How to Buy Fruits and Vegetables on a Budget
Posted on Mar 04, 2010 under Best Vegetables |
Eating fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to maintain good health. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals that can protect your body from diseases like diabetes, cancers, and heart diseases. Ideally, you should consume five kinds of vegetables and two kinds of fruits each day.
Doctors and health practitioners recommend increasing the fruit and vegetable servings at your table. But, it sometimes proves difficult on your household budget to purchase increased amounts of vegetables and fruits.
These tips can help you to fit a variety of vegetables and fruits within your existing household budget with some planning and foresight.
If you live near a farm, purchase your weekly supply of fruits and vegetables from the farmer. Alternatively, you can plan your shopping for the end of market day.
Normally, vendors prefer selling their wares at discounted prices at the end of the market day rather than taking the leftover produce back home.
Always buy the seasonal produce of fruits and vegetables. These are comparatively cheaper than out of season produce. Clementines or tiny tangerines are cheaper during Christmas while pears and apples are cheaper during the fall.
Some farms offer sale of produce through a program called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Pay the annual fee up-front to become a member of this program.
You may then receive boxes of the growing produce regularly, such as every week.
Most grocery stores offer weekly sales. Try purchasing only the fruits and vegetables available on this sale list to benefit from the discounted prices or through special rebates available on this produce. You get to enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables without it being a burden on your budget.
Another way of saving on grocery budget is to make bulk purchases. Most wholesalers offer heavy discounts if you purchase fruits and vegetables in bulk. Go shopping with a neighbor or a friend and split your purchases. You get to enjoy various fruits and vegetables at much lower prices.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are sometimes cheaper than fresh vegetables and fruits. Many are under the wrong impression that frozen fruits and vegetables are low on nutrients. The nutrient value is claimed to remain much the same in frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables.
When choosing and buying frozen fruits, it is best to go for store brands. Most stores run sales most of the time when you may get your stock of vegetables and fruits at nominal costs.
Sometimes, it may be best to get frozen fruits and vegetables if they are not grown locally and have to be shipped from great distances.
If you purchase both frozen and fresh produce, make sure that you use your fresh produce earlier than the frozen ones. Frozen ones will stay good for a much longer period than the fresh fruits and vegetables.
Another way of saving on your grocery budget is to buy fruits and vegetables and chop it yourself instead of purchasing pre-chopped vegetables.
Purchase vegetables without any seasonings like salt, butter, or sauces. It is always best to add all seasonings just before you have your meal, or according to your taste.
It therefore is not any extra burden use these tips to include more vegetables and fruits in your diet.
Just plan carefully and make your purchases accordingly to get the best out of every dollar you spend on your fruits and vegetables.
To find out more fabulous information about how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle with more fruits and vegetables order your copy of Fabulous Fruit and Vegetables today.
Georgina Cundall
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-to-buy-fruits-and-vegetables-on-a-budget-701044.html
March 4th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
What are some good, cheap vegetables/fruits?
I’m on a ridiculously small budget right now and getting a bit discouraged by a diet of mostly potatoes and oatmeal. I love vegetables and fruit, are there any that I can grab for like under a dollar and make something tasty out of?
Sorry I didn’t note this initially: I’m vegetarian!
March 5th, 2010 at 4:58 am
Squash is usually good and you make it diddrent ways
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March 5th, 2010 at 5:00 am
cabbage
frozen fruits and vegetable are less expensive than fresh, and almost as good.
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March 5th, 2010 at 5:02 am
Frozen fruits and veggies are cheap and affordable, not to mention almost as healthy as fresh. You could grab some carrots, broccoli, spinach/tomatoes and some chicken breast to make a wonderful stir-fry with rice (with is also cheap)! Also, peaches and some cream make a good dessert although you shouldn’t eat it frequently. Bananas and cornflakes make a good start to any day (breakfast :P). Green beans with a bunch of garlic and oyster sauce (I know, it may sound weird) is TO DIE FOR (and wonderful with rice since the sauce is divine)! Strawberries and some other fruit are good to just pack in a ziplock baggy and snack at school/work, too! Best of luck, and happy rainbow fruiting and veggie-ing!
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March 5th, 2010 at 5:04 am
bok choy
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March 5th, 2010 at 5:06 am
Shop whats in season and consider the portion size. Carrots are usually a good buy,so are onions, so are cucumbers, one med flowerlet of broccli , 1/4 head cabbage, 1/2 onion chopped and 2 sliced carrots, served with rice or even Ramen noodles( if you aren’t concerned about sodium) make a good meal and total cost in my area for that meal should be around $2.00 and you are left with cabbage onion and carrots that you can add to an 80 cent can of tomatoes and a can of water and cook up slowly for a great soup.. you can use boullion vegetable flavored that can add flavor to both the dishes above. If you are buying just for you then buy an apple, banana what ever the 2 lowest in price fruits are and have then as a salad or dessert. Canned and frozen vegetables are usually a better price than fresh.
Have you looked into Angel Food Ministeries? You can check online @ angelfoodministeries.com. Check out the menu that you can get for $30.00 a month. You might find that helpful in adding some variety to your diet. Good luck to you. I have been shopping for about 45 years now it still feels like the cost of food takes a larger part of my budget than I would like it to.
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angelfoodministeries.com
March 5th, 2010 at 5:08 am
All depends on the season my friend.
Also, depends how far away they came from too. Are they from Mexico, California, or just down the street?
I just stand there, look at all the prices, and buy whatever is cheapest that week.
Soy and mung bean sprouts are SUPER cheap and make a good stir fry meal.
This is the time of the year to buy yourself some seeds and plant some of your own veggies. There are lots of veggies that you can pretty much plant, and they will take care of themselves, just ask at the store. A few bucks worth of seeds will often get you a few hundred dollars worth of veggies - usually more than you can even eat.
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March 5th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Whatever is in season will be cheapest because there will be a surplus. Bananas are the cheapest fruits ever.
Also keep this in mind….
Nutritional Value
Fresh Fruit > Frozen Fruit > Sliced, Refrigerated Fruit > Dry Fruit
Therefore, if anything get frozen fruit as well because it’s generally cheap and still good.
Since you’re on a super small budget, dont bother with organic…even though it’s for the best, but you’ll save more money…just wash your fruits well enough before eating.
Same rule goes to vegetables.
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