• image.alt
  • With Mayo Clinic nutritionists

    Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.

    read biography

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

  • Nutrition-wise blog

  • April 3, 2008

    Saving money at the market

    By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.

7 comments posted

One of our readers posted a comment that "eating healthy is expensive." Well, I have to agree, my grocery bill is proof. But there are also ways to make it more affordable. And the cost of not eating a healthy diet is considerable — managing chronic disease, hospitalization, medications, loss of quality of life. A healthy diet is a good investment in the long run.

Here are a few tips.

  • Plan ahead. Before you go shopping check newspapers and online for sales and coupons.
  • Save on gas. Plan your outings to get your errands done in one trip.

Let's take a trip around the grocery store and see where we can save.

  • Produce section:  Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Apples, oranges, and like fruits will stay fresh in the refrigerator for more than a week. Compare prices for prepackaged bags vs. by the piece; often the prepackaged bag is less expensive.

    Visit farmers markets and grow your own. If you buy or grow more than you can eat, freeze some or make soups and casseroles to freeze for a later meal.

  • Bakery: Compare prices of breads, rolls, and buns in the bakery vs. the bread aisle.
  • Meat and deli: Look for sales — meat freezes well. You can save by buying a greater quantity and freezing.
  • Dairy: The grocery store is not always the most inexpensive place to purchase milk. Some convenience or department stores have milk at a discount.
  • Frozen foods: Stock up on frozen fruit and veggies that are on sale. These are versatile side dishes and can be added to soups, casseroles, and stews.
  • Canned goods: These are generally high in salt, so be careful. The good thing about canned or jarred products is the long shelf life. Stock up on sales.
  • Finally, cereals: Again, look for sales and stock up on your high fiber favorites.

And let's not forget what other generations did to save money — don't let food go to waste. Be creative with leftovers. If you have unopened food that you will not use, share with a food pantry.

Do you have tips to save money at the market? Please share.

To your health,

Katherine

7 comments posted

blog index

  • June 3, 2009 6:26 a.m.

    I'm with Jen and I like the effort the staff make to make their input helpful. As someone with a very limited income, told to eat little or no red meat, I need hints on how to extend my table to include other proteins. I'd also like not to gain weight. I find the farmers to be selling produce at more than the prices I wait for in the grocery store. My daughter whose income is less than mine having been laid off has cut out vegetables and fruit lives mainly on carbs and dairy products. What options are there REALLY for poor people?

    - egrace

  • April 4, 2009 6:42 p.m.

    It took me a lifetime to figure out that you don't have to consume a whole can of soda, or eat a whole piece of bread in a sandwich, or eat a whole apple. Find out how much you enjoy, eat that, and save the rest for later. Even a bottle of beer can be recorked and saved! I've found half a good bottle of beer at dinner to be enough.

    - matt

  • September 1, 2008 12:32 p.m.

    Shop at local fruit and vegetable stands. They often sell locally grown fruits or veggies for much less than the grocery store that has to charge higher prices for all that advertising, high rent, extra employees etc.

    - Bruce

  • April 11, 2008 3:00 p.m.

    Jen, San, and Jenny, Thank you for sharing not only money saving tips but healthy ones with the rest of our readers. As for your comments on meat - a few weeks ago I found a sale on lean pork tenderloins at my local market (buy one, get one free) and was told by others that other lean pork cuts were on sale at their local markets. Made me wonder why this was happening in the Midwest and also, could it be happening in other regions too. Just recently, I've had the same experience with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Keep your eyes open for deals such as these - they may allow you not only save a little money but maybe prep time in the kitchen.

    - Katherine Zeratsky, RD

  • April 10, 2008 9:20 a.m.

    I've got one - Eat cuts of meat that are on sale and keep your portions to ~4 oz, that way you get a variety of meats (not always the fattiest/not always the leanest). I think the dietitians do a great job with this web site I use it all the time and refer my clients here as well!

    - Jenny

  • April 6, 2008 11:37 a.m.

    I totally agree with Jen! I have a tip. When hamburger is on sale, buy alot. Cook some up with onions and peppers and let cool. Freeze in 1 pound packages. You have the makings for all kinds of meals!!

    - San

  • April 4, 2008 9:54 p.m.

    "Look for sales"? "Compare prices"? These are tips? How about some real info. Like what are the cheapest cuts of meat that will not be the fattiest? Or... boneless chicken breasts can be very expensive, but they are the healthiest, often split breasts can be found for 99 cents a pound. Learn to bone them yourself. Sure you're paying for the bone, but you can use it to make soup and skim the fat off after cooling. Where are tips like that!?

    - Jen

Post a comment

Text Size: smaller largerlarger