Eating healthy can put a strain on your wallet. Buying a processed, packaged meal is usually pretty cheap. Putting together a delicious dish of high-quality, whole ingredients, on the other hand, often comes at a price. 

Does this mean you have to choose between your physical and financial health? Of course not. We’ve gathered up five tips to help you fill your cart with the stuff your body needs without a shocking total at checkout. 

Shop frozen
Did you know that frozen fruits and veggies have pretty much the same nutritional density as fresh ones? In fact, they can sometimes have more nutrients than what you’d find in the produce section because they get frozen at peak freshness when they’re richest in nutrients. Shopping frozen usually saves you money at checkout — and the savings keep rolling, too. Those frozen raspberries aren’t going to greet you with a fuzzy covering of mold the next morning. 

Use everything. Food waste is an issue, and not just because food insecurity is a pressing problem worldwide. It’s also bad for your wallet. Plan your meals so that you use everything before it goes bad. Buying a head of lettuce but the recipe only calls for half? Make a salad for lunch tomorrow. Tossing those carrot greens in the trash? Not so fast. Sautee them or use them to make soup stock. 

Do meatless Monday. Most protein sources are cheaper than meat. Swap your meat-heavy meals for a vegetarian option once a week (or more) and you can slash your grocery bill. (Feeling protein deficient? ICONIC is always here for you with 20 grams of protein per serving). 

Go big. With the amount you cook, that is. It’s a lot easier to avoid food waste when you’re cooking bigger meals. If you’re not that into leftovers, don’t be afraid to freeze food. Then, you have a $0 meal awaiting you next time you need it. 

Look for whole foods. It takes time for food manufacturers to shred your cheese and chop your watermelon into those little plastic containers. And time is money, so you better believe they’re going to charge you for it. Buy whole ingredients and you’ll save money if you’re willing to put in the little extra bit of work once you get them home. 

Armed with these tips, you’re ready to treat your body and your wallet right. 

Can't make it to the store? Shop ICONIC online!