9 Easy Hacks for Clean Eating on a Budget

Do you find clean eating on a budget to be a challenge? It’s no secret that buying junk food is cheaper than buying healthy foods at the supermarket.

Eating healthy and clean doesn’t have to put a big dent in your wallet. Here are some easy tips and tricks on how to eat healthy on a budget, so you can save your hard-earned money on more fun things than just groceries!

{This post contains affiliate links}

How do I Start to Eat Clean?

The first step to eating clean is knowing what foods are considered “clean”. In a nutshell, clean eating is about eating whole foods that are natural and minimally processed.

So what exactly can you eat when eating clean? Check out my clean eating grocery list for what to buy on your next shopping trip!

Clean Eating on a Budget: 9 Easy Ways to Save on Your Groceries

1. Buy Frozen

Buying fruits and vegetables frozen is an easy and healthy way to eat clean on a budget.

Not only is frozen produce picked at the peak of their nutrient density when they are ripe, many frozen foods come pre-mixed and ready-to-cook, sparing you of the time-consuming tasks of chopping and slicing multiple ingredients before cooking.

Some of my favorite money and time saving frozen produce are carrots and peas, tri-colored bell peppers and strawberries.

2. Buy Store Brand Products

Whole Foods Market has a reputation for costing you “whole paychecks” on your groceries. However, if you shop their 365 Everyday Value store brand products, you save more money than buying name brand products!

Buying store brand frozen products helps to further reduce your grocery cost!

I make many trips to Whole Foods just to stock up on their organic store brand frozen produce for my green smoothies.

3. Buy In-Season Fruits and Vegetables

Follow the course of mother nature for healthy and natural eating. During harvest season, fruits and vegetables are in their peak nutrition and taste/freshness.

Not sure what produces are in-season? Check out this handy seasonal produce guide if you live in the US.

4. Not Everything Needs to be Organic

Produces such as apples, strawberries, grapes and tomatoes found on the “dirty dozen list” can have high levels of pesticide, so investing in organic versions will reduce your exposure to these harmful chemicals.

Some foods are ok to buy conventionally grown as they have minimal exposure to toxic crop chemicals. Think foods like onions, avocados, and pineapples, which are included on the “clean fifteen list”.

5. Meal Plan

Planning your meals in advance helps to reduce food waste and saves you money over time.

When you list out all the ingredients and their quantities on hand, you can arrange your meals accordingly and try to use up as much of the fresh ingredients as possible.

For example, a bag of spinach can be used for a breakfast smoothie and then a lunch salad or as a dinner side dish.

Meal planning also saves time and reduces stress so you won’t be scrambling for ingredients and cooking at the last minute. You’ll be able to fully enjoy your meals during the busy weekdays.

6. Buy in Bulk

Buying groceries in bulk not only saves you money over time, it’s also great for meal planning!

Buying, preparing and cooking your favorite dishes in big batches saves you precious time and provides you with easy freezer meals for later.

Unused perishables such as meats and fish can be stored in freezers for cooking later. Non-perishable grains such as rice, pasta, and dried beans are perfect for purchasing in bulk as they can be stored for a long period of time.

7. Shop at Low-Cost Grocery Stores

Even in an expensive city like New York City, you can still find discount grocery chain stores such as Trader Joe’s that sell healthy, organic foods on the cheap.

Whole Foods recently opened their new chain of low-cost supermarkets called Whole Foods Market 365 and their prices are comparable to Trader Joe’s.

Aldi is another popular low-cost grocery chain located across many of the eastern states and in southern California. A customer can expect to save about 50% off of traditional supermarkets, and up to 30% more compared to Walmart.

If you live in one of the western states in the US, your best bet for cheap groceries is Winco Foods.

The abundance of these low-cost supermarkets makes clean eating on a budget much easier to achieve!

How Else Can You Live Healthy on a Tight Budget?

Here are some of my other favorite ways to save money on groceries:

1. Shop at Thrive Market

Thrive Market is an online retailer is where I buy much of my non-perishable food. It’s like Costco (think wholesale prices) meets Amazon (online store – shop in the comfort of your home) meets Whole Foods (healthy, non-toxic foods and products). Not only do they provide you quality, budget-friendly prices on a wide range of healthy, organic products, but they’re also always giving you full-size free product gifts and coupon codes to use on your order. Check out my Thrive Market Review here and get $20 in shopping credit.

2. Buy Online (and use rewards!)

Another one of my money-saving favorites is Amazon Subscribe & Save where you can save 5-15% on the things you need on a regular basis. If I’m not shopping at Thrive, I’m usually over on Amazon stocking up on healthy favorites like cacao powder, chia seeds, and goji berries.

Not only will buying online from Thrive and Amazon save you money, but you can also use coupon codes and cashback sites to boost your savings. Some of my favorites include Retailmenot.com, Rakuten.com, EVReward.com.

Eating clean and healthy doesn’t have to break your bank. Planning ahead and following the strategies outlined in this post should help make clean eating easier and more affordable.

How do I Eat Clean to Lose Weight?

Clean eating is a healthy and natural way to lose weight. Weight loss is 90% diet and 10% exercise based on my personal experience, and having a list of healthy, clean food is an essential step to achieving that leaner and fitter body.

If you are looking to eat clean for weight loss, and are ready to stop yo-yo dieting and lose weight for the last time, you’ll want to check out my personalized coaching program.

You’ll learn how I lost my first 10 pounds in a month without working out or starving myself, using fat-burning spices and healthy greens that have been used for thousands of years in traditional Asian medicine to maintain a healthy body and weight!

You can click here to apply for my Weight Loss for Working Moms Program.

Sharing is caring! Do you find clean eating on a budget to be a challenge? What other ways have you tried to save money and still eat healthily? Comment below!