11 helpful tips to help your food budget stretch to meet rising costs!
It’s no secret that the price of food and other goods has been increasing lately and families are feeling the pinch to their grocery budgets. Here are 11 tips that I have used over the years to keep my food budget under control when necessary.
Choose Chicken Thighs over Breasts!
Chicken is already one of the lower cost sources of animal protein, with many people also choosing boneless skinless chicken breast for health reasons. According to statista.com, chicken breast is the most popular cut of chicken purchased in the United States making up 58.8% of chicken sales in 2021. Their popularity also makes them one of the most expensive cuts of chicken you can buy. In comparison, chicken thighs make up only 13.9% of sales and can cost about 25% less than boneless skinless breasts. It may surprise you that the nutritional differences between chicken breasts and thighs are smaller than most people think. Looking at the table below, a 4 oz. serving of boneless skinless chicken breast (raw weight) contains only 23.5 fewer milligrams (thousandths of a gram) of cholesterol than boneless skinless chicken thighs. That same portion of boneless skinless chicken breast contains only .61 fewer grams of saturated fat, than boneless skinless thighs . These tiny nutritional differences, taken in and of themselves, would have little impact on your heart health given that there is no longer a recommended limit to dietary cholesterol intake and saturated fat can comprise up to 10% of your daily calories. Not only is there little nutritional benefit to choosing breast over thighs, choosing lower cost thighs can sometimes improve your recipes. Dark meat chicken is richer in flavor and remains juicy even with prolonged cooking. This makes it perfect for easy slow cooker meals. Try my recipe for Easy Barbecue Pulled Chicken Thighs and you won’t miss dry, expensive chicken breasts one bit!
4 oz portion (Raw Weight) | Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast | Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs |
Calories | 136 | 137 |
Protein | 25.4 grams | 22.3 grams |
Total Fat | 2.96 grams | 4.66 grams |
Saturated Fat | .63 grams | 1.24 grams |
Cholesterol | 82.5 mg | 106 mg |
Eat more Legumes!
Lentils and beans are a great low cost source of protein and fiber. They are great as a meat substitute or to stretch the meat in chilis, pasta sauces, soups and stews so that less meat goes further. Many people don’t like beans because they can cause excessive gas when improperly prepared. Any food containing fiber or starch can cause gas. Legumes are notorious because they are high in galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) that don’t break down in the small intestines and are then fermented by the healthy bacteria in our large intestines. This can cause pain and bloating in some individuals, especially those suffering from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). But not all legumes contain these fermentable substances in equal amounts. You may have to try different legumes to see which ones you can tolerate best. Also, it is best to buy dried beans, soak them in plenty of cool water for at least 8 hours, then rinse and cook in fresh water to leach some of the gas causing GOS from the beans. Buying dried beans is also a lot cheaper than canned beans. For example, a large can of black beans containing 7 servings can cost $2.39, as opposed to a 1 lb bag of dried black beans containing 12 serving which cost $1.69. You get almost twice as many servings of beans for 70¢ less when you buy dried as opposed to canned beans! Pick up a bag of dried lentils on your next shopping trip and try my Crispy Lentil Patties with Cucumber Dill Salad and you won’t miss the expensive meat one bit!
Reduce or Eliminate Processed Food!
The math is simple. A large (13 oz) bag of potato chips can cost $5. On the other hand, 5 lbs (80 oz) of whole potatoes cost between $3-$5. It’s clear that you get a lot more for your money if you buy unprocessed ingredients rather than ready made meals and snacks. In addition to the high cost, there is a lack of versatility. How many meals can you make with a bag of potato chips as opposed to a 5 lb bag of potatoes? Then there’s the satiety factor. Manufacturers of highly processed foods usually recommend small serving sizes to compensate for their products high caloric density. Although these foods contain high calories, their compact serving sizes can’t physically fill your stomach. Therefore these foods can be less satiating causing you to eat more of them. Consequently, you end up spending more money buying greater and greater amounts of expensive, unsatisfying processed foods. Think how many times you’ve eaten a bag of potato chips, only to feel unsatisfied as you’re scrapping the bottom of the bag for crumbs? According to a study by Suzanne Holt, et al. titled “The Satiety Index of Common Foods”(1995), plain boiled potatoes provoked the highest feelings of satiety of all the foods they tested. This means it would take less plain boiled potato to satisfy your hunger vs. expensive potato chips. This is not to say that occasionally consuming highly processed foods will completely destroy your budget. There is room in every budget for an occasional expensive treat or convenience food. However, just like buying expensive coffee drinks can add up to a huge expense over time, so to can regularly loading your grocery cart with expensive processed and convenience foods. So instead of potato chips, try my simple and satisfying Everyday Mashed Potatoes or Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole. You will save money that you can use to buy even more nutritious and satisfying whole foods!
Eliminate Food Waste!
Food waste is a problem across the food industry, but it doesn’t need to be a problem in your kitchen. Food is wasted when it is improperly stored causing it to spoil faster than it should, or when lack of knowledge about how long food stays edible causes good food to be trashed before its time. The first step for extending the life of your groceries starts in the grocery store itself. Always shop for your shelf stable items first, then fresh produce before putting meats, dairy, eggs and frozen goods in your cart. Once you have refrigerated goods in your cart, move quickly to checkout of the store and stow your perishables in insulated bags (with ice packs) if you are more than 15 minutes from home, especially in warm weather. Every time a perishable item is removed from refrigeration it’s shelf life, even after being returned to the refrigerator, is shortened. So keep cold things cold if you want to maintain safety and freshness for as long as possible. Another sure fire way to ensure your leftovers stay safe and edible longer is to freeze them. Freezing allows you to preserve raw and cooked foods beyond the normal limits of their perishability. Freezing is especially helpful in preventing the spoilage and waste of expensive cooked meats and sauces which start to become unsafe after 3 days in the refrigerator. The most expensive food you buy is the food you throw away. Knowledge about how long all foods stay safely edible under all storage conditions will help you keep your food budget under control by ensuring you actually get to eat all of the food that you buy. A great resource is the website stilltasty.com which provides a great searchable database for all sorts of foods and how long you can store them. All that said, the old adage “when in doubt throw it out” still holds true, because hospital bills from getting sick, or worse, from eating spoiled food, are a lot more expensive than wasting a few dollars tossing suspect leftovers.
Drink water!
And by water—I mean tap water. It’s practically free and much healthier than soda, juice or sports drinks. Hate the taste of tap water? Invest in a pitcher style, in-faucet or under the sink water filter to reduce off tasting minerals and chemicals. Another option is to add a spritz of lemon or lime juice, slices of cucumber or your favorite fruit to your water. However you drink it, it will save your wallet, your blood sugar levels and your teeth.
Bake it from Scratch!
Similar to eliminating and reducing processed food, baking your own breads, cookies and cakes is a great way to save money. The cheapest 1 lb loaf of bread I could find at my local supermarket was $1.29. That may seem like a bargain, but it was also the lowest quality bread, full of high fructose corn syrup and soybean oil. Higher quality breads can cost between $3-$4. Artisan breads cost even more than that. A 5 lb bag of unbleached flour can cost as little as $3.19. You can make 4-5 (2 lb) loaves of homemade bread with that amount of flour. A few more cents for yeast, sugar and electricity/gas and you can make your own high quality 1 lb loaf for about 80¢, and it will taste a lot better! The same goes for cookies, cakes and treats. You will save in price and gain on taste and quality if you bake it yourself! Try my Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread and Easy No-Knead Chewy Ciabatta to get started!
Skip the Canned Broth!
You can pay $1.89 for 4 cups of canned chicken broth or pay $1.99 for a package of bouillon cubes that makes 16 cups of broth. Most recipes won’t be significantly effected by swapping canned broth for reconstituted bouillon cubes. With canned broth you are paying for water. Pay for the flavor and get the water at home for free. Better yet, make your own broth. If you are making a delicate recipe that requires good stock, get into the habit of making your own. The best thing about making your own chicken stock is that it comes free with the purchase of a whole chicken or any bone-in cuts like drumsticks, thighs or even breasts. Whenever you are roasting a whole chicken or bone-in pieces, save the trimmings like the back bone and wing tips. Next, serve the cooked chicken by cutting the meat from the bones and reserving those bones to make your broth. It’s as simple as adding your leftover chicken scraps and bones to a pot with water and simmering all the flavor out of them. Guess what?—You just made that expensive “bone broth” that’s been all the rage in recent years, with the remains of last night’s dinner! Freeze homemade broths and stocks in small containers for later use and you’ll never spend another dime on expensive bottled chicken water again.
Dry Brine For Delicious Cheap Meats!
While you’re trading your chicken breasts for chicken thighs at the meat counter it’s time to rethink your choices when it comes to beef. NY Strip, Ribeyes, Tenderloins and Flank Steaks get all the attention. They are tasty and often featured on cooking shows as the “go-to” cuts if you’re in the mood for beef. Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive cuts, making it hard to feed a family if you’re on a budget. Leaner cuts like Eye Round Roast and London Broil are passed over because of their reputation for being dry and hard to cook. Being difficult also makes these cuts inexpensive. They can also be delicious and moist, if you know how to prepare them. The key to preparing any lean cut of meat that is prone to drying out, be it chicken breast, turkey or the inexpensive leaner cuts of beef, is dry brining. Dry brining is the simple process of sprinkling raw meat with salt, covering it and letting it chill in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Over the course of a few hours, salt (flavor) is drawn into the meat with its own juices helping it to retain its own natural moisture when cooked. Seal that moisture in with a coating of oil or butter and cook low and slow for a flavorful eye round roast or london broil that will feed your family for a fraction of the cost of expensive steak!
Eat Seasonally!
When produce is plentiful, farmers and grocery stores have a problem. Fruits and vegetables rot. They must sell them quickly to avoid losing money and that is good news for you. Whatever crop becomes plentiful also becomes cheap. If you focus your produce selections and meal plans on what is in season and plentiful, you can enjoy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank. Why waste money on $8 a pint raspberries imported from oversees in January, when you can enjoy the cheap plentiful oranges of the winter citrus season. Why waste money on lack luster citrus in September, when apples are available by the bushel for pennies. Eating seasonally also protects you from getting too much or too little of any one nutrient or compound from over-consuming any one particular fruit or vegetable. Seasonal eating guarantees a healthy and balanced variety of nutrients throughout the year. Check out this handy guide from the USDA for information about what produce is in season when! https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide
Switch from Boxed Cereal to Homemade Granola!
Processed cold cereal is a staple in many homes for a speedy breakfast. It can also be incredibly overpriced, with some popular cereals costing over $6 a pound! In my region of the country, a whole organic Bell and Evans chicken cost around $3.49/lb! Of course many people (especially small children) don’t want to eat chicken for breakfast (unless it’s chicken and waffles 🤤), so breakfast cereal becomes indispensable in many households. Hot oatmeal is always a penny saver at the breakfast table, but sometimes cold cereal is what’s needed to get everyone out the door on time. Thankfully you can make your own easy and economical cold cereal in the form of homemade granola. Granola also gives you all the benefits of whole grain oats without having to fire up the stove top or microwave on busy mornings. Granola doesn’t have to be complicated. It is basically rolled oats, sugar and spices. Rolled oats can cost as little as $1.44/lb. That means you can make your own simple, hearty granola with sugar and spices for as little as $2/lb. Try your hand at making your own cost saving granola with my super easy Low-fat Brown Sugar Spiced Granola!
The Power of the List!
Grocery stores—from the overall layout, to where items are placed on the shelves, to the constant unnecessary rearranging of the store—are designed to make you spend more money. But you have a shield that protects you from all of these tricky tactics and that is your shopping list. By planning your menu for the week, sticking to your list and minimizing your trips to the grocery store, you will be better able to stick to your budget. A menu plan also allows you to reduce food waste by ensuring you only buy items you are actually going to use. I like to put alternative meals and grocery items on my list so that I can stay on track and on budget in case I have to make a last minute in store substitution, if a needed ingredient is out of stock.
Hopefully these money saving tips will help you and your family navigate the difficulties of this most recent period of inflation. So make your menu, stick to your list and get saving!