Written by: TaKeya Ball; SLU Dietetic Intern
Do you have a meal plan? Whether you answered yes or no to that question, it is important for you to have food at home. What if it is late at night and you are cramming for an exam and you do not have the time to leave and grab something to eat. Having food at home will save you! Learning how to create a budget friendly grocery list each week will promote healthy eating, save you money, and reduce stress around planning for your meals. I am here to teach you how.
Before
you grocery shop
Decide
on a budget. Single family households typically spend
around $59-$91 per week on groceries. Shopping for one full week at a time
saves you money and reduces food waste.
Figure
out your schedule for the week. As a college student
your schedule fluctuates and some weeks are busier than others. Cooking simple
meals that take a short time to prepare and cook gives you the motivation to
cook and avoid eating out.
Check
your pantry and refrigerator before you create your grocery list. Checking your inventory before you create your list helps you to plan
your meals based on what you already have and to grocery shop accordingly.
Decide
on the foods you want to cook for the week. Create a
grocery list of the ingredients you will need. Creating a grocery list allows
you to not forget something while you’re shopping and keeps you focused to not
spend additional money outside of your list.
Buy
perishable foods in quantities you’ll use. Try to buy
produce that you know you will eat within a week. Fresh produce expires fast. A
good alternative is to buy frozen fruits and vegetables. They have a longer
shelf life and it makes meals and snacks easily accessible.
Shop
for non-perishable items online. Products like granola
bars are ideally bought from retailers like Amazon. It saves you money and the
shipping is typically free. Become an amazon prime member using your student
email and you will receive a six-month free trial and have access to free
shipping and exclusive deals. Check out https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Student/b?ie=UTF8&node=668781011
for more information!
Look
for deals and Coupons. Most grocery stores have an app
that you can download on your phone and you will be the first to know of deals
and sales of the week.
While
Grocery Shopping:
Do NOT
shop while hungry. You will end up buying more foods
that are outside of your grocery list or you will forget items on your list
because you are rushing to leave the store to go eat.
Tips:
Buy
cereals and meat in bulk. Buying in bulk helps you to
save money. Meat can be preserved for a long time by storing it in the freezer.
It is important to remove the meat from the original package and store it in
ziploc bags. That will limit air contact with the meat and prevent moisture
loss. Check out https://www.britannica.com/technology/meat-processing/Preservation-and-storage
for more information on preserving meat! Also, buying oatmeal in bulk costs
less than buying the individual packs.
Limit
your purchases of frozen meals. Buying frozen meals
costs more money than actually cooking the meal itself. Frozen dinners are also
unhealthy and they’re high in sodium and saturated fats. Too much saturated fat
in your diet can cause heart disease and other health problems.
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Purchasing seasonal produce is less expensive than buying that same fruit and vegetable during its off season. Check out https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/ to review what produce is in season in your state!
Home
Delivery Food Services:
There are tons of services that offer
affordable meal kits to be delivered directly to your door. Online food
services are great for people who have busy schedules and for those who have
difficulty shopping for themselves. It is cost efficient and easy to access
online or on your phone. You have the option to choose a variety of nutritious
meals at a low cost. Services such as HelloFresh give you a 60% discount on
your first box and it includes free shipping. https://www.hellofresh.com/.
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