How to maintain a healthy diet on a budget

If the economic downturn has you watching your wallet instead of your waistline, you're not alone.

Many Canadians are being more money conscious, especially at the grocery store where food prices have been steadily increasing over the past few years.

A report released recently by Bensimon Byrne found that more than half of Canadians surveyed reported high costs as the most significant obstacle to healthy eating.

The good news is you don't have to forgo healthy food in order to slim down your weekly grocery bill. Here's a rundown of the most effective ways to make your money go further at the checkout, while still enjoying a healthy diet.

Best budget-friendly choices

Protein

Of all the food groups, this is the most expensive, especially if you rely on animal sources of protein such as beef, chicken and fish.

However, one of the easiest ways to cut back in this food group is also the healthiest. Make the switch to plant-based protein, such as beans and lentils, a few times a week.

Not only are they among the most affordable sources of protein around, they are packed with fibre, folate, magnesium and potassium. Opt for dried beans and lentils instead of canned and you'll save even more.

And don't forget the humble egg. At less than 25 cents each, eggs are a convenient and affordable source of high-quality protein.

You can swap canned salmon for fresh salmon you'll save more than $2 per 100 grams and get the same heart health benefits, with added calcium from the edible bone residue in the canned product.

Lentils can be used instead of red meat. You'll save more than $3 for every 100 grams, forfeit the saturated fat and get a hefty dose of fibre.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of any healthy diet, and luckily you don't have to spend a fortune to reap their benefits.

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, fibre and disease-fighting antioxidants so this is one food group where you can purchase products solely on price and you're guaranteed to make a healthy choice.

One of the easiest ways to cut back on your expenses for fruit and vegetables is to shop with the seasons and buy locally. Not only will you be saving money, you'll be supporting the local economy and reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.

Another way to save big is to avoid pre-washed, pre-sliced or partly prepared fruits and vegetables. If you're willing to put in the time to wash and peel your own produce, there are big savings to be had.

You can swap in locally grown Royal Gala apples for imported New Zealand apples. You'll get the same amount of apples, fibre and vitamin C for half the price.

A bag of spinach can replace a tub of pre-washed baby spinach leaves, You'll get twice as much for the same price.

Milk and alternatives

Dairy products are excellent sources of calcium, which plays a starring role in bone health. But when it comes to stocking up on the mineral, some foods are certainly more affordable than others.

Milk and yogurt come out on top as the most affordable sources of calcium. For example, a 250-millilitre serving of milk has more than 300 milligrams of calcium almost a third of the daily requirement for most adults for less than 35 cents.

Another way to save is to buy generic, especially when it comes to yogurt. Premium brands may have added flax seeds, probiotics or omega-3 fatty acids, but when it comes to stocking up on calcium, they offer the same amount as less expensive brands.

Buy big get a four-litre bag of milk instead of a one-litre carton. You'll save more than $1.20 per litre at many Canadian grocery stores and get the same amount of calcium.

You can also buy a 750-gram carton of yogurt, rather than a single 175-gram carton. You'll save about 30 cents per 100-gram serving with the larger size.

Grains and cereals

This is one food group in which a lower price often means a nutritionally inferior product, so tread carefully.

Strangely, whole grains that are less processed than their refined counterpart actually cost more. From a nutritional standpoint, the health benefits of whole grain products outweigh the extra cost, so keep an eye out for sales to stock up when the price is right.

If you're shopping on a budget, oats deserve a place on your grocery bill. At less than $3 per kilogram, oats deliver a powerful punch when it comes to nutrition, thanks to their soluble fibre and vitamin B content.

Use them to make your own hot cereal, or add them to meatloaf, muffins and quick breads for a boost of fibre.

You can swap whole oats for individually packaged, flavoured instant oatmeal, You'll get twice as much for the same price, and skip out on added sugar and artificial flavouring that's added to the instant package.

Fats and oils

Olive oil is often promoted as the healthiest oil around, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Canola oil may not be as popular, but from a health standpoint it deserves just as much praise.

Of all the cooking oils, canola oil has the most unsaturated fat and least saturated fat making it an all-round healthy choice that won't break the bank.

Canola oil can be used instead of olive oil, You'll save more than $6 per 500-ml bottle, and get many of the same heart-healthy benefits, thanks to canola oil's high unsaturated-fat content.

Swap non-hydrogenated margarine for butter and you'll save over $1.50 per 454-gram container at many stores, and avoid artery-clogging saturated fat.

Budget-friendly shopping strategies

Stick to the perimeter

The less-processed whole foods tend to be along the outside walls of most grocery stores. Fill your cart with foods from the perimeter of the store before tucking into the inside aisles and being tempted by processed and convenience items.

Buy in bulk

There are significant savings to be had when buying in bulk, especially when it comes to spices, flour, sugar, rice and coffee. For perishable items, such as meat or bread, use the freezer to maximize cost savings.

Make a list

Being organized will save you money. Plan your meals for the week, make a list and stick to it. It's a foolproof way to avoid unnecessary items.

Eat up

Shopping on an empty stomach is a guaranteed way to boost your grocery bill, and your waistline. Have a snack or light meal before you hit the aisles and you'll be less likely to make impulse buys.

Take extra time

Forget expensive convenience foods and reserve an hour or two on the weekend to do some simple food preparation, such as washing and chopping vegetables, for the week ahead.

Look high and low

Premium brands tend to be at eye level on store shelves, whereas less expensive generic brands tend to be on the top or bottom shelf. Look around for the best deals.

EATING HEALTHY COMMENTS FROM CBCnews.ca READERS:

Read more comments on this subject.

Vicky NL

COOK from scratch-cheaper and healthier. Even if madly busy, you can still save lots with a well-organized half-day of baking and soup and sauce making. It's fun to spend a day shopping or foraging, cooking and eating with your family.

When cooking pasta, rice or potatoes. cook lots to have some left over the next day. (Potatoes with a can of salmon=fish cakes, leftover rice fried up with onion and other vegs and eggs=yummy breakfast, pasta with fresh or leftover veggies and vinaigrette=side salad.)

DON'T THROW FOOD AWAY! It is sad and amazing how much food the average household pitches into the garbage.

Don't overload children's plates they will ask for more if they want it. Save leftovers for soup, roll 'em up in crepes, wraps or tortillas, add to stews, stir frys or noodle bowls, but don't throw your hard-earned $$ in the garbage. Keep leftovers front and centre in your fridge, in clear containers to remind you use them asap.

SMART Shopping: Don't get sucked in by sales on things you don't need, but if something you do buy regularly goes on sale, buy as much as you can afford. Buy bulk or large packages of dry staples.

Check out the no-name brands/ store brands. If it's individually wrapped, pre-cooked, pre-sliced or diced or "heat and serve" it is probably way over-priced, not to mention over-packaged, over-salted or loaded with sugar.

Give your kids fruit, veggies with dip or ww crackers with cheese as snacks when they are very little, they will be healthier and happier. Serve sugary treats only on special occasions, and that keeps them special and appreciated.

FREE food. Berries, trout, wild greens and mushrooms are the kind of food that rich people feast on, but you can have them too. A freezer is a really great help, essential if you live in a rural area where free food is abundant and grocery stores are distant. Gardening is not totally free, but it is fun and you would be amazed how much food you can grow even in a small container garden.

Blake Mathews Edmonton

Learn to prepare simple, tasty meals, to grocery shop, and yes, a deep freeze will pay for itself several times over assuming your organized enough to keep it filled. All these things, and above all, strive to avoid wasting anything!

Forecast your food budget according to your needs... I think a good many bachelors out there will attest to spoiled produce in their fridge drawers. Waste of food, waste of money!

whiskeycreekwilly BC

1. Grow as much of your own food as possible. It is cheap & you will know whether is is contaminated by pesticides or not. 2. Eat less meat 3. Glean as much wild or unused free food as possible. Many people have fruit trees but don't pick the fruit; make a deal with them that you will pick & share it with them 4. Buy local & not from any agri-business; they are almost always the source of contaminated food. 5. Organic foods have come way down in price relative to non-organic; buy organic as much as possible

Andrew Montreal

I have to agree with what a few people have said. It's not expensive to eat healthy food, in terms of money. Fruit and veg are very cheap, whether it's local, organic, frozen, or imported. Meat is more expensive, but you don't need that much of it really. The trick of course is, that while it's not hard on your pocketbook, it is quite expensive in terms of time, compared to the other options at least.

Heather Desveaux

Two big things: a good deep freezer and a water cooler. We invest in large quantities of fresh local produce each September and freeze a lot. I also stock up on fish, chicken, and whole chicken when its on sale to freeze; and try to make less trips to a big grocery chain as I can. But the best advice I can give is to drink more water. We eat too much. The water both hydrates you and makes you feel more full, so you eat less.

sophie Quebec

Keep your bones! I don't really eat meat, but I buy chicken just to make stock. Throw all the bones in water Simmer DONT BOIL for a few hours Take the bones out. You have stock! You can either add chunks: chicken tomatoes, beans, noodles, veggies, etc. You can also cook veggies in it, and then food process it for a thicker soup. Try carrots with coriander and coconut milk. I think the best way is to only buy unprocessed food and never to throw anything away and never letting anything go bad. You willbecome more creative and able to use all your food to all of its potential. Share recipes with your friends. Pay special attention to those who still make ancestral recipes. Those cooking styles predate industrialized societies and are healthier and cheaper as a result. Look into indian food!

je bc

I live on 1,000$ per month. I eat well but have to work at it. In my freezer (tiny) I keep two containers, one for all the end pieces of veggies or those I won't be able to use before they spoil, and any bones from chicken or turkey. In the other one I keep diced pieces of "good" leftover veggies and cubed pieces of that "last piece of chicken, carrot, celery etc" When there is enough of them I brew a broth from the contents of the first container and when that is strained I add the contents of the second container, top it off with herbs and voila a huge pot of delicious healthy soup made of things normally discarded.

I dehydrate, apples bananas,and pears in season,(sprinkle with fruit fresh (vit C) for healthy snacks, vegetables for soup and stew. Popcorn is a vegetable and a great snack.

I stay away from fast, or prepackaged foods.

Vegetable stems and hearts, peeled and sliced are good in stir fries and soup or stew. Once you get the hang of it you won't even want to eat out $$$$ If you have a family get them involved. A great time to give cooking lessons.

Madeleine van der Berg Montreal

The best way to eat healthy and cheap is to consume whatever is in season or whatever is on special at the supermarket, especially when it comes to fruits and veggies

Joe Halifax

One funny by-product of our suburban lifestyles is a little bit of generally open/grassed land that is almost always used very little.

I only planted 4 tomato plants and 6 romaine lettuce this year and I can't even eat what keeps coming up.

While this doesn't mean you can feed an entire family on what can be produced in a converted lawn I'd love to see us try.

Victory gardens can be a reality with very little work.

Kate Calgary

I spend an afternoon every six weeks or so prepping slow-cooker dinners and stirfry mixes that can be stored in plastic bags in the freezer. That way, we're not tempted to eat out when we're too tired to do a lot of cooking. And I always buy my meats in bulk they get stored in the freezer anyway, and you do save a bunch.

My major problem is with fresh produce. There are only two of us, and greens in particular come in huge quantities. I hate to waste food, but I can't eat enough spinach salads to use it all up before it starts to go. One solution: I now make most of my salads without. The greens are only filler anyway.

Amanda

If you stick to the outside perimeter of the grocery store you can keep your costs extrememtly reasonable and keep the crap, including insane amounts of packaging, out of your fridge.

It's actually cheaper to eat healthy if you stick with veggies, meat, dairy and whole grains that is if you only buy what you need and don't waste by throwing out veggies that have gone off. Buy what you need and when you need it if you are close to a grocery store. If not, make a weekly list of what you need and only buy that. Dunkaroos, granola bars, cans of pop, premade sauces = high sodium, processed crap for the most part with little nutrition.

Give yourself 2 weeks of eating properly for your taste buds/body to adjust to the new, lower fat, lower sodium flavours and then you won't be missing the crap as much.