Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune at the grocery store. With a little planning, smart shopping and a few simple strategies, families can stretch their food budgets while still putting nutritious meals on the table.

Odessa Keenan, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program manager in the Texas A&M Department of Nutrition, has spent years helping Texans develop healthier eating habits through AgriLife Extension’s Dinner Tonight program. She says one of the best places to start is before you ever walk into the grocery store.

Make a Realistic Meal Plan

Meal planning can help reduce both grocery costs and food waste, but Keenan says the key is making a plan that actually fits your life.
Before shopping, look at the week ahead and consider which nights you’ll have time to cook and which days may require something quick and easy. Choose meals your family enjoys and portions they are likely to finish.

For busy evenings, simple sheet-pan dinners, one-pot meals and skillet recipes can make cooking easier. Slow cookers, air fryers and pressure cookers can also reduce the amount of hands-on cooking time required. More complicated recipes can be saved for weekends or days when there is more time to spend in the kitchen.

Shop for Produce That’s in Season

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often less expensive than produce that is out of season. Building meals around what is currently plentiful can help lower grocery costs while adding variety to the menu. Keenan also recommends checking grocery store sales and weekly specials before planning meals. Stores sometimes discount produce and other foods when they have more inventory than they expect to sell. Combining seasonal foods with weekly specials can help shoppers get more for their grocery dollars.

Don’t Overlook Canned and Frozen Foods

Fresh isn’t the only way to get fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Frozen and canned produce can be nutritious, convenient and budget-friendly, while also lasting much longer than many fresh foods. Keeping several options in the freezer or pantry can also provide the ingredients for a quick meal when dinner plans fall apart. When buying canned vegetables, look for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties when possible. Regular canned vegetables can also be drained and rinsed under cool running water before cooking to help reduce sodium. Keenan also recommends washing the top and rim of cans before opening them to remove dust and other contaminants.

Save on Meat by Buying in Bulk

Meat and other animal-based proteins can account for a significant portion of a grocery bill, making sales and bulk purchases particularly valuable. Larger packages of meat often have a lower price per pound. Instead of cooking the entire package at once, divide it into meal-sized portions as soon as you get home. Keep what you plan to use soon in the refrigerator and properly package and freeze the rest for future meals. Having pre-portioned meat in the freezer can also make meal planning easier later.

Eat Before You Grocery Shop

There’s another simple grocery-shopping strategy that requires almost no effort: Don’t shop hungry. Walking through aisles of snacks, desserts and convenience foods on an empty stomach can make impulse purchases much more tempting. Eating a meal or healthy snack before heading to the store can make it easier to stick to your shopping list and budget.

Keep Backup Meals on Hand

Even the best meal plan occasionally gets derailed. Keeping ingredients for two or three easy pantry or freezer meals can help prevent an unexpected busy evening from turning into an expensive takeout order. Canned vegetables, beans, frozen produce, pasta, rice and other shelf-stable staples can provide the foundation for inexpensive meals that can be prepared quickly.

Find Help and Healthy Recipe Ideas

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offices offer additional resources for families interested in nutrition, meal planning and cooking. Local family and community health agents may also offer cooking classes and other educational programs.

AgriLife Extension’s Dinner Tonight program provides hundreds of recipes along with cooking tips and information designed to help families prepare nutritious meals at home.

Healthy eating doesn’t require buying the most expensive ingredients or preparing elaborate meals every night. Planning around your schedule, watching grocery specials, reducing food waste and keeping affordable staples on hand can make nutritious eating more manageable — for both your family and your budget.