How much do you spend on food every month?
According to the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, as of late 2017, the average American family of four spends $843 a month on food [1]. And that’s their “low-cost plan”.
One of the main concerns I hear about eating healthier is the additional cost, and as the saver of the family, I completely understand that. Food was the one place I was able to “save” money. Processed food is cheap, and it stays on the shelf forever so you can stock up when there is a sale.
But what you pay for in convenience, you also pay for in risks to your health. Processed foods are high in sugar, contain many artificial chemicals, are low in nutrients, and low in fiber. People tend to eat more calories when they eat processed food. These products have been engineered to get you to eat as much as possible. The ratio of fat/sugar/salt has been calculated to overwhelm your brain’s ability to feel hunger and fullness. So yes, you are paying less for the food up front, but you will eat more than you intend, you will be hungry again quicker since processed food is nutritionally empty and lacking in fiber, and you are putting yourself at risk for chronic health issues. So are you really saving money in the end?
Right now, for my family of 4, I spend about $600 a month on food. That’s for all the dinners, drinks, snacks and lunches for the four of us. We eat mostly organic: a lot of vegetables, grass-fed meats, and dairy. I don’t buy a lot of processed foods, the only things I get from the center isles of the store are condiments and spices (the oils, vinegars, sriracha etc.). I shop at the same store every week, I don’t shop around, and I don’t clip coupons (I just can’t find the time.) So I’m feeding my family wholesome real food, and I still spend less than the average family for the “low cost plan”.
A comparison example from a dinner we would have had three years ago, and one we have often now:
| My go-to cheap meal | Typical meal now |
| Two boxes spaghetti ($1.50 each) | A whole chicken, roasted ($6) |
| Two jars marinara sauce ($2 each) | Bag of frozen broccoli ($1) |
| (spices, parmesan cheese) | (spices, butter, garlic) |
| Total: ~$7 | Total: ~$7 |
If you’re thinking you’d rather have the spaghetti than roasted chicken with broccoli, you need to try our BBQ sauce!
Here are some of the ways I keep my family on a budget, while giving them whole real food:
Make a weekly (or monthly) meal plan – The more you plan ahead, the more you can save. Every Saturday morning, I decide the meals (dinners and lunches) for the week, and make a list of what I need to get. I try not to get anything that’s not on my list when I’m at the store. And I only make one trip to the store a week. The more often you go, the more likely it is that you will impulse buy. I honestly just hate grocery shopping, and once a week is enough for me.
Start small – A complete overhaul of your pantry could be expensive, so go slow. Change out things a little at a time. It took us a year to get here. We started off buying more veggies and less processed foods, cooking more at home. We didn’t throw out all the bad food, we just ate it less often and didn’t buy it again when it was gone. Eventually we started swapping out the regular purchases for organic.
We rarely go out to eat – We save going out for special occasions like birthdays, or anniversaries. We thought it would be hard for us to get used to, but the money it saved was unbelievable (I’m a saver so saving money makes me happy!) And when you eat whole real food at home, the restaurant options just aren’t as good. And spending more per person than what I could feed my whole family for, starts to not taste so good.
Buy in Bulk when you can – One of the best investments I ever made for the family was buying a full-size freezer. I got mine off craigslist, but even a new one would pay for itself pretty quickly. Having this freezer allows me to buy meat and veggies in bulk when they are on sale. For the last few years, we have been buying grass-fed beef in bulk, straight from a farm, which allows us to get it at a much lower price.
On top of it not costing more to eat real food, you actually will save money in the long run. Sound too good to be true? Here are some of the things that we no longer spend money on, because we as a family eat healthier and have stronger immune systems:
Co-Pays for frequent doctor’s visits ($20 every time, at least once a month)
Prescription refills (average $30 a month for the 4 of us)
Allergy medicine for three of us (average about $50 a month)
Less cavities every dentist visit
1. https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
