With the cost of food growing faster than our waistlines, it's a real challenge to eat healthfully. So how can we keep our grocery bills in check without sacrificing taste and nutrition? That's the question we posed to three budget-savvy dietitians across Canada.
They each served up their best strategies (and a day's worth of menus) for feeding a family of four nutritiously and deliciously on less than $15 a day -- that's cheaper than two McDonald's Happy Meals and a pair of Big Macs.
Expert money-saving tips
When it comes to maximizing your food dollar, waste not, want not is Heather McColl's number 1 strategy. Thirty-eight per cent of the food we buy ends up in the garbage, says the popular Vancouver dietitian, chef and cookbook author. "One of the easiest ways to cut your grocery bill is by simply reducing the amount of food you throw out."
Start by getting creative with leftovers and reusing some of last night's dinner for today's breakfast, lunch or dinner. Spanish omelettes, for example, make super yummy sandwiches the next day, says McColl, who brown-bags it most days -- a huge cost saver compared to picking up lunch at the cafeteria or eating out. Before stocking up on three-for-the-price-of-one groceries, keep in mind that buying in bulk is only beneficial if you use the food before it spoils. Otherwise, you'll end up wasting in bulk.
Tips for buying seasonal produce
Another one of McColl's top money-saving tips is to shop in season. That means passing up on imported, expensive and often tasteless strawberries or asparagus in the middle of February. Instead, consider root vegetables such as carrots and turnips, which are readily available and reasonably priced this time of year. Or watch for sales on frozen fruit and vegetables, which are just as nutritious as fresh -- sometimes even more so.
Page 1 of 6 -- find healthy daily menu ideas on page 2
