Smart Shopping for Fruits and Vegetables

 

Is adding more fruits and vegetables to your family meals one of your New Year's resolutions?  You can add these healthy foods even when you are on a tight budget.  Eating fruits and veggies is important for good health and to reduce your risk of certain diseases.  Follow these low-cost tips to increase the fruits and vegetables that you eat.

1. Check store sales.   Use your local newspaper or go online to check weekly sales.  Plan your meals and snacks using those fruits and veggies you find on sale.  When possible, buy extra and stock up for later use.
2. Make a shopping list.  Plan your meals and snacks before going to the grocery store and make a list.  Stick to your list.  You will save money by buying only what you need.  Don't go to the store hungry.  Eat before you go and avoid the inviting snack foods.
3. Buy fresh fruits and veggies when in season.  This is when their taste is the best and prices are usually lowest.  To learn what is in season in Maryland, click here. The local farmers' markets also have a wide selection of seasonal produce.
4. Try canned and frozen.  Compare the price and number of servings of the same item found canned, frozen and as fresh produce.  Usually, canned and frozen items are less expensive than fresh.  When buying canned, choose fruit packed in 100% juice, and choose vegegies with "no salt added" or "low sodium" on the label.
5. You do the work.  Buy whole fruits and veggies and do the washing, chopping, and slicing yourself.  "Prepared" forms of fresh produce are convenient, but usually cost more.
6. Buy store brands.  Compare your store brand to the national brands.  You will find the similar product for a lower price.  Try several store brands to find your family's favorite.  They are especially good buys for use in soups and stews.
7. Plant a garden.  Provide your family with fresh fruits and veggies by growing your own.  Gardens are grown in a pot or in your yard.  They are easy and inexpensive ways to add produce to your family's meals and physical activity to their day.  Visit a previous blog post on how to grow your own container garden.

What are some of your ways that you save money when shopping for fruits and veggies?