Healthy Grocery Shopping on a College Budget | Re-Post

I'm so happy tonight!! I found a new AMAZE blog about fitness :) Lately I've been super good at my meals - I've been eating more at home and it's all been really healthy meals. SNAPS FOR ME! I was browsing for some new inspiration and stumbled upon this little cutie and just knew that this was going to be my new FAV GO TO BLOG for everything health & fitness. So Before I babble on and on about her I wanted to share a post that I found helpful - especially for all of you that are about to head back to campus or to campus for the first time. I love you all and hope you have a great weekend!! XO, Erica

HEALTHY GROCERY SHOPPING ON A COLLEGE BUDGET

I remember the day like it was yesterday. A surprisingly chilling January afternoon in Hawaii. I decided I was so totes over having Easy Mac for lunch everyday and binge eating fun-sized Snickers at 3 in the morning.No. This is my time to be healthy and feel good. So I take the 2 mile drive to Whole Foods on my little white moped that could and walked in to Whole Foods and I. Went. Fucking. Ham.

Quinoa Chia Seed Granola? Done. 5 avocados? Obvi I need. Every level of firmness of tofu? Sure. What’s a rambutan? I don’t know, but I want it. I go the register in which the lovely Kalani rings me up. Suddenly, the smile withers away from my face as I look down at the screen only to realize I just spent $270 ON GROCERIES. I leave Whole Foods holding back the tears as I mourn my credit card. When I arrive to my moped and realize I don’t have enough room for all the groceries, sounds I imagine only a whale can make start protruding from my mouth. I weep.

I don’t have a problem with spending more money on healthy food. But enough was enough, Whole Foods. I was going to learn how to make my grocery shopping cheap and efficient. I was going to be the McDonalds drive-thru of grocery shoppers. But healthy.

Here’s how.

First of all, eat before you go grocery shopping.

It’s the oldest rule in the book, Don’t go to the store hungry. But let me tell you… There is nothing more tempting than that half gal of raw butterscotch cookie dough placed conveniently next to the greek yogurt when your stomach feels like it’s caving in on itself.

^As you can see, we got awkward with our grocery store pics.

Buy some items in bulk and some in small amounts

A huge reason people spend to much on groceries is because it goes to waste. I usually would grocery shop once a week, and here is pretty much how it would break down:

Every 2 months

The ingredients for things that would last me several months that I didn’t need to buy often but were essential for cooking!

• EVOO
• Truvia packets (for my coffee)
• Coffee
• Rice
• Frozen fruit - I get the really large bags and I typically get the mixed berry and the peaches/mangoes one. They last a long time and are great with almond milk for smoothies
• Salad Dressings

Every 2-3 weeks

The things that would typically last me for about 2-3 weeks are the essentials.

• Cereal - Cheerios, Bran, Special K, Rice Chex, Kix. Pretty much any whole grain cereal on sale that I could mix with fruit.
• Bread - Double fiber english muffins or whole grain sandwich thins
• Almond Milk - Typically I buy the generic store brand because it’s cheapest. If you like regular milk, stick with low-fat!
• Greek Yogurt - The big container of non-fat original flavor
• Eggs - 18 pack of cage-free
• Canned foods - I typically buy black beans and green chilis canned to make with omelets and quesadillas, and I buy chickpeas for salads.
• Nuts - For snacks and for salads

Once a week

The things that go bad easily or run out often. Buy them in small amounts to avoid them going bad.

• Fruits and veggies - If you stick with fruits and veggies that are in season, they are going to be your cheapest bet. Get fruit to mix with cereal and yogurt and get veggies to put in salads and other dinners, but look for the ones that are on sale and in-season. Here is a list of in-season summer fruits
• Salad mix - Whatever lettuce you like, there is usually a lot of different kinds, and typically the ones in the plastic box containers are the most expensive. Look around to find the cheapest option. I usually get romaine and arugula.
• Snacks - List of my favorite snacks

If you’re near your mom and too poor to buy food, make your mom take you grocery shopping so you don’t have to pay.

I don’t care if I’m 21, I still want my mom to do my laundry and buy me food. (I know, my mom is cute).