Food Shopping After Bariatric Surgery

September 13, 2019 | All Articles, post-tsb-team |

How to Make Healthy Eating Simpler and Less Expensive

By: Susan Manez MS,RD,CDN

Working as a dietitian two of the most common complaints I hear are that “eating healthy is too expensive” and “it’s too hard to find healthy options”. This does not have to be the case. In fact, my goal is to prove that eating healthy can actually be cheaper than and just as easy as buying highly processed, poor quality “convenience foods”.

We have some helpful tips and resources that can make eating healthy on a budget much more feasible and pain-free. Hopefully these tips will help you to continue on your path to a healthy, happy lifestyle.

Super Market Strategies

Compare prices:
- Gather circulars from various local markets and compare prices of poultry, fish, dairy and produce; shop where the prices are lowest and the deals are biggest.
Clip coupons:
- You can save hundreds of dollars a year by taking a few minutes each week to clip coupons. Remember, manufacturers coupons can be used in any major retailer.
- Download an app to help make coupon clipping easier. A lot of grocery stores have their own apps or you can try one such as Coupons.com that make clipping coupons as simple as scrolling and tapping.
Plan ahead/Make a list:
- Avoid “winging it” in the store. Make a list and stick with it. When you go into a situation prepared you are more likely to achieve success, and that is true with grocery shopping.
- You can go one step further and create a menu for the week’s meals. This will help you to prevent waste by only buying what you need for that week and make meal prepping easier by giving you a plan.
Fresh does not always mean best:
- Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and last much longer, preventing waste; just be sure to choose vegetables frozen without additional seasonings or sauces, it’s always best to season vegetables yourself.
- Frozen proteins can also be a healthful, long-lasting option, but be sure you avoid fish or poultry that is breaded, fried or heavily sauced or seasoned, as additives and breading can pack on the fat, sodium and calories.
Read labels:
- Foods with long ingredient lists may often be cheaper than less processed options, but they will not help you meet your weight loss goals. Choose minimally processed foods, low in calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates; whenever possible choose fresh or frozen produce and proteins. These foods will give you more nutrition for your buck, while helping reduce your waistline.

Work the Perimeter:
- The healthiest, freshest, and least processed options will line the outer walls of the store. This is where you will find fresh and frozen produce, fresh poultry and seafood, and a variety of low fat/fat free dairy options.
Buy In Season Produce:
- With each season comes a variety of fruits and vegetables that are fresh, local and by far cheaper than their out of season counterparts. Supermarkets can purchase in season produce from local vendors, which cut the price by eliminating the shipping and storage fees. Plus, you get foods fresh from the earth instead of old from the storage room.
- Hit up your local farmer’s market. This is another great resource for in season produce that is generally inexpensive and can provide a way for you to support local businesses.
  - Below is a list* of fruits and vegetables that are currently in season and will soon be in season (Spring/Summer).
    - Vegetables: asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, radishes, spinach, summer squash, swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini
    - Fruit: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mangos, peaches, pineapple, plums, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon*List taken from snaped.fns.usda.gov (USDA website)

Hopefully these tips and resources will help you continue on your path towards a healthy lifestyle.