils
Protein: chickpeas, tempeh, peanut butter
Sauces: pasta sauces, Tasty Bites, hummus
Dairy: cheese, soy milk, Greek yogurt
After you’ve nailed down all your favorites, it’s easy to add in “filler” items that you’d need to make a specific meal. Just from my items above, I could prepare pasta with chickpeas, a brown rice bowl with veggies and tempeh, a sheet-pan meal of tempeh with veggies, Greek yogurt with fruit and peanut butter, you get the idea. It can be helpful to generate a loose meal plan by deciding which night of the week you’ll have each of your meals so that you don’t skip out on using all the food you’ve purchased.
5. Prepare your list and purchase ONLY what is on the list – seriously. No matter how much you want to “treat yo self,” you do not need those Oreos and Chips Ahoy that are on suuuuuuuuch a good sale… I promise.
6. Don’t be afraid to purchase off-brand items
a. Especially organic off-brand items. I’ve found that they have the exact same ingredients, sometimes even less ingredients than name-brands, and are much cheaper!
7. Shop the Good Food Store bulk section
a. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the majority of our food dollars - 81 cents per dollar - goes to processing, packaging, advertising and transport. Ridiculous, I know. Shopping in bulk food sections (Albertson’s, Rosauers, and Fresh Market also have them) can save you a ton of money. Purchasing only as much as you need is also a perk.
Additional suggestions:
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry
- Shop at the Farmer’s Market – produce is often cheaper… and local (Missoula Farmer’s Market, Clark Fork River Market, Missoula Saturday Market)!
- Shop with your friends, roommates, partner, etc., - everything is cheaper at Costco
There are many strategies for shopping healthy while on a budget and these are only a few. Spend some time figuring out what works best for you, your wallet, and your tummy. Another great way to take care of yourself is to attend a self-care fair!
Credit: University Center Student Involvement Network
The University Center Student Involvement Network is hosting a Self-Care Fair on the oval this Thursday the 12th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.! There will be tables from different student groups offering swag, essential oils, DIY facial scrubs, self-care tips you can put to use for the rest of the semester, time and stress management education from Curry Health Center Wellness, our famous stress-busting kits, sleep tips, and so much more!
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