Author: Jessica Serdikoff

How much money do you spend on restaurants? Take-out? Fast food? (Excuse me, “quick service”?)

If you’re like most of us, the answer would be nearly half of your food spending. We devote just shy of forty-five percent of all of our food dollars to foods prepared outside of the home. That number has nearly doubled since 1970. In fact, some more recent surveys have found that in the past two years we may have actually crossed that line where food purchases of prepared foods officially exceeded those of groceries.

Restaurant meals may not be going out of vogue anytime soon in our overbooked, never-home-long-enough-to-catch-our-breaths lifestyles, but that presents quite a problem for the health-conscious consumer. A recent analysis posits that pretty much every single meal from large-chain and local restaurants (actual number: 92%) provide more calories than the average person needs. The average caloric content of these meals topped a whopping 1,205. Some contain even more calories than the average adult needs in an entire day. The worst offenders? American, Chinese, and Italian.

A lot of the issue with restaurant meals stems from sheer volume: the portions are consistently supersized. That’s why, though quick service chains get a significantly worse health rap, they tend not be quite as over-the-top when you sit down to analyze them nutritionally; portions are at times larger than recommended, but rarely as downright obscene as the ones you find in sit-down establishments. However, even moderately-portioned prepared foods have their woes. Chefs are heavy-handed with their use of butter, salt, oil, and sweeteners, packing quite the punch into even smaller-portioned meals.

So what are you to do if you’re looking to nourish your body without being a slave to your kitchen 365 days a year?

I’ve got you covered.

First, decide if it is a truly special occasion.

It’s clearly inadvisable to ever consume a day’s worth of calories in one sitting, but doing it once every blue moon is not a big concern. Doing it regularly, of course, has its share of consequences.

To determine whether or not the meal in question is truly special, ask yourself a few questions:

Why are you at the restaurant? Is it your daughter’s wedding? Your fifth (or fiftieth!) anniversary? Or is it just the fifth time you’ve decided not to cook this month? The less often you go out to eat, the more unique the situation is, and the less of an impact it will have on your overall health.

How special is this restaurant to you? How much do you look forward to the food they serve? When was the last time you were there? Let’s face it: there are restaurants we find moderately enjoyable but choose more for convenience; there are those we suffer through because it makes our family members happy; and then there are the ones we wait all year to frequent.

Can you get this same food elsewhere, or is it unique to the establishment? Is it burgers and generic pizza? Chicken parm? Beef and broccoli? A lot of restaurants have nearly identical menus to others serving similar cuisines. Now, quality may differ; you may prefer one establishment’s generic pizza over another; but really ask yourself if this is a unique experience.

I never advocate for choosing foods you actively dislike for the sake of nutrition, but if this isn’t a truly special occasion, you may want to factor health into your meal selection more carefully.

Next, be prepared.

Whenever possible, do a little recon work before you head out. Most venues these days have their menu online. Your preferences the moment you sit down may change based on specials, other foods in your diet lately, or even the weather; but knowing your options ahead of time helps you formulate a game plan. We’ll get to how to read a menu for key words in just a second, so hang on to that.

Larger establishments even have nutrition information available online. I don’t live and die by calorie counts, but we are far too blasé about what we put into our bodies these days. You can ultimately make whatever decision you want, but don’t do it with your head buried in the sand. Does your favorite appetizer provide over a thousand calories? Is that pasta dish able to feed a family of four comfortably? Does one salad dressing have half the sodium of another? Do any of the dishes have trans fats? Some places also include ingredient information, which can give you an added layer of knowledge.

Additionally, if you have very strict or unique dietary concerns, call ahead for accommodations. Towards the end of his life, for example, my grandfather had a very low salt restriction and had trouble at most restaurants; however, one steak house was willing to set aside unsalted foods during their prep if my grandmother called early enough in the day. Other reasons to call ahead include food allergies, food intolerances, and religious or ethical preferences. Knowing that your unique concerns have already been addressed can lower the pressure felt during the dining experience and improve the nutritional quality of your meal.

Set yourself up for success that day.

Skipping meals often backfires, but it’s not unwise to pay extra-attention to how nutritious your other meals are. Focus particularly on balancing the high sodium restaurant meal with plenty of water and potassium (think fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and yogurt), and limiting how much salt you take in.

Do your best to plan your other meals and snacks so that you’re sufficiently hungry but not ravenous for the restaurant. Hunger is a good thing; it means your body is ready for food and you will enjoy the experience more. Pushing it too far, however, makes you more likely to devour that bread basket in record time. Really late dinner reservations, for example, may call for an extra snack in the late afternoon; while really early lunch dates might warrant a lighter, smaller breakfast.

Next, reaffirm your goals. If you’ve decided already that the occasion is not truly special, and you’d prefer to stick to your wellness goals that meal, remind yourself of this and why that’s important to you. You could even confide your goals for the meal in someone going out to eat with you, but make sure they are supportive and trustworthy. You’re looking for encouragement without nagging.

Lastly, keep yourself calm to reduce the likelihood of stress-ordering. Get your aggression out earlier in the day with some good, old fashioned exercise; do a mind-body scan before you leave the house to check in with yourself mentally and physically; or do some deep breathing before getting out of your car. All of these things re-ground you and help you approach the meal with a deeper understanding of what may influence your ordering decisions.

Finally, you’re at the restaurant, and it’s time to decide what you’d like to eat.

Before you open up that menu, however, pause. If you could have anything in the world right then and there, what would you choose? How would it be prepared? What would make you feel best emotionally and physically? Once you have your vision, peruse the menu to see if anything they offer is similar, or if they honor special requests. The only caveat to this is that on an incredibly busy night, it might not be the best time to get too creative.

When reading the menu, remind yourself whether you’re trying to stick to a mostly healthy meal or if you’re relaxing your priorities a little this time. If health is a consideration, then note that generally, words like steamed, baked, roasted, and poached signify lighter options; words like crispy, smothered, fried, creamy, or breaded often coincide with higher caloric density.

Consider, too, how hungry you are. Maybe ordering a few sides or an appetizer as an entrée is enough, or maybe not. This requires you additionally to prioritize calories. Calories are units of energy, and if we consistently take in more than our bodies can burn, we will start storing that unused energy and our body weight will steadily rise. One large meal won’t have much impact beyond some acute sodium and fluid retention, but do it too often, and it will. So, decide what’s worth it to you and what isn’t. Do you definitely want dessert? Is alcohol important to you? Choose accordingly.

Lastly, consider any specials that the waiter reviews with you and decide if they change your mind.

Place your order like a pro.

Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions. The worst they can do is say no (or maybe give you a funny look). This could mean asking for double veggies, swapping grilled chicken or salmon in for crispy chicken on your salad or sandwich, or asking for baked potatoes instead of fries. It could mean asking if a pasta dish that appeals to you can be made with marinara instead of cream sauce. It could mean ordering dressings, toppings (like butter), and sauces on the side; or requesting that unwanted garnishes, like powdered sugar on waffles, be left off altogether. This allows you to be in charge of what and how much you eat.

If you don’t want to be tempted to eat something that you know you’ll munch on if it’s there, make sure it doesn’t come on your plate. This extends beyond those small garnishes to things like fries or chips that come alongside a sandwich or a lackluster bread basket that comes with the table. Again, if you’ve decided that the chips, fries, or bread are where you want to prioritize your calories because you think they are the bees knees, cool! But mindless munching because they’re staring at you is not the same as savoring a special food.

Oh, and a word on drinks: in general, the recommendation would be to stick to water. Other solid options include unflavored seltzer with lemon or lime slices added, or unsweetened iced tea. Of course, if a cocktail or soda is part of your vision for enjoying the special occasion, then I certainly won’t argue against it, but see if you can nurse (“savor”) that one serving the whole meal.

Set your intentions while you wait for your food to arrive.

While you wait for your order, make a conscious decision about munching. This means those chips or bread left on the table, which often fill you up before your meal even arrives. If you love a restaurant’s bread basket (some of them are really top notch), consider cutting back on a carb elsewhere in the meal for balance. If the bread is pretty generic, though, consider skipping it. I can get warm dinner rolls pretty much anywhere I go, so I personally tend to forego the pre-meal munching altogether (save for a few special places). You may choose differently.

This is also when you want to decide how full you want to feel at the end of the meal. This sets an intention and gives you a reference point moving forward. On more special occasions, you may choose to sometimes eat beyond the point of satisfaction; but most of the time, nutrition experts recommend stopping at around a five on a 10-point hunger scale. That’s actually not very full at all! You may even get an urge at this point to continue eating, but usually this passes if we sit peacefully with it for a few minutes.

When your meal arrives, request that a to-go container be brought out simultaneously. Portion out the food you want to save for later. It’s easy to say that you only want to eat a small portion of a meal at the start, but it can be hard to stop mid-way through. Pack it up immediately instead; remember, you can always choose to go back for more if you change your mind.

Now, it’s time to eat!

But wait! First, take a few deep, grounding breaths. This is not a race, but rather something to be enjoyed. Who wants to get carried away by excitement and realize that they have devoured their portion without hardly even noticing it? Start the meal off mindfully, paying attention to the sight, aroma, flavor, and texture of it all. Take small bites, chew slowly, and put your fork down between bites. (If you are getting the next forkful ready while you’re still chewing on something else, you’re not focusing on the food currently in your mouth.)

Pause for sips of water and to enjoy the conversation. It takes time for your brain to catch up with how full your stomach is feeling, so give it a chance to register all you’re eating. This also takes the focus away from the food and shifts it to the whole experience.

Check in periodically with yourself to see how you are feeling, too. Compare this to how full you wanted to be at the end, and decide how much more you would like to eat.

Notice how your appetite and appreciation of the food changes over time. Taste buds become desensitized to flavors with repeated exposure, but when we eat very quickly, we get stuck on the memory of the first few bites rather than the reality of how it tastes towards the end. Instead, slow down and you may notice your interest waning as you continue to eat more and more. This is your body telling you that it has had enough, and you may find yourself satisfied if you stop before your plate is empty.

Bring the meal to an end.

No matter what happens, view it as a learning experience. There is no room for guilt or even disappointment!

If you ate so much that you now feel uncomfortably full, or you know you made less nutritious choices than you had intended, figure out what obstacles stood in your way and how you can work around them next time.

If you were a bit overcautious and wound up not eating enough, leaving you munchy or downright hungry later on in the day, make a mental note of what you ate and how much so you can adjust up next time. Maybe you were missing a major nutrient, like carbs, protein, or fats; or maybe the meal just didn’t have enough calories or fiber in it.

And of course, if you accomplished your goal, pat yourself on the back! You can think back to this small victory in the future if you ever feel discouraged about your progress or your capabilities.

Remember, your next opportunity to nourish yourself and listen to your body is just one meal or snack away.

No one meal will ever break you. It will never turn you into a failure. A meal is just another part of life; sometimes it will be nutrient-dense, and sometimes, not so much. The important thing is to decide which you want it to be, weighing the pros and cons, so that you can feel confident that whatever choice you make is the right one for you in that moment. If you do that, you will never feel regret and will be taking your practice of self-care to a whole new level.

Bon Appetit!

We walk into the supermarket with the best of intentions. We’re brought face to face immediately with vibrant fruits and vegetables, and we cart our treasures home to arrange attractively on the counter or to fill up our refrigerator crisper drawers.
And then a week or two later, after we’ve forgotten about them or gotten busy, they start to look a bit, well, sad. Wrinkly. Limp. Moldy, even. We shrug or make a face of disgust, toss them absentmindedly into the garbage, and wash our hands of the whole situation.
Next week, will we do it all over again?

Food waste affects more than just your wallets.

The number 40% has been thrown around a lot these days by environmentalists and foodies alike. It’s the estimated amount of U.S. food that goes to waste. This waste can happen in restaurants, at supermarkets, and all the way back at the farms. It’s a complex issue with a plethora of consequences.
We talk about the urgency of finding a way to feed the world’s growing population, investing millions in biotechnology and other controversial endeavors because we “just aren’t growing enough.” But what if we could make better use of what we already do grow? It may not independently end world hunger, but shifting the way we approach food versus waste could be part of the solution.
When we waste food, we also waste water, an increasingly grave concern. We devote so much water to grow crops that are then discarded in the field, trashed in a processing facility, sent back to the kitchen by restaurant-goers, or left to rot in our homes. The 1.3 billion tons of food wasted annually translates to about 45 trillion gallons of wasted water.
Food waste in landfills presents a third problem: rotting food significantly contributes to atmospheric methane, damaging the Ozone and hastening climate change. Pretty big flipping deal.
Of course, financial considerations of food waste are serious, too. Instead of complaining about how much healthy food costs (side note: it doesn’t really), why not identify areas where you could save a little money? One option is simply finding ways to use more of what you already buy.
Read on for some of the ways to turn what we view as food “trash” into food treasures.

Food In Jars and Containers

Past-Their-Prime Fresh Foods

Skins, Peels, Zest, and Rinds

Cores, Bones, Stalks, and Stems

Leafy Greens

A Change in Perspective

Become A Trash-Versus-Treasure Expert

Fraudulent food: it lurks in our pantries; it shines with promising health halos in the stores; and it fools us into a false sense of nourishment.
(Dun dun dunnnnn!!)
No but really, I hate being The Food Police because there are a lot of really phenomenal products and brands of nutritious foods available to us; but there are also a handful of “healthy” foods that are not quite as they seem.

How Food Fraud Works

Food fraud is defined as “intentionally selling a food product that does not meet regulatory or industry standards.” We’ll get specifically to the top health food frauds I encounter regularly as a dietitian in just a bit, but there are certain broad categories of foods that are more susceptible to fraud than others.
Fish (and seafood in general) is the number one most adulterated food of U.S. origin. Other commonly fraudulent foods include milk, oils and fats, meat products, alcohol, sweeteners, grain products, produce, spices and extracts, fruit juices, eggs, coffee, and tea.
If you’re thinking that sounds like kind of everything you eat, you’re not exactly wrong. Okay, you’re kind of completely right. But that doesn’t mean every product within these categories is problematic. Deep breaths.
Now, if you’re wondering how companies get away with something that sounds so incredibly serious, the answer is, well, all too easily; and also in a number of ways.
One of the most common issues is substitution of one food for another without disclosing this on the label. Other products are diluted with less expensive fillers (including water), artificially enhanced, counterfeited, or mislabeled. Sometimes, the product’s origin is masked, it is distributed with intentional contamination, or it is stolen and resold.
A lot of these sound worse than they are. They’re all a little deceptive, but most are perfectly safe. For example, selling an acai juice that is cut with apple juice to cut down on costs is sneaky, wrong, and not ideal in terms of nutrient quality, but you certainly won’t get sick from it acutely or chronically. However, others are a bit more concerning, and it’s important to know the difference.

2. Honey

Oh, honey. Where should I begin?
There’s the fact that over 70 percent of honey in 2011 was imported, with its pollen filtered out to prevent fully tracing its origins. We do know that much of it is coming from China.

3. “Free Range”

All right, so “free range” isn’t exactly a food, but it is a term that we tend to view as an indication of a premium product for nutrition and wellness without fully understanding what it officially means.
When you hear that a meat product comes from “free range animals,” what do you picture? Probably bucolic America: rolling green hills, a red barn in the distance, and happy animals milling around in the sunshine to their hearts’ content.

4. Coffee and Tea

If you knew what was in some coffee out there, you might not think of it as the best part of waking up anymore.
Coffee is an expensive product, and the demand for it globally is staggering. Americans, after all “Run On Dunkin,” spending nearly $15.00 a week (over $1,000 annually) on coffee. Those figures do not even factor in the amount spent on home-brewed cups of joe, by the way. Some of us may be eager, willing, and able to spend top dollar for our daily caffeine habit, but most of us view it as a daily necessity to have without breaking the bank.

5. Sushi (and Other Fish)

Remember how seafood and fish are some of the most adulterated foods of U.S. origin?
It turns out that over half of “tuna” and nearly 90 percent of “snapper” are being substituted for cheaper, easier-to-procure fish.
This is not just a problem of you paying for something and getting another. Sometimes, the fish they swap in raises serious health concerns. For example, in one market in New York, tilefish was sold labeled as halibut and red snapper. Tilefish happens to be on the “do not eat” list that the FDA makes in regards to high-mercury containing fish. The same goes for king mackerel, which in one Florida grocery store was sold with the label of “grouper” on it.

6. Berry Products

Are the blueberries in your muffins the healthy, antioxidant-rich fruits you expect them to be?
Or are they simply sneaky slurries of sugar, corn syrup, starch, hydrogenated oil (yikes), artificial flavors, and blue and red food dyes?
According to one study in 2011, we might be looking at the latter, and not just in low-cost, no-name knock-offs. We’re talking major brands here, and berries aren’t the only ones falling victim to this deception.

Knowledge is power.

I know how paralyzing information like this can feel. It’s the primary reason why so many nutrition students go practically militant when they embark on their education. I’ve had many worried parents seek my counsel when their children start taking up an interest in nutrition, and suddenly nothing is good enough to eat. This is a very real concern and a growing issue in this country.
When my clients start expressing signs of this kind of food fear, I make them take a big, cleansing breath. Yes, there are some serious problems with our food supply chain. Yes, it can sometimes feel like we are powerless before these giant food companies.
But that’s far from the truth.

You will not get it right every time.

Accept it right now: you are going to buy a product that is mislabeled or misrepresented. We all do sometimes, and it’s okay. But giving yourself permission to not know everything about everything all the darn time is not the same as burying your head in the sand. Do your research. Read your labels. Put in the effort to make the informed choice, but don’t beat yourself up when you don’t predict every curve ball some companies are going to try pitching to you. Again, food fraud is not ideal, but the majority of examples are more unethical than they are downright dangerous.
It’s okay.
You will be okay.
Deep breaths.
Deep, cleansing breaths.

Let’s play a game of word association! If I say “probiotics,” you say…what?
You might say, “healthy,” “supplement,” or even “antibiotics.” But I’ll bet many would automatically reply, “yogurt.”
Yogurt is a particularly famous source of probiotics, but what if you don’t like it? Are probiotics really that important?
Well, yes. Not to sound hyperbolic or anything, but they’re possibly the most influential piece of the health puzzle that we are only just starting to comprehend. If you’re not convinced, this article is for you.
Probiotics are live bacteria that colonize in our guts, mostly the colon. We actually have 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells in our bodies!
However, if we aren’t diligent about caring for these beneficial bacteria, they won’t survive in our intestines, and the pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria will start to take over. Unfortunately for us, the Western trifecta of chronically high stress, widespread antibiotic use, and highly processed, low fiber diets creates a hostile environment for these bacteria.
So, we definitely need a healthy gut, and one of the biggest ways we do that is by regularly populating it with probiotics.

Before you reach for that cup of yogurt, however, consider this:

Yogurt can be part of a nutritious diet, but too often it’s glorified, low fat, liquid ice cream. Plus, some people can’t or choose not to eat dairy, and others may simply dislike yogurt’s texture. For this last group, there are some non-yogurt, probiotic dairy products (kefir, yakult, and filmjölk) but you do still have to keep an eye on that sugar.

In reality, dairy is far from the only game in town.

But wait! That’s not all!

To make a long story short: nope, you definitely do not need yogurt to have a healthy gut.

Sip on some kombucha while making your own sauerkraut. Stir some cocoa powder and sliced bananas into your oatmeal.
Basically, eat a high-fiber, plant-based diet, with a few fermented foods thrown in, and you (and your gut) will be just fine!

There are plenty of nutrition myths out there, and working as a dietitian, I hear them all day long. Sometimes, I nod and smile, knowing it’s neither the time nor place to interject with my commentary but there’s one in particular that really lights my fire. It also happens to be the one that I hear most frequently:

“Healthy food is so expensive!”

False.

I wish that’s all I needed to say to placate my clients, but no one ever believes me right away. It is entirely possible to eat nutritiously without breaking the bank, and to prove it to you, I’ve gathered up some top, expert tips to show you how it’s done.

Before we get to that, though, there is one slight caveat to my argument. Sometimes, the higher quality option may, in fact, cost more. Companies may charge more for their antibiotic-free meats compared to their standard offerings, for example. And snacking on nuts is probably going to cost you more than picking up an economy-size bucket of “cheez balls” on super sale at your nearest savings club.

However, the cost of a product is not solely incurred at the checkout lane of your preferred retailer. The foods we eat become a part of us and are great contributors to our overall well-being. As a fellow dietitian once lamented to me in exasperation: healthy food isn’t expensive—cancer is expensive; diabetes is expensive. If a diet full of on-sale soda and frozen pizza costs less at the grocery store, that doesn’t mean that relying on it won’t cost you in other areas further down the road. It also doesn’t mean that there aren’t environmental costs to various choices.

Of course, not everyone can afford grass-fed meats and organic almond butter. Fortunately, that’s not the only way to eat nutritiously! “Healthy” comes in many shapes, sizes, and, yes, budgetary constraints. So now, let’s get to what you really want to know: how to shrink that grocery bill without filling your cart with so-called “junk”!

Planning for Success

A meal plan may sound daunting, but it is one of the best strategies for eating well on a budget because it helps prevent over-buying and wasted food. If you’re new to meal planning, start small until you feel more comfortable. In making your meal plan, here are some tips to consider:

Watch the sales. Both Nikki Nies, a dietitian with the Christian Care Senior Living Center, and Savannah Thaler, a dietitian who runs Savvy Wellness and Health LLC, encourage clients to base their meals plans on their stores’ weekly circulars. These ads point out great deals on produce, unprocessed meats and seafood, whole grains, beans, and more.

Keep it simple. Tackling too many new recipes can leave you buying new ingredients faster than you can use up the ones you already have. Thaler advises clients to “stick with a few go-to favorite [recipes] and then choose just one or two new dishes to try.” This also helps streamline meal planning so it’s less of a hassle.

Know your pantry. A disorganized kitchen is a recipe for accidentally buying something you already have, and spending money on a nice jar of peanut butter only to find three perfectly good ones stashed in the back of your cupboard is money you didn’t need to spend. Keep an organized fridge and pantry by clearly labeling leftovers and maintaining lists of staples you currently have versus what you need. Bring that restocking list to the store and stick to it.

Speaking of lists… Make one, seriously. I won’t say it’s never a good idea to take advantage of a deal you see at the store, but more times than not, it’s this kind of spontaneity that leaves us with four pints of Ben & Jerry’s and a guaranteed game of Tetris when you get them back home to your already packed freezer.

Use what you have. Nies loves The Pantry Challenge, which focuses on ingredients individuals already have as the foundation for their meals. When you use what you already have, you don’t need to buy much more than a few fresh ingredients (like veggies or maybe a protein) to fill in the nutrient gaps.

Choosing the Right Store for You

Some areas of the country have more options than others, but take some time to get to know which retailers are available to you so that you can make an informed shopping decision.

Shop around. Although a part of me still daydreams of one day being wealthy enough to do all my shopping at pricey Whole Foods, I’ve learned how many healthy options exist at even bargain-based stores. It’s rare to find one store that will always have the very best deal on every single item on your list, but knowing which places tend to have the lowest prices for the things you need can help a lot.

Think beyond the supermarket. If you want to know the real threat to the traditional grocer’s bottom line, it’s not a brick-and-mortar store at all: it’s the online options. From Amazon to Thrive, consumers have a staggering amount of nutritious foods literally at their fingertips, making them especially helpful for individuals in areas of
the country with fewer retail options.

Know when to be loyal. There are advantages to traditional supermarkets, though. Many offer discounts, register and digital coupons, and special deals throughout the year, especially tied to their loyalty cards. Every store has its own policies and benefits, so peruse your options and decide which one fits your needs best.

Get to know your store. Do they double manufacturer coupons? Do they take expired coupons or ones from competing stores? When an item is on sale do you have to buy a certain number to get the deal? What is their policy on rain checks? There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re getting a deal only to realize you didn’t read the fine print.

Store-Wide Tips

So you have your meal plan, shopping list, and store. You’re ready to shop! But first, there are some very important, broad-strokes pointers to keep in mind throughout the entire store.

Bigger isn’t always better. This is true when it comes to packaging and true when it comes to carts. Shopping carts at food stores are getting bigger, and with more room comes the subconscious urge to make it look full. Now, if you’re doing a larger trip, you might need a full cart; but if you know you only plan to buy a handful of items, opt for a smaller cart or hand basket.

A deal isn’t always a deal. It’s possible for a brand to be discounted yet still cost more than a full-price competing brand. This is especially true when you compare on-sale brand names to their private label equivalents. Emily Holdorf, consulting dietitian and owner of EmPowered Nutrition, emphasizes comparing unit price and total price to determine the best deal. Katie Mulligan, a dietitian who works specifically with low-income families through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, adds that “a sale might look like a good deal, but not if you throw half of it away before you get a chance to eat it,” so only buy what you’ll use.

Put in some effort. You have two budgets: time and money. If you want the convenient option, you’re going to have to be prepared to spend more money. If you want to save money, you must invest more of your time. Chop your own veggies instead of buying them pre-sliced, make trail mix from raw ingredients, and portion snacks into bags yourself instead of buying individual servings.

Produce

We all know it’s important to eat more fruits and veggies, but it can be discouraging when they seem to spoil so quickly despite your best efforts. If you’re finding that your family just can’t manage to make it through your produce for the week, you can always buy less. In addition, there are plenty of other ways to save some green on your greens!

Embrace ugly produce. Jenna Gorham, owner of Jenna Gorham Nutrition Counseling, steers clients toward discount produce racks: “Even if the fruit or veggies look a little past their prime, they can easily be frozen” to use later in smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, stir-fries, or pasta. This emphasis on choosing “ugly produce” not only addresses budgetary concerns but also helps to seriously combat the rising cost of food waste in this country.

Stop buying blueberries in December. In other words, “buy in season…to save money and to enjoy more flavorful, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables,” explains Irene Gardner, dietitian of IG Nutrition. She also recommends buying and freezing extra berries in the summer (when they’re on sale!) to last through the winter. Exactly what is in season at any given point can vary from one region to the next, but if I need a quick refresher, I love Williams-Sonoma’s online reference.

Fresh isn’t always best. In fact, many dietitians (dare I say basically all of them?!) recommend frozen produce! Gardner explains that these products are “flash boiled to preserve color and then frozen,” keeping nutrients and fiber high. Plus, frozen fruits and vegetables are extremely convenient to keep on hand, one of the few exceptions to the rule that healthy convenience foods can’t be cheap. Philadelphia-based dietitian Brooke Mullen points out that they’re also perfect for winter, when fresh, in-season produce is less plentiful.

Protein

Proteins, especially animal-based ones, can really drive up a grocery bill. Beyond simply looking for good deals and sales as we’ve discussed above, it can be even more impactful to think outside of the box when it comes to the protein in your meals.

Look beyond the meat department. Dietitian duo Angie and John Lamberson stock up on proteins like canned salmon and tuna, peanut butter (go natural!), and even eggs. I also like to remind clients that even the “expensive” eggs ($4.50 a dozen) are still only $0.75 for two! (And you’re probably spending more to feed your Starbucks habit.)

Use less meat. According to Mulligan, though meat is often the most expensive ingredient, you can stretch it by adding beans, lentils, chopped walnuts, and minced mushrooms to burgers, chili, stews, and casseroles.  In general, we don’t need nearly as much protein as we think we do, and filling about one-quarter of your plate with a high quality protein should be plenty for most people. It can be hard to move away from that “meat as the center of the plate” mentality upon which many of us were raised, so consider starting with dishes like stir-fries, casseroles, and pasta where it’s more common to find meat as more of a garnish.

Or, forgo the meat altogether. Meatless Monday (or, if you’re feeling spunky, perhaps Vegetarian “Vednesday”?!) is a nice way to get your feet wet with vegetarian meals. Nies loves versatile tofu, which “costs an average $1-2 less than boneless chicken breast or pork.” Thaler recommends dried beans for protein, and even freezes hers once they’re cooked in individual servings to up the convenience factor, another tip that has become a staple practice in my kitchen.

Groceries

You may have heard to shop only the perimeter of the store, but that’s not to say that’s where all of healthy foods are! Dip into the aisles for healthy pantry staples, like beans, whole grains, nuts, and canned tuna.

Bulk up. Gardner loves to buy whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds in bulk. You can buy exactly how much you need so there’s no waste, you’ll get a great deal, and you’ll help the environment by reducing packaging, too! Remember, though, buying bulk in perishables in riskier, since if you can’t go through the full amount before they go bad, you aren’t saving yourself any money.

Don’t overlook store brands. Store brands (“private label”) have really stepped up their game, so you don’t have to worry about getting an inferior product. In fact, I just about wax poetic about my store’s private label, all-natural peanut butter. That same store sells an organic brown rice whose fiber content knocks the socks off of every other brand on the shelf. You’ll also find private label rolled oats, quinoa, hummus, and frozen vegetables in my kitchen at pretty much any given moment. What many people don’t realize is that grocery stores hire regular food manufacturing companies to make these private label products, so pretty much you’re getting the brand name products you’ve grown to love for a discounted price, because private label doesn’t need to waste money on marketing or advertising.

Stop spending money on drinks. Juice, soda, and other specialty drinks are pricey and about as far from nourishing as it gets, but paying for plastic bottles of glorified tap water isn’t much better! Invest instead in a good, reusable bottle and a water filter. The planet will thank you, too.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

You aren’t alone, and you don’t have to do this alone. Government agencies such as WIC, SNAP, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program are all there to help! If you qualify but don’t apply, you’re missing out on free money that you could be using on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more.

If you don’t qualify for these government benefits, you still have options. Food pantries and other local organizations can also be of great assistance, and more and more they’re asking donors to consider the nutrient density of the items brought to them. There are even organizations like The Great American Milk Drive working to bring the more perishable items to donation centers across the country.

I know that there are stigmas against some of these assistance programs and organizations, but don’t let pride or principle stand between you and taking charge of your health. The odds can be stacked quite high against us at times through no fault of our own. If you’re following a lot of tips in this article and still struggling to make ends meet, you could truly benefit from these services. Shake off those feelings and accept the help that is so willingly being offered—people really do want to help!

Maybe we can’t all afford organic kale and pasture-raised chicken, but luckily, we don’t have to in order to be healthy. Forget about flashy package claims and news headlines; go back to the basics, put in a little effort, and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Everyone deserves to fuel their lives with good nutrition, and with little tweaks to planning, shopping, and cooking habits, everyone can!

Where will you start?

Dietitians love bashing nutrition fads. We’re quick to point out, and rightly so, the dangers of the many that offer quick fix promises and miracle cures. Their side effects range from nausea and fatigue to actual malnutrition. Extreme ones can also disrupt mood and hormones, trigger adrenal fatigue, and slow metabolism, all while being unsustainable long-term and at times socially isolating due to their relentless rigidity.
But if I’m going to preach that there are no inherently “good” or “bad” foods, then it’s probably time I concede: there can be benefits to many of the trends I caution against so often.

Juicing

The Issue: Juicing strips fruits and vegetables of their fiber, leaving pretty much a big ‘ole glass of sugar (ok, and vitamins). Fiber is kind of a big deal when it comes to wellness, and few of us get. Besides, our bodies do not need help “detoxifying,” as many of the juice cleanses claim; that’s what our liver, kidneys, skin and entire immune system are busy doing all day long.
The Silver Lining: Skip the cleanses, and instead incorporate small juice portions into well-balanced meals. If the juice is fruit heavy, go lighter on the carbs that meal, and make sure you’re getting fiber, protein, and fat elsewhere. For example, pair a small glass of fruit and veggie juice with whole grain toast and almond butter, or a large salad with nuts, seeds, or avocado (fats); tuna, chicken, hardboiled eggs, or beans (protein); and extra veggies (fiber).

Superfoods

The Issue: The term is unregulated, so it can be used by companies however they please. Plus, I don’t care how many antioxidants they have, throwing blueberries into a sugary, refined cake doesn’t make it nourishing. “Superfoods” set us up for unrealistic expectations, without considering how much needs to be consumed to see results (a lot), or if there are side effects of consuming that much (often, there are).
The Silver Lining: Then again, if calling foods “super” makes people more jazzed about eating fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and salmon, I really can’t complain! Go ahead and enjoy a diet rich in these foods (rather than relying on powders and supplements making those same claims), but don’t expect any miracles.

Raw Food Diets

The Issue: This diet can be low in certain nutrients, like protein, calories, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fats. It’s also a lot of fiber, which can cause discomfort if the average Westerner dives into head-first. It’s expensive, time consuming, and can be socially isolating for some. Besides, some nutrients are more easily absorbed from cooked foods!
The Silver Lining: You don’t need to go 100% raw to enjoy the benefits! This diet will automatically limit less nutrient-dense foods as well, like refined sugar, processed meats, and well, a lot of what we categorize as “junk.” Try filling half your plate at most meals with non-starchy veggies; rely more heavily on nuts, seeds, and avocado for fat than more processed oils; and only continue if you as an individual respond well to it.

The Paleo Diet

The Issue: I’ve seen plenty of  Paleo dieters polish off entire cartons of ice cream because the rigidity of it all wore them down; if you can’t sustain it, it’s not working for you. Keep an eye out for nutrient deficiencies too, including calcium, fiber, and potassium. Lastly, this is not the new Atkin’s diet, and should not be viewed as a green light to load up on meat and restrict carbs!
The Silver Lining: Many Paleo principles are solid, like limiting processed foods (cakes, candy, ice cream, chips, and fast food); and more home cooking. Be more critical of principles which don’t sound sustainable for you.  If a food group doesn’t bother you, there’s no reason to eliminate it. I’m a big proponent of well-soaked beans, for example, and moderate amounts of whole grains, especially when sprouted.

Going Gluten-Free

The Issue: This diet is not associated with weight loss and so far no evidence supports its benefits for the average Joe or Jane. Gluten-free specialty products are expensive yet not necessarily particularly nutritious, often lacking fiber and riddled with fillers and binders. And of course, social gatherings and eating out become quite the challenge.
The Silver Lining: By all means, incorporate more naturally gluten-free foods into your diet, like fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, salmon, eggs, and even certain whole grains. But swapping Oreos out for gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies won’t make most of us any healthier. Make sure you’re getting enough fiber, and further support that gut with probiotic-rich foods.
Look, honestly? Do what makes you feel good, but please make sure your diet is balanced and nourishing. If something stops feeling good, it’s probably not right for you, no matter what someone else says.