If you are like most American families, money will be tight this holiday season. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your wallet or health to have another beloved and cherished holiday.
Below are our tips for buying healthy meals on a budget this holiday season:
1. Buy fresh, buy local
Both of our neighborhood grocers have recently started carrying “locally grown” fruits and vegetables in the produce section. Many of these staple foods – sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, corn – are cornerstones of holiday fare. According to LocalHarvest, “Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold.”
Supporting local farmers is better for the environment (their produce doesn’t require as much refrigeration, packaging, shipping, etc.), and, is better for your health since they don’t have to travel far or wait long to get on your table (once harvested, produce loses nutrients quickly). And less fossil fuels are burned throughout the process, which is better for everyone’s health! Locally grown produce is definitely cheaper than buying organic, and can be less expensive than their industrial farmed counterparts.
2. Stock up when things are on sale
My eye literally starts to twitch when I’m forced to pay full price for things that I could buy on sale. So I stock up when things are on sale and I buy whatever fruits and vegetables are in season. Recently, I found all varieties of organic sugar on sale at my local grocer, Wegman’s. So, I bought brown sugar, granulated, powdered – every type of sugar I will possibly need to make cookies and goodies throughout the holiday season.
I am also an in-season purchaser of fruits and vegetables. This website allows you to select your home state and current season to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season. Check it out before you go to your local grocer so that you know what to look for at the store. Most vegetables can be frozen for later use (red/green/yellow peppers, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, corn, etc.). We have been buying peppers in bulk, chopping and freezing them in Ziploc bags as long as I can remember. As far as potatoes go, you can cut them into fries-size and freeze them to bake later. Nothing beats homemade sweet potato fries.
3. Make your meals from scratch
Who needs all that processed food anyway? If you make every dish on your table, you know exactly what’s in your food. No genetically modified ingredients or BPA to worry about – you will know exactly how much (or little) salt, sugar, butter, etc., is in your food. So forego the canned cranberry sauce, instant mashed potatoes and jar of gravy. You might need to start cooking a couple dishes the day before, but chances are your kids will love to help you in the kitchen and you’ll have complete peace-of-mind while you’re cherishing your family meals(s).
4. Heed the motto “Less is more”
If you’re making the entire meal from scratch (#3 above), who wants to make 3 different varieties of potatoes? Give your inner Martha Stewart a break. She’s tired and could probably use a long soak in the tub.
The only person who’s going to notice that you don’t have 6 different casseroles on the table is you! If there are a few sides that are big hits in your family, go with those, and forget about the rest. (If anyone complains, make sure they know that next year they’re welcome to host dinner).
5. Fill up your plate with LOTS of vegetables
Who wants to get to January and have another 5-pound-reason to hit the gym every day? One surefire way to get through the holidays without weight gain is to make sure that you have plenty of vegetables on your plate alongside the turkey. And I’m not talking about vegetable “casseroles!” If they are engulfed in heavy soups and/or butter, they don’t count. The more “whole” the vegetable, the better – sweet potatoes right out of the oven, roasted squash, baked green beans.
Of course, the best way to keep yourself healthy during the holidays is to eat balanced meals and to exercise. Bundle up the kids and walk them in the stroller. Or go to the local mall and walk in warmth. Or try out that new gym down the street (they’ll give you free pass for a couple of hours). There will be plenty of time to lay on the couch and watch movies, too. But the best way to enjoy some guilt-tree couch potato time during the holidays is to work up a good sweat first!
Don’t be shy – please leave us a comment and tell us how you save money and eat healthy foods during the holidays!
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These are some great tips. I especially like the point about ‘Givining your inner Martha a break.’ This is something I need to keep in mind not just at Christmas. You guys are right, the only one to notice would be you.
I love the tip about stocking up when things are on sale, however my family lives on a bi-weekly budget. We have a specific amount each pay-period that goes towards food. If I were to stock up I would have to short somethig else in the food category. Any suggestions for this?
Great post! Thanks!
City Mom, first of all thank you for reading and for asking a great question! I’m so glad you brought this up because we monitor our food budget in our house, too (my husband keeps everything in an Excel document). I think the best ways to save up enough funds so that you can stock up is:
1) create a weekly menu and don’t deviate your shopping from this menu (aka don’t use your entire budget for the sake of spending that bi-weekly allowance on food). Don’t forget to buy a few healthy snacks, too (cheaper alternatives like apples or celery or crackers & peanut butter, carrots, raisins, yogurt in large containers)
2) while you’re creating your weekly menu, make sure to check the what’s-in-harvest website above for the in-season fruits and vegetables so that you can get the lowest prices possible on the most healthiest foods for your family
3) if you’re used to eating meats (chicken, beef, pork) every night of the week, substitute a couple of those meals for a cheaper source of protein (beans, dairy – sometimes I give my kids yogurt, fruit and veggies for dinner)
4) when you’re creating your weekly menu, don’t forget to use coupons. although we’re not big proponents of processed foods at PureBebe and most coupons are for processed foods, I sometimes find great coupons for rice, milk, cheese, yogurt, spices and other staples in our refrigerator/cabinet
All of the ideas above are ways in which you can save enough of a surplus of cash so that you can stock up when you see things on sale. The idea being that you can always have a small surplus to use when you need it. Hope these help. Let us know how it goes over the next few weeks and whether these tips help – please keep us posted!
My family lives locally, so we all take turns hosting holiday events. Due to the fact that our full family is now so large (15+), everyone always offers to bring a dish or two. It really eases the load off of the hostess. Plus, it’s nice to eat a side made by a different hand (as my sister makes a completely different type of potato dish than I do).
Martha would be cool with potluck. 
Indeed and great point Andy. For large gatherings, potluck is definitely a wonderful option – my family has done this for years for Thanksgiving day.
When I know people will be milling around the kitchen looking to snag a piece of this or that, I keep celery sticks, carrot sticks cut and front¢er in the fridge. That way there’s something healthy and accessible at all times!
Great tip, midnitechef! Healthy appetizers can definitely keep those hunger pangs at bay!