Improving your health without emptying your wallet

Eating healthy is so expensive😩!

But it doesn’t have to be. Below is a quick guide on where, when, and how to buy healthy food cheaply.

Basic principals of the food industry:

  • The government subsidizes low-quality food products such as wheat, corn, soy, and sugar.
    • These are highly prevalent in our food supply and will usually be the cheapest option while also being the least healthy option
  • More convenient=more expensive
    • CVS/Riteaid/walgreens always charge insane amounts for their products because of convenience. The only time I shop here is for extremely reduced clearance items or in a pinch when I have no other options.
  • Frozen and canned
    • Some foods are ok to purchase frozen or canned and will save you money
    • Others almost entirely lose their nutritional benefits after being canned/frozen
    • Good
      • Frozen vegetables
      • Frozen meat/fish
      • Frozen grain-based items
      • canned beans (watch the salt)
      • canned meat/fish (watch the salt)
    • Less good
      • frozen fruit
      • canned fruit
  • Go off of price/lb or price/oz or price/unit rather than total price.
    • Sometimes the purported discount isn’t as good as it seems.
  • Find out where the clearance sections are and check them every once in a while
    • New products are always coming out and frequently fail. Take advantage of the companies trying to dump their products and cut their losses.

Where:

Keep your eyes peeled for discount tags and always check the weekly circulars

  1. Aldi
    1. Always a good choice if not the best
    2. https://www.aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/our-weekly-ads/
  2. Walmart
    1. Deals are harder to find here but most of their prices are similar to Aldi for basic staples
  3. Sam’s Club
    1. If you shop to feed a lot of people and avoid wasting food, this will be a great option for you.
  4. Trader Joe’s
    1. If you avoid meat and prepackaged goods most of these prices are manageable, especially for the higher quality that you will get.
  5. Shop-n-save/Kuhn’s/Community Market
  6. Whole Foods
    1. Above Giant Eagle because the prices are marginally higher in most cases while providing much higher quality food.
  7. Giant Eagle
    1. They are extremely monopolized and have a large group of loyal customers. I am appalled at the prices every time I walk in here.

On a side note, Big Lots is a great spot for occasional clearance shopping for cheat day food (energy drinks, chips, sauce, crackers, etc)

When:

  1. Buy seasonal fresh produce
    1. Watermelon in the summer
    2. Oranges in the winter
    3. Google is a great resource to see what grows when
  2. Stocking up in bulk during sales is a great way to save
    1. Hams go on sale once a year and can be frozen for ~6 months
    2. Bread will occasionally go on sale and can be frozen
    3. Special holiday sales are a great time to stock up on non-perishables

How:

  1. Don’t be picky!
    1. Try new fruits/vegetables you have never had before
    2. Google recipes to cook them
  2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
    1. Our bodies don’t need as many calories as we think
    2. Fruits and vegetables fill us up without overloading on calories/salt/sugar
  3. Cook more frequently
    1. It can be difficult in our busy society but I imagine if you have read this far you might have some time for cooking 😉
  4. Buy in bulk when possible
    1. Companies are willing to drop the price on goods when you buy more of them because it increases their sales
    2. Don’t waste food and in the end you will be the one profiting

Supplements:

  • Tracking sites like: http://www.fitnessdealnews.com/
  • GNC clearance
    • By the 5th of every month they reduce the price on supplements that expire soon
    • Most will barely lose quality but be careful
  • Vitamin shoppe clearance
  • Vitamin world clearance

Original Source: https://quazmoz.blogspot.com/2017/07/improving-your-health-without-emptying.html

About The Author
tnardozza

tnardozza

tnardozza

tnardozza

Related Posts

Torn Achilles Sounds Scary, But May Not Need Surgery and a Boot

Torn Achilles Sounds Scary, But May Not Need Surgery and a Boot One small mistake – you made a sharp turn and flexed your ankle the wrong way, and now your Achilles tendon is ruptured. You might think you’re resigned to the fate of an invasive surgery and a boot or cast for the next couple months, but this might not be the case. So long as the Achilles tendon is not retracted (the ends of the tendon pull away from each other), it is likely that non-invasive, regenerative treatments like bone marrow concentrate containing your own live stem cells, or PRP could be able to help treat the tendon rupture. Read more about non-surgical Achilles tendon rupture treatment.

Read More »

The Agony of De‘FEET’

Bunions, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, microfractures of the ankle bone – there’s a variety of painful problems that can occur in the feet. Considering this variety, it’s no surprise that so many American adults complain of pain in their feet. Unfortunately, many traditional treatments like surgery are a no-go – most Americans can’t afford to be off their feet for the long post-operative recovery time. Regenerative care, like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments can be effective for many foot pains and may be a better option than surgery or steroids.

Read More »

Follow Us

Recent Posts

Are You a Regenexx Candidate?

About Regenexx Pittsburgh COVID-19 Protection Zone

At Regenexx Pittsburgh, we are foremost committed to the health and safety of our patients. Our team adheres strictly to COVID-19 protection protocols and ALL staff wear masks and are COVID-19 vaccinated.

Advanced IOF Certifications

Certified at the highest level for Ankle / Foot, Wrist / Hand, Hip, Knee, Shoulder, and Spine Intradiscal

Specialized Certifications

Top available certifications in Diagnostic Ultrasound, Bone Marrow and Adipose Aspirate, and Nucleated Cell Counting

Educational Certifications

Our doctors have earned both General Instructor as well as Spine Instructor certifications.

Knee

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Knee Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Arthritis
  • Meniscus Tears
  • Patellofemoral
  • Syndrome/Chondomalacia
  • ACL Tears + PCL, LCL & MCL Tears & Sprains
  • Patellar Tendonitis
  • Pes anersine bursitis
  • Baker’s cyst
  • Instability
  • Hamstrings Tendinopathy & Biceps Femoris Insertional Tendinopathy

Lower Spine

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Spine Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Lumbar Facet Injury
  • Degenerative Disc Disease
  • Herniated or Bulging Disc
  • Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)
  • SI Joint Syndrome
  • Many More Disc and Low Back Issues

Foot & Ankle

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Foot & Ankle Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Arthritis
  • Ankle Instability
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Peroneal tendon tear or split
  • Ligament sprain or tear
  • Sub-talar arthritis or instability
  • Tarsal tunnel syndrome
  • Bunions

Cervical Spine

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Spine Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Cervical Instability
  • Cervical Facet Injury
  • Neck, Back or Rib Instability
  • Many More Disc and Cervical Issues Causing Pain

Shoulder

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Shoulder Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Arthritis of the shoulder joint
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Labral tears or degeneration
  • Rotator cuff tendonitis & tendonosis
  • AC Joint Separation
  • Recurrent shoulder dislocations

Elbow

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Elbow Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Arthritis
  • Instability
  • Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow
  • Nerve entrapment (ulnar nerve)

Hip

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions. View Details About Hip Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Arthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Bursitis
  • Tendinopathy
  • Labral / Labrum Tear

Hand & Wrist

Regenexx® Procedures are non-surgical injection treatments that are intended to help reduce pain and improve function for those who are suffering from pain due to common injuries, arthritis, and overuse conditions.

View Details About Hand & Wrist Treatments >

Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • Hand Arthritis
  • Basal Joint Arthritis or CMC / Carpometacarpal
  • Arthritis
  • Instability
  • TFCC Tear
  • Carpal Tunnel SyndromeTrigger Finger