One of the biggest budget breakers in eating healthy is buying fresh fruits and vegetables. Sure, it isn’t much of an issue when you have one or two servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but when you are eating healthy, and aiming to eat fruits and veggies at every meal, that is another story.
To make matters worse, you can no longer have the convenience of buying things in cans. After all, there are a lot of hidden things in there that might be good for your budget but terrible for your health.
If you are a budget person, like me, you know that the produce section is where things can get a bit expensive and now you are looking at an increased fruit and vegetable budget with more healthy items.
The Fruit and Veggie Trick to Eating Healthy
Luckily there is a trick to this, and the trick is so simple! Instead of buying most of your fruits and veggies in the produce aisle, get what you can from the frozen foods section.
There are three big benefits here….
Obviously the cost is the biggest benefit.
Shopping in the freezer section is generally no more expensive than the produce section, and in many cases it is actually cheaper. Best of all, the work is done for you.
I recently had a recipe that called for a bunch of peaches. Not only was it more expensive for me to buy the peaches in produce, but the frozen peaches were already cut for me – that, my friends, is a major score for an anti-cook like me.
The second biggest benefit is that frozen fruits and veggies last longer than fresh ones.
Yes, some can argue about the taste, but I personally don’t notice it. And even though there are times when I love escaping to the grocery store, I generally hate shopping for groceries and I would rather order pizza every night than make that dreaded half hour trip, (which is really more of an hour trip after I haul everything in and find a home for it in the kitchen). However, pizza is not usually on the healthy diet menu! Drat
Thankfully, when I buy most of my fruits and veggies from the freezer aisle, I don’t have to worry about them going bad as quickly. I try to buy enough for a week or two and then stay as far away from the store as humanly possible. Yes, I do have to grab lettuce and other fresh items, but that is quick and easy!
A third great benefit is for those that enjoy juicing.
As a juicer, I can go through a ton of berries and it is so much easier and costs less to use frozen. I have no waste and then my juice comes out crisp and cold. YUMM
Let me know if this tip helps you with your health goals and even your budget. How do you incorporate frozen fruits and veggies into your meal plans?
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.