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Healthy Eating on a Budget

By: Josefina Girón, RDN, LDN


I don’t know about you, but I love to save money wherever I can. The following tips will help you eat healthy meals and stay within your budget.


Tip #1: Plan Your Meals

With meal planning, you first want to look at your home inventory. What is in your fridge, freezer, and pantry? Shopping at home first will save you money. Check expiration dates and plan your meals around what you already have and what is soon to expire. Use it before you lose it!!!!


Involve your family in your meal planning. Use recipes and ingredients that the family loves. Plan out what days you have time to cook, which days you might need a quick meal, and you might plan to double recipes to freeze for later or double a protein or side for easy lunches. Don’t forget to plan for healthy snacks and breakfast items.




And finally, when you plan your meals, you can assess how balanced your plate is. Use MyPlate as a guide: ½ plate with produce (fruit and vegetable), ¼ plate with protein, ¼ plate with grains, and adjust where needed. 😊



Tip #2: Make a Grocery List

Shopping with a grocery list helps you stay focused and shop for only those needed items. Stick to the list! And please don’t go to the grocery store hungry, you’ll end up with a full cart of things you didn’t intend to get. It happens to all of us!!!



Tip #3: Look for Sales and Promotions

Before finalizing your meal plan look at the sales paper and incorporate items that are being promoted. Can you stock up on some pantry staples if they are on sale. Do you have any coupons you can use?




In the produce, section find out what’s in season! When products are in season, they are abundant, which means they are lower in price per pound. Also, don't forget about frozen, and canned. These items are just as nutritious as fresh. They provide an inexpensive way to fill your plate with produce.


Use the grocery store bonus program, like Giant’s FlexRewards Program which gives you 1 bonus point for every dollar spent and 2x for Guiding Stars rated products. You can use these points for grocery savings, gas savings, and special rewards! https://giantfood.com/rewards



Another way to save is by filling your cart with store-brand products. Store brands offer all the quality of the national brands at lower prices!




I hope these tips have been helpful!


To learn more about this topic feel free to join our meal planning to fit your budget class. We also offer monthly virtual cook-alongs where you can cook with us or simply watch and be inspired with easy, delicious, and nutritious meals.



Feel free to contact me at josefina.giron@giantfood.com


For more information on all of these tips, visit www.giantfood.com/nutrition and sign up for a FREE class. Stay well!


 

Free Services Include:


 

About Josefina Girón :


Josefina Girón is a Registered Dietitian (RD), Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN), and holds a certificate in child and adolescent weight management. Texas born and Florida raised, she received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Florida International University. Josefina makes nutrition accessible for our Spanish-speaking customers through classes, consults, and store tours. She is passionate about helping others live their best healthy life by meeting them where they are and empowering them to make healthy eating a fun part of their lives! She is driven to live new experiences and is ready to try different foods, travel, run a race, or go on a hike.



 


Suited for Change has partnered with Giant Food to provide our clients and other community members with a guided set of tools to lead a healthy lifestyle.


Here at Suited for Change, we emphasize the importance of having a well-rounded lifestyle: from the proper attire and job coaching all the way to health and wellness.


 

Stay connected with Suited for Change by following us on social media @suitedforchange, and signing up for our Monthly Newsletter for additional updates.
















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