Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

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How to Eat Healthy for Cheap

A reader recently commented, “you recommend healthy eating because you can afford it as a cardiologist.”  Sadly, I have found that many people use “cost” as an excuse not to eat healthy.

Can you really put a price tag on the lost years of work from diabetes, obesity, or other medical conditions?  Also, what about the co-pays for all of the medications, doctor visits, and medical procedures?

We have all seen how even the homeless in any big U.S. city can afford to eat at McDonalds.  If the homeless can afford the Big Mac Meal at McDonald’s, then I am going to use this as my cost baseline for comparison.  Indeed, even without considering the long-term medical costs of the Big Mac Meal, I am going to show you that healthy eating can be much cheaper than eating at McDonald’s.  I will also share with you my 10 best strategies on how to eat healthy for cheap.

The Big Mac Meal

Who didn’t love a Big Mac growing up?  My favorite was always the Big Mac.  In high school I would order 2 Big Mac’s, a large order of fries, and a chocolate shake.

Big Mac’s have certainly gone up in price since I used to indulge myself with them in the 1970s and 1980s.  In fact, according to the Fast Food Menu Price website which tracks the cost, the average cost of the Big Mac Meal in the U.S. is currently $5.69.

Wild Alaskan Salmon

Too often we feel that eating real meat, especially wild salmon, is beyond our reach financially.  It may surprise you just how cheap real meat can be.

After receiving this reader feedback yesterday, I decided to literally “run” to the Costco next door to my hospital on my lunch break.  Armed with my iPhone camera, I was determined to document how affordable healthy eating can really be.

This bag of frozen wild Alaskan Salmon costs $29.79 at the Costco in Salt Lake City.  Assuming a typical 3-ounce serving size of salmon, which is about the size of your fist, there are 16 servings in this bag.  This works out to be $1.86 per serving.

Organic Salad

Nothing goes better with wild salmon than a heaping fresh salad.  Organic salad mixes are also very affordable at Costco.  A large “bucket” of either organic spring mix or organic spinach both cost $3.99.  Assuming a heaping 2 cup salad, the cost is just $0.80 for the greens.

A very healthy and cheap salad dressing is to just add a little organic extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  A serving size of organic extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Costco adds an additional $0.23 to the salad.

With the wild salmon, heaping organic salad, and our organic extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad dressing from Costco we are now up to a total of $2.89–still $2.80 below the price of the Big Mac Meal.

Fresh Organic Fruit

The meal would not be complete without fresh organic fruit to go with it.  Even if you went crazy with fruit and added a cup of fresh organic strawberries, an organic apple, and an organic banana the cost would only be $1.79 ($0.67 for the strawberries, $0.87 for the apple, and $0.25 for the banana).

Thus, the grand total for the wild Alaskan salmon, organic salad, and organic strawberries, apple, and banana comes to $4.68 which is still more than a dollar cheaper than the Big Mac Meal!

12 Tips on how to Eat Healthy for Cheap

Hopefully by the above example you can see how eating large portions of healthy food can be much cheaper than a trip to McDonald’s.  Let me now give you my 12 best strategies on how to eat healthy for cheap.

1. Shop Costco

Costco now carries many organic and other healthy foods.  Of course, if you are trying to save money then you must have a shopping list when you enter Costco.  Otherwise, you will come out $300 poorer by buying useless stuff you don’t need.

In addition to wild Alaskan salmon and fresh organic produce mentioned above, large bags of nuts or organic dairy items can all be purchased for a very reasonable price.  If there is not a Costco in your neighborhood other mega stores, like Sam’s Club, Walmart, or Target, now carry fresh organic foods at a very reasonable price.

Please note that I have no financial relationship with Costco.

2. Go Big

Whole Foods doesn’t have to be “Whole Paycheck.”  If you buy in bulk they will give you a 10% discount on any food item at Whole Foods.

My wife just bought a 50 pound bag of fresh organic oats at Whole Foods.  By buying the 50 pound bag, in addition to our 10% bulk discount, this works out to be just pennies for each serving of organic oats.  Bulk sized bags can also be great for food storage in the event of a financial or natural disaster.

Once again, please note that I do not have any financial relationship to Whole Foods.

3. Skip Organic for the Clean 15

You don’t have to buy organic produce for everything.  For example, the pesticide residue is extremely low on these “Clean 15.”

If finances are tight then just spend the extra money for organic when it comes to the “Dirty Dozen.”

4. Buy Frozen Organic Fruits and Vegetables

If fresh fruits and vegetables are either not in season or too expensive then buy them frozen.  Flash frozen produce might even be packed with more nutrients than “fresh” produce that has been sitting in the grocery store for a few days.

A serving of flash frozen organic fruits or vegetables at Whole Foods is generally well under $0.50.  If you buy 10 bags they will even add on the 10% bulk discount.

5. Buy Nuts in Bulk at Costco

Costco has incredibly low prices for large containers of walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews, mixed nuts, etc.  Nuts are very filling and are extremely healthy.  If there is not a Costco near you, Amazon also sells nuts in bulk at a very affordable price.

6. Buy Legumes in Bulk

Lentils and beans are extremely cheap and are very nutritious.  Costco now sells organic lentils and beans in bulk.  Fortunately, canned beans appear to be just as healthy as dried beans.

Alternatively, you could work with your local Whole Foods to buy 50 pound bags of various dried lentils and beans.  Whole Foods even offers organic options at a very affordable price.

7. Don’t Buy Drinks

Water is still the healthiest thing you can drink.  Save your money on the fruit juices, sports drinks, soda pop, etc. and instead focus on drinking water.  To spice it up you can even add in a little lemon or lime.  Lemons and limes in bulk from Costco are very affordable.

If you like almond milk or coconut milk you can also easily make your own.  There are many websites which will walk you through the process.

8. Share a Meal at a Restaurant

Ever since Jane and I started dating in 1991, we always made it a habit of sharing our meals when we went out.  In those days we were both still in college and could not afford to each get our own meal.

To this day we still refuse to buy 2 meals when we go out.  Nothing frustrates us more than to have a restaurant charge us a “meal sharing fee.”  In addition to sharing an entree, we always both get a small dinner salad and a side or two of vegetables.

Not only does this allow us to order the healthiest items on the menu for a cheaper price, but it also helps us to keep our portion sizes in check. You would be surprised at how cheap restaurants often will sell a side of vegetables for.  Some restaurants will even throw in a side of extra vegetables for free.

9. Farmer’s Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Farmer’s markets and CSA are two other very affordable options to get very fresh organic produce.  Most cities in the U.S. have farmer’s markets or CSA opportunities during the warmer months.  We regularly participate in both in Salt Lake City.

10. Grow a Garden

Probably the very best way to get the most nutritious and cheap produce is to grow your own garden.  While we have struggled with this over the years, many have successfully implemented this option.

Even if you live in an apartment, you can still grow a small organic garden by your window or even on the balcony.  Flower pots can make a garden almost anywhere possible.

11. Buy an Organic Animal for Your Freezer

Organic or wild animal meats can be expensive.  This is probably a good thing so that animal meat becomes a treat or a condiment rather than the main fare.

A better option would be to buy a butchered organic animal and then put it in your freezer.  There are even options to buy a quarter of an animal if freezer space is limited.

12. Get Some Chickens

Some of our neighbors are now raising their own chickens for fresh organic eggs or even meat.  If you have a little bit of land and your local home owner’s association does not forbid this, it could be a great option.

As you can see, eating healthy does not have to be expensive.  Start today.

How do you eat healthy for cheap?