Eating Healthy on a Budget – Staple Pantry Items for Healthy Eating

Staple Pantry Items for Healthy Eating

This next post in the Eating Healthy on a Budget Series is probably my favorite one out of all the ones we discuss.  When I first started changing our eating habits to more whole foods than processed foods and gathered some simple recipes I wanted to prepare, I noticed a lot of the same staples pantry items being used in most of the recipes.  And, these were staple items that I didn’t usually purchase.

So, I made a list of these items and through trial and error, started finding some great resources to get these items on sale.  In some cases it involved coupons and in some cases it involved just exploring stores in my area or even making the purchase online.

Here are my top 10 staple pantry items for eating healthy and where I have found the best prices:

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Here are additional items you may want to stock up on:

• Almond or Quinoa Flour
• Flax Seed and/or meal
• Kale
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Bananas

As you can see I’ve listed just a couple of produce items as staples but, of course, as many produce products you can get your hands on are even better for snacking and preparing.  Over the next few weeks we’ll talk about when to spend extra on organic produce and when you can skip some organic products to save money.  We’ll also talk about some ways to easily use these staple pantry items to make easy meals and snacks.

For now, I recommend taking this list of staple pantry items and start researching stores in your area.  Seriously, if you have a HomeGoods by you, stop by there and see what they have in their food department.  I was surprised at what I could find at HomeGoods at great prices.  Remember to use the Grocery Price Comparison Tool to find the best deals on any of these products in your area.  If they are on sale they will be listed in the GPC.  Also, be sure to check the LRWC Coupon Database for any coupons available for the products you are looking for.

Here are some of the topics we will continue to talk about over the next few weeks:

• Using Coupons to Save on Organic Products
• Be Selective on the Things you Spend More Money On
• How to Keep your Meals Simple & Healthy
• Shop in Season
• Grow your own
• Shop online, take advantage of rebates
• Joining a co-op
• Cook Ahead and Freeze
• Why Eating Whole Foods is More Filling
• Reduce your Meat by Substituting Beans
• and more

More in the Eating Healthy on a Budget Series:

• Eating Healthy On a Budget – Intro

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