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10 Cheaper and Healthier Alternatives to Junk Foods

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Cheaper and Healthier Alternatives to Junk Foods

Junk food is bad for us in so many different ways. And although it’s not everyone’s first thought in the argument against junk food, cost is an important consideration. You can save money on your grocery bill as well as your medical expenses if you switch to these cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk foods.

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The Cost of Junk Food

Junk food costs money out of our pockets in three key ways.

First of all, junk food is often more expensive than healthy food. Of course, you can find deals and sales and fast food that make it cheaper. But you’re often spending more for the junk than you would for fresh whole food.

Second, junk food is addictive. Therefore, you often end up buying more and more over time. You aren’t satisfied with one cookie, now you want the whole bag of them. So, you end up spending more on groceries because you’re buying more and more junk food to satisfy your cravings.

Finally, junk food erodes your health. Therefore, you end up spending money on medications and other medical care. You wouldn’t spend that money if you kept yourself healthy through nutritious eating.

So, junk food costs you up front and over time. Therefore, finding cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk foods can be an important part of your budget.

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10 Cheaper and Healthier Alternatives to Junk Foods

There are many cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk food. Some are specific food changes. However, others are about changing your behavior.

1. Eat Fruit

If you tend to have sugar cravings, then stock up on healthy fruit. Buy whole, unprocessed, seasonal fruit. Shop farmer’s markets, local produce stores, farm delivery services, and big chan grocery stores to find the best prices on seasonal produce near you.

2. Find Veggies You Love

Over time, fresh fruit will satisfy your sugar cravings. However, you might be surprised by how many healthy veggies are also tastier than junk food. If sweets are your thing, try sweet bell peppers and carrots. If you like salty or savory, try greens with fresh lemon and herbs. Again, shop in season and as local as possible to reduce your costs.

3. Drink Water

Oftentimes we think we are hungry when actually we are just thirsty. If you’re dehydrated, then reach for water, not for junk food. Before you snack, fill up a big glass of water and drink it down. Give it a few minutes. If you’re still hungry, then reach for a healthy snack, not junk food. In particular, avoid salty and caffeinated junk food as that will just worsen the dehydration and make the cycle worse.

4. Take Time to Sit Down for Meals

Do you often grab food on the go? Or do you eat at the table while multi-tasking with your screens? If so, then you probably eat more junk food than you ought to. Instead, take the time to sit down and mindfully eat each meal. Yes, each meal, three times per day. The more consciously, thoughtfully, and intentionally you prepare and enjoy your meals, the less likely it is that you’ll overeat junk food.

5. Learn About Intuitive Eating

Don’t just give up junk food to “be good.” That mentality will just land you in a thick cycle of eating bad, eating good, eating bad, eating good. It’ll ultimately make the battle with junk food worse. Instead, develop a healthy relationship with food. You can learn about intuitive eating online for free as a starting point. The intuitive eating community is also a great resource for even more information about cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk foods.

6. Make Your Own Junk Food

Maybe you don’t want to give up your favorite junk food entirely. That’s okay. Switching to making it yourself can help you save money. Moreover, you can make substitutions that make those foods healthier. For example, CookSmarts recommends:

  • Making fries from other veggies instead of potatoes; if you’re smart with your oil then you can have relatively healthy fries
  • Use kale to make an alternative to chips from a bag
  • Add fruit to yogurt and freeze it as an alternative to ice cream
  • Eat a handful of dark chocolate covered nuts or fruit rather than a candy bar
  • Stock up on sparkling water as an alternative to sodas, juices, and alcohol

And these days you can find recipes to make just about anything using cauliflower instead of eating carbs.

7. Eat Junk Food Only as a Special Treat

Sometimes those cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk foods just won’t do. You want the real thing. That’s okay. Just eat it mindfully. Make it a special treat, not an everyday thing. Set some rules and guidelines for yourself that keep it truly special and rare.

For example, I have a rule that I never order dessert at a restaurant unless they have chocolate mousse. Most places don’t have it, so I don’t come across it all that often. When I do, it’s truly a treat. I’m indulging. It’s part of my special budget. Therefore, I enjoy it without letting it take over my life and my health.

You might choose special foods or special, rare occasions on which to indulge. Then the rest of the time, you make the healthy choices.

8. Start The Day with Eggs or Oatmeal

These are both solid, healthy breakfast options that will sustain you until lunchtime. They are affordable options that are healthier than many other breakfast choices. So skip the bagels, pancakes, and cold cereals in favor of a healthy start to the day.

9. Snack Like You’re Feeding a Kindergartener

What are some of the cheaper and healthier alternatives to junk foods that you’re comfortable giving to your kids on a regular basis? Carrot sticks, string cheese, yogurt, peanut butter on apples … if you can’t wait until your next meal and need a snack, think about these options.

10. Try Therapy for Eating Issues

Okay, so therapy might not be objectively “cheaper” than junk food. But it’s definitely healthier to address any underlying eating issues than to destroy your health with poor eating. Many of us engage in emotional eating or eat due to underlying mental health issues. Working on that is critical to long-term health.

Moreover, if you have insurance or access to sliding scale services then you might actually find affordable therapy that’s cheaper, or as cheap as, the junk food that is harming you. Alternatively, there are free groups, such as Overeaters Anonymous, that provide online and in-person support for eating issues.

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How to Eat Organic While Buying Cheap Healthy Food

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cheap healthy food

Organic food is popular in America. As of Spring 2017, approximately 55 million people were purchasing some form or organic food, representing a 37 percent increase over a five year period. As stores like Whole Foods came to previously untapped markets and more grocery chains released their own organic lines, finding organic food has also become easier. Most people try to buy organic as a means of avoiding harmful chemicals, like pesticides and herbicides. However, not everyone can buy as much organic meat and produce as they like, largely because of the higher cost. Some feel there is no such thing as cheap healthy food.

One survey showed that organic food was around 47 percent more expensive than conventional options. If you are dealing with a tight budget, that level of price difference might seem unmanageable.

Luckily, there are ways to save on organic foods, allowing you to create cheap, healthy meals at more affordable prices.

Focus on Whole Organic Foods

Convenience foods are almost always more expensive than their whole food counterparts, including if they are organic. If you want to keep your grocery bills under control, then removing processed and junk food from your diet is wise.

When you shop, focus on the basics first. This includes fresh or frozen produce, meats, dairy, and whole grains. The less processing that is involved, the better, both from a health and a financial perspective.

Consider Store and Name Brands

The standards for organic are the same regardless of whether the product is a store or name brand. That means, when buying organic is a priority, you should consider all of your options.

Examine each product and look for the price per unit. Then, see which brand and size gives you the best deal. You may need to do a little math to get the price per unit if it isn’t on the price sticker. But, if you use the calculator on your smartphone, comparison shopping is pretty straightforward.

Make sure to take any coupons or sales into consideration when doing the calculations. If you’re getting a discount on one item, a factor that in when determining the price per unit. Sometimes, a store brand will beat a name brand, even if it’s on sale or you have a coupon. However, it can easily work the other way around too.

Shop Store Sales

Organic foods go on sale just like any other item, so you can save a bundle if you shop sales. Review flyers from your local stores and see which organic items are available at a lower cost. Then, pass your weekly menu on those items.

Many chain grocery stores also have apps that help you track sales. You may need to sign up for a loyalty card to get the best deal, but it can be worth the effort.

If you find an especially great deal, like a loss leader, consider buying in bulk if the items are non-perishable. Grocery prices usually cycle about every six weeks, so purchase enough cheap healthy food to tide you over until the food goes on sale again.

Keeping a price book can help you identify loss leaders and lowest sale prices. Record the prices of items you buy and regularly use every week you shop, giving you a reference to check to see if a sale price is genuinely actually a good deal. This ensures that you don’t get duped by an advertisement that suggests the food is on sale when it actually isn’t a great price.

Get Coupon Savvy For Cheap Healthy Food

Large-scale organic food producers release coupons like most other companies, and grocery stores may create their own coupons to promote specific items, including their store brands.

In most cases, spending a few minutes a week online and with coupon circulars can be worth it. You also want to check the packaging of any organic foods you buy to see if there is a coupon on or in the box.

Join a CSA

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, arrangements can help you get fresh, local, organic food at discount prices. When you join, you purchase a “share” of the farm’s products, most commonly produce.

Usually, you’ll get weekly or biweekly deliveries that consist of whatever is in season from that farm. You can generally review what products they provide in advance as well as delivery schedule estimates.

It’s important to note that CSAs usually only run for part of the year, depending on where you live. Additionally, not every CSA is organic, so you’ll need to track down one that meets this standard. Prices and required commitments also vary dramatically, so read the fine print to make sure a particular CSA is a good deal.

Learn When Organic Matters

Certain foods require higher levels of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals when grown organically than others. For example, non-organic meat is more likely to contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals than organic variants.

In comparison, some produce naturally repels insects and aren’t as susceptible to disease, so they need fewer chemicals. Cleaning or peeling specific vegetables and fruits can also significantly reduce your exposure to pesticides.

If you can only afford cheap healthy food, focus on organic food with the highest cost benefit. This can include meats, dairy, spinach, strawberries, grapes, and other items that tend to test high for pesticides. Then, buy conventional versions of “clean” produce, like avocados, cabbage, onions, and cantaloupes.

 

Do you have a tip for cheap healthy food so you can create, great organic meals? Tell us about it in the comments below.

 

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