Are you eating the sames things over and over again? Does a night out on town mean standing in line at McDonalds? You can eat well on a small budget.

Produce

Buy local produce directly from farmers rather than grocery stores. The food will be picked fresh and packed full of vitamins. While it is better to buy organic to avoid harmful pesticides, that may not always be possible due to financial constraints or unavailability. If this is the case, choose foods that contain the least amount of pesticides and avoid the “Dirty Dozen”

Dirty Dozen

These foods contain the most pesticides. Avoid these non-organic foods and lower your pesticide intake by 90%

Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potato
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

Choose These

If you can’t afford to buy all organic, these foods contain the least amount of pesticides

Asparagus Kiwi
Avocado Mango
Banana Onion
Broccoli Papaya
Cauliflower
Kiwi
Mango
Onion
Papaya
Sweet corn
Sweet peas

Home Cooking

Forget about packaged foods and check out these websites for simple, fast, healthy recipes and tips.

Beyond Baked Beans - a website aimed at students that provides simple healthy recipes for first time cooks.

Cheap Healthy Good - for frugal foodies. If you like to experiment with new foods and ethnic flavours, this site is for you!

Just Bento - for lovers of Japanese food and cutely decorated eats.

Cheap Family Meals - a great site for family cooking with plenty of recipes and tips. Casseroles and Crockpots rule!

Recipe 101 - a site dedicated to the idea of taking the same basic ingredients to make 101 unique meals using a “starter recipe”

Cheap Cooking - offers recipes, articles and tips on eating healthy on the cheap. Also has a useful cost per serving calculator to help you figure out which cut of meat is cheaper.

Eating Well has an excellent article linking to over 100 budget-friendly meals that are both fast and affordable. You’ll want to bookmark this one!

WebMD has a useful article on 15 nutritious foods that cost about $2 per serving, complete with nutritional information

Package Your Own Foods

Learn how to make your own preserves. It’s fun, makes great gifts and will save you huge amounts of money during the winter months. Canning and other forms of preservation is not just for jellies. Make your own pesto, pasta sauces, pickles, pie fillings - anything that comes in a can or jar at the supermarket. Bonus - preservative and dye free.

Make your own frozen dinners - Sparkpeople (my favorite diet and exercise site!) gives some great instructions for creating your own frozen dinners - perfect for days when you don’t have time to make a full meal and you want to avoid take out.

No Cans - Have a pet? Make your own pet food, save money, provide greater nutrition and avoid harmful chemicals. Plus, it’s easy!

Dining Out

It’s nice to get out once and a while and enjoy some fine dining but restaurants can get expensive, especially if you want to eat well. Skip the fast food joints and dine in comfort and style by following a few simple rules

Drink Water - Save your money for the food and drink only water. Drinks can add up quickly.

Eat Ethnic - Small ethnic eateries have great food and, often, great prices.

Big Portions - Some restaurants serve enormous portions - far too much for one person to eat. Find a dining partner with similar tastes and share a big meal rather than purchasing two meals that neither of you can finish. We do this often, finding noodle houses and Greek restaurants offer plenty for two (or, sometimes, three!)

Go For Breakfast - I love going out for brunch. Catch the breakfast menu and save on dining out. It’s a great way to start a special day.

Go For Appies - Enjoy an evening out with an appetizer and a pitcher and then head home for dessert.

Go For Dessert - Enjoy dinner at home and then head out for a decadent dessert in a posh environment. You’ll still get that pampered feeling without the expense.

If you’re ordering Chinese takeout, make half, buy half. We like to make our own rice and steamed veggies to go with take out meat dishes. Don’t worry. You’ll still get the fortune cookies (am I the only one who buys Chinese take out for the cookies?)

I don’t bank on…

Buffets - Some people swear by these. If you’re a big eater, buffets can work. If you’re like me, it’s just not worth it. Also buffets tend to encourage overeating and wastefulness.

What are some of your favorite ways to save at the dinner table?

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