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Unsure what’s for dinner tonight? Grocery bills sky high? Making last-minute trips for takeout or groceries? Learn the secret to ending your mealtime stress this year!

I talk a lot about healthy food and saving money here on the blog (as you’ve probably noticed!).

There’s a good reason for this.

A few years ago, I realized that we were able to feed our family wholesome food on a tight budget (spending less on groceries than the full food stamp benefit, in fact!). This was eye-opening, and helped me to realize that if I could do it, anyone could. I began to share tips with friends and family members, and anyone who would listen to me [geek out]!

The #1 reason I hear people give for NOT eating healthier is cost. 

And I get it. I was there, too. Pop-Tarts, boxed frozen meals, and ALL the sugary cereals were staples in our family—practically our main food groups. Ramen noodles cost less than 20 cents or something ridiculously cheap; I didn’t think we could eat healthier for less.

But I was wrong.

We could eat healthier, and for even less money! And that’s why I’m passionate about sharing tips and tricks with readers, so that YOU can be encouraged in your journey as well. 🙂

My #1 Secret to Eating Healthy on a Budget

S-l-o-w-l-y, I learned a few tricks to help our family eat foods that are good for us—without sacrificing flavor or half of our monthly income.

One of my best tricks is planning meals in advance. And trust me, I am no expert in this department yet, but I have seen some immediate benefits from meal planning, such as:

• More efficient grocery shopping, because I know exactly what to buy.
• Less food wasted, since I’m buying only what we need. (As a result, less money is wasted!)
• Fewer stressful evenings, wondering what to cook. Rather, I know exactly how to answer the famous “What’s for dinner?” question.
• Healthier, happier dinners as a family!

If meal planning is also something you’d like to try (or do better), please know that you can start small. I mean, even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner is a plan—and a pretty good one for a busy evening!

A meal plan doesn’t need to be intimidating; it simply means thinking ahead about what you’ll eat for the week and what ingredients to have on hand. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be!

A Sample Meal Plan

Here’s a super simple meal plan for a day:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats (These are great because you can mix them up the night before!)

Lunch: Garden salad or easy slow cooker baked potatoes

Dinner: Spaghetti + meatballs (try with this delicious homemade pasta sauce!) with roasted vegetables

With practice, you’ll get better and better at planning meals, which means more time saved, less chaotic meal times, and more sanity and quality family time.

FREE Printable Meal Planner

Still need a little help planning your weekly meals? Grab this FREE printable meal planning sheet and get started today!

This new year doesn’t have to be the year of food waste, enormous grocery bills, unhealthy meals, and last-minute takeout. Start your New Year right by creating a basic meal plan for the upcoming week!

Original post: December 30, 2017 | Updated December 26, 2022