EATING

HEALTHY

ON A

BUDGET

WSR Nutrition & Wellness

Megan Kennedy

Nutrition & Wellness Consultant

Brown rice

$0.18 per ¼ cup serving

A 1 lb. bag costs about $1.50 and contains

10 servings

Greek Yogurt

$0.89 per 6-8 oz. serving (or cheaper if

you buy a big container)

Whole wheat or multigrain pasta

$0.24 per 2 oz. serving

A 14. oz bag costs about $1.50 and

contains 7 servings

100% whole wheat bread

$0.18 per serving (2 slices)

One loaf costs about $2.00, 11 servings

Old-fashioned oats

$0.13 per ½ cup serving of dry oats

One 42 oz. container is about $3.99 and

contains 30 servings

Frozen vegetables

$0.25 per 1 cup serving

One 12-24 oz. bag costs $1.750-$2.25

and contains 6-8 servings

Russet potato

$0.33 per 1 medium or large potato

5 lb. bag of 11-13 potatoes is about $3.99

Canned tuna

$0.70 per 3 oz. serving

$0.85 per 6 oz. can, 2 servings

Dried lentils

$0.10 per ¼ cup dried lentils

16 oz. bag for $1.29, 13 servings

Marinara sauce

$0.28 per ½ cup serving

24-28 oz. jar is about $1.67, 6-7 servings

• Making healthy food choices

• How to plan and prepare

meals on a budget

Agenda

My Plate

• Nutrient & energy density

• Healthy eating, substitutions

• Meal planning • Plan

• Purchase

• Prepare

Making healthy food choices

215 kcal

300 g

215/300= .71

215 kcal

140 g

215/140= 1.5

Feel more full on fewer calories

Kcal/grams = energy density

Very low energy density foods = less than 0.6 kcal/g

Low energy density foods = 0.6-1.5 kcal/g

Medium energy density foods = 1.5-4 kcal/g

High energy density foods = more than 4 kcal/g

Nutrient & Energy Density

Nutrient Density: the amount of nutrients per gram. Nutrient dense foods have

a lot of nutrients per gram.

Energy Density (kcal/gram): the amount of calories per gram. Energy dense foods

have a lot of calories (aka energy)per gram (these typically are also low in nutrient

density).

Nutrient Density & Food Groups

1. Serving size

4. Heart health factors

5. Carbohydrates and protein

6. Micronutrients

7. Ingredient list

3. Fat content

2. Calories

Little choices add up over time – “…by small and simple things

are great things brought to pass; and small means in many

instances doth confound the wise.” – Alma 37:6

Healthy choices

& building a healthy meal

Eating at the Cannon Center

http://dining.byu.edu/commons/menus.html

MEAL

PLANNING

ON A BUDGET ADAPTED FROM FOOD $ENSE

Plan to Save

Know what you currently spend on food Track everything

Determine how much you have to spend

on food each month After tracking, evaluate what you spent

Implement your food budget Make a monthly budget, divide into weeks, and adjust

as necessary

Plan a Menu

• Benefits of planning a menu

• Save money & time, reduce stress

• Plan your menu

Plan to Shop

• Create and organize your shopping list

• Use coupons and sales wisely

• Read nutrition labels

• Compare unit prices

• Compare quality

• Store vs name brand, expiration dates, food storage

• Shop for foods that are in season

• Things to keep in mind

Meal planning approaches

• Weekly method

• Two-week method

• Monthly method

• Freezer method

Weekly method

1. Take an inventory

2. Plan meals for each day of the week based on

what you have

3. Make a shopping list with needed ingredients to

complete the recipes

1. Plan leftovers into this schedule.

4. Go shopping

1. Look for deals (can plan meals around local

sales, seasonal items, etc.)

Two-week method

1. Take an inventory

2. Plan meals for the first and second weeks of the

month and make a shopping list

a. Tip: plan ahead

b. Tip: Be strategic with produce

3. Shop once

4. Use leftovers

Monthly method

1. Choose 30-40 of your favorite recipes that you can rotate through. Add in a couple of new recipes.

2. Take a brief inventory of staples and basic ingredients before you go grocery shopping.

3. Start the month with a large shopping trip, buying anything that won’t go bad and perishables to last for 1-2 weeks.

4. For weeks 3-4: Refer to your meal plan and shop weekly, if needed, for needed perishable items (e.g. produce, dairy).

a. Use more canned or frozen produce

b. Use frozen meat

c. Use beans, rice, etc.

Freezer method

1. Take a few hours to plan your meals and

make your grocery list.

2. Shop for everything you will make.

3. Cook all of your meals.

4. The goal is at the end of 1-2 days you will

have freezer meals for almost a month.

Additional Tips

Convenience costs

Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut

vegetables, and instant rice, oatmeal, or grits will

cost you more than if you were to make them from

scratch. Take the time to prepare your own-and

save!

Low-cost options year-round

Certain foods are typically low-cost options all year round.

Protein

Beans & lentils

Eggs

Whole grains

Oats

Brown rice

Vegetables

Carrots

Greens

Potatoes

Fruit

Apples

Bananas

100% frozen orange juice

Dairy

Milk

Yogurt

Leftovers

Make big batches to use during the week, use in

another recipe, or freeze for later use

Spice up your leftovers-use them in new ways. For

example, try leftover chicken in a stir-fry or over a

garden salad, or to make chicken chili.

Remember, throwing away food is throwing away

your money!

Eating out

Restaurants can be expensive.

Save money by making your own lunch or dinner

instead of going out

If you do eat out, get the early bird special, go out

for lunch instead of dinner, or look for “2 for 1”

deals.

Drink water

Additional tips:

Use fresh produce early on and use canned or frozen produce later in the week/month.

Hardy vs not-so-hardy produce

Get input & ideas from your spouse, children, or friends/roommates

Make enough for leftovers

Create a fall back

Buy meat when it’s on sale. Portion & freeze.

Use less expensive proteins

Buy in bulk if it’s cheaper and if it’s in your budget

Control what’s in your food by making your own!

Low-cost nutrition resources

http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-

nutrition-assistance-program-snap

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/nutrition-education

http://snap.nal.usda.gov/

http://snap.nal.usda.gov/nutrition-through-

seasons/seasonal-produce

https://extension.usu.edu/foodsense/

https://usu.instructure.com/courses/345410

Review

• Making healthy food choices

• Nutrient & energy density

• Food nutrition labels

• Healthy eating tips

• Meal planning on a budget

Questions?

Further Education

One-on-one nutrition consults

Exercise & Fueling Your Workout

Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 4

Thursday, Oct. 29 @ 12

My contact info:

Megan Kennedy

wsr-wellness@byu.edu