Making the conscience decision to eat healthier doesn’t mean your wallet has to suffer. To stick to your budget and eat healthier, follow the three P’s: Plan, Purchase and Prepare.

Plan

• Plan your meals for the week. Stews and casseroles are good meal options for stretching your dollar, the leftovers can easily be reheated and eaten throughout the week.
• Make a grocery list.
• Check for coupons in the newspaper for the more expensive items on your list.

Purchase

• Don’t go grocery shopping when you are hungry.
• Stick to the grocery list.
• Compare and contrast store brands by using the “Unit Price” located on the shelf to get the best deal.
• Buy in bulk what you can. Most family packs and bulk items are cheaper than the smaller packages.
• Only buy fruits and vegetables that are in season.
• Fast, convenient pre-cut and prepared meals are usually more expensive. Save money by buying items that may require more preparation time.

Prepare

• Prepare meals in advance on a day off.
• Triple the recipe size and freeze the leftovers to be reheated at a later time.
• Try going meatless. Save money by replacing the meat ingredient in recipes with beans, which are a good source of protein at a lower cost.

Tips provided by ChooseMyPlate.gov.