Top 7 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

A healthy diet can help you to keep your medical costs down, but how do you justify the added expense of healthy foods? Try these simple tips and you won't have to:

1. Buy Reduced Produce

It's no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but the price of fresh produce isn't nearly as good for your budget. To stretch your shopping dollars, look for a reduced rack at the grocery store. You can often pick up super ripe produce for a fraction of the regular price

2. Go frozen

Frozen vegetables are usually fresher and cheaper than anything that can be found in the produce and canned sections of the store. Cruise down the frozen food aisles, and you'll find big bags of veggies at bargain prices – sometimes as little as $1 a bag.

3. Shop locally

Your local produce stand or farmer's market can be a great source for healthy bargains. For the best deals, shop often and look for reduced produce or end-of-the-day specials.

4. Grow Your Own

Slash your produce prices even further by growing your own healthy eats. Start a plot in your backyard or a container garden on your patio, and enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables all season long. Like fresh herbs? Grow your favorites in small pots by the kitchen window, and take a snip whenever you need it.

5. Substitute Oil

Slash the fat grams in your cakes, muffins and other baked items by replacing the oil in recipes with an equal amount of no-sugar-added apple sauce. It won't change the taste of your recipe, but it will change the healthfulness of it.

6. Substitute Eggs

Reduce your cholesterol consumption by substituting the eggs in baked goods with a tablespoon of soy flour. You can pick up a bag for as little as $2-3, and it will last you for quite a long time.

7. Skip the Salt

Sodium lurks in lots of foods, and it's just not something that your body needs a lot of. Limit your consumption by purchasing no-salt-added or low-sodium versions of canned foods. This switch won't cost you a dime, so it's probably the simplest switch of all.