Think you can't eat healthy on a budget? Think again!

One thing I hear all the time is "I can't eat healthy, it's too expensive. I just can't afford it!" It's a common misconception. Yes, some healthier foods can cost you a little more up front, but you can still easily keep it in budget, regardless of what your budget is. I'm going to lay out 9 tips to help you keep your grocery bill down while buying food that is so much better for you and your family!

9 Tips for Clean Eating on a Budget

1. Plan a Menu

This one is going to be the MOST important! So many times I've just bought food and thought I'd just wing it for the week. Every day, I'd turn to my husband and say, "What do you want for dinner? We have..." and name off what we had in the frigde/pantry. Most of the time I would just throw something together or I'd actually think that none of it sounded good so we'd order out instead. How many times has that happened to you? It's stressful to say the least. Not to mention all the food we ended up throwing out because it went bad before we ended up using it. Pick a day, sit down with your partner, and plan your meals for the week. This will save you so much money, time, and stress later! 2. Shop in your pantry first

Many of us have staple items already in our pantry. To save you money, shop in your pantry first, and plan a menu based on some of the things you already have. Maybe you have all but 2 things to make my Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups, now you only have to buy 2 things for that recipe instead of every ingredient. Think of all the money you just saved.

3. Create a grocery list...and stick to it!

After you've planned your menu, create a grocery list. Be as specific as possible. Example: 2 onions, 5 red bell peppers, etc. Make sure you check recipes and get the correct amount of everything you will need for the week. This way, there is no wasted food!

4. Check the stores weekly ad for deals

Before you head to the store, check the weekly ad to see if there is anything on sale. You may want to do this before or while planning your menu.

5. Buy generic whenever possible

If you have loyalty to a certain brand, then by all means, buy that brand. However, when I go grocery shopping, whenever possible I will buy the generic store brand. To me, there really isn't much difference and you could save yourself a lot of money. Things I buy generic include, eggs, milk, almond milk, cottage cheese, and the list goes on and on! Try it; it can't hurt!

6. Shop for fruits and veggies that are in season

Most produce is availabe year round. However, if it's not in season, it will be considerably more expensive. Buying produce when they're in season will save you a ton of money! Plan your menus according to the season.

7. Buy frozen fruits and veggies whenever possible

I like to buy fresh fruits and vegetables but sometimes for convenience and to save money, I'll get the frozen steamer bags of veggies (generic of course) as a side dish with dinners. I also love to get the frozen fruit to blend with my Shakeology. Vegetables are flash frozen at their peak nutrition. It really is the next best option to fresh. Avoid canned vegetables because they are loaded with sodium.

8. Drink Water!

This one is my favorite. Water is FREE! Avoid the sugary sodas and juice. That stuff is just not good for you. Replace that with water. You can add fresh fruit (lemon, lime, strawberries, etc) to your water to spice it up. Or how about a fresh mint leaf? There's even sparkling water if you miss the carbonation.

9. Prep your meals

One of the most important things you can do is prep your meals. Take one day every week (my day is Sunday) to spend the day in the kitchen prepping your meals for the week. Some meals you may not want to prep or you know will taste better made fresh and that's fine. You don't have to cook everything. If you are having chicken 3 days that week, cook it all in one day so all you have to do is reheat and eat. This is more of a time saver than a money saver but it does avoid the "but I don't feel like cooking toinght" excuse. This way, it's already done.

I hope these tips were helpful. These are all things I learned along the way and was thinking about during my meal prep today. We had some unexpected expenses come up which meant we were on a very strict grocery budget for the week. We actually spent $50 less than normal this time, and we were still able to feed our family of 3 for the entire week with HEALTHY meals! Now that's what I call success!