Introduction
The new year often inspires us to eat healthier, but doing so on a budget can feel next to impossible. Between the high costs of fresh produce, proteins, and whole grains, it's easy to get discouraged. But what if you could still enjoy nutritious meals without breaking the bank?
With Many Penny, you can find budget-friendly ingredients to build healthy, home-cooked meals. In this article, we'll provide tips to help you get started on your wellness journey without pinching pennies. You'll discover how to find deals on produce, fill your cart with affordable proteins and whole grains, and meal plan to maximize savings. Read on to learn how Many Penny can help you win at wellness in 2024, even on a limited budget!
Use Many Penny to Find Budget-Friendly Healthy Staples
Eating healthy doesn't have to blow your budget. Many Penny makes it easy to find the best prices on nutritious basics that your body needs.
For example, you can use Many Penny to compare prices for produce like bananas, apples, carrots, lettuce, and more across grocery stores. This allows you to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies without overspending. You may find bananas for $0.49/lb at one store versus $0.69/lb at another, saving you $0.20/lb.
The same goes for healthy pantry staples like brown rice, quinoa, beans, lentils, and oats. You can often save at least $0.50-1.00 per bag or container when comparing prices for these items. Many Penny helps take the guesswork out of getting affordable nutrition.
With Many Penny, you'll gain visibility into price fluctuations on healthy basics. This allows you to buy larger quantities when the prices dip to get more nutritional bang for your buck. Stock up on staples when they're at their lowest cost!
Load Up on Frozen Produce
Frozen produce is a budget-friendly way to load up on fruits and veggies during your shopping trip. When you find frozen produce on sale or markdown, stock up! Frozen produce often goes on sale in large bags at a fraction of the cost of the fresh options.
Even though frozen produce is usually much cheaper, it actually has very similar nutritional value as fresh fruits and vegetables. The freezing process locks in nutrients immediately after harvest. This means frozen produce often contains just as many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber as fresh varieties.
When adding frozen produce to your cart, opt for plain varieties without sauces or seasonings added. Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, mangos, cherries and pineapples are great choices. For veggies, look for bags of mixed vegetables, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and more. With your freezer stocked, you'll always have healthy, nutritious additions ready for meals and smoothies!
Prioritize Low-Cost Protein Sources
Protein is essential for good health, but some protein sources like meat and fish can be expensive. You can still get quality protein on a budget by choosing more affordable options like eggs, beans, lentils and canned tuna.
Eggs are one of the most economical forms of protein. Make a delicious frittata by combining eggs, vegetables like spinach or mushrooms, and a sprinkle of cheese. Hard boil eggs to keep in the fridge for quick high-protein snacks and to add to salads.
Canned and dried beans are pocket-friendly plant-based proteins. Try adding chickpeas or kidney beans to soups, chili and curries for an extra protein punch. Lentils are also very affordable. Make hearty lentil soups, or go Mediterranean with a lentil salad topped with feta cheese.
Canned tuna makes an excellent inexpensive choice too. Whip up tuna melts, tuna pasta bakes, or plan protein-packed salads with tuna mixed with veggies and cottage cheese or egg.
With a bit of creativity in the kitchen, you can get plenty of protein on a budget. Many Penny makes it easy to find great deals on eggs, beans, lentils and canned fish so you can eat well for less.
Meal Plan Around Weekly Sales
One of the best ways to eat healthy on a budget is to plan your meals around what's on sale each week. The Many Penny app makes this easy by showing you all the current deals and discounted items at your favorite stores.
Start by looking at the deals tabs in Many Penny to see what products are marked down that week. Make note of meat, produce, grains, and other ingredients that are priced lower than usual. Then check your pantry and fridge to see what staples you already have on hand.
With the sale items and existing ingredients in mind, you can start planning affordable, nutritious meals for the week ahead. Search for recipes that feature the discounted ingredients, or get creative and come up with your own healthy meal ideas. The key is crafting a weekly meal plan around what you can get for less that week.
Some examples of building a weekly menu from sale items:
- Chicken breast is buy one get one free - plan two chicken dinners like baked chicken with roasted veggies and chicken caesar salad. Use the extra chicken for lunches too.
- Berries are on sale - time for berry parfaits at breakfast, salmon with a berry salsa for dinner, and snacking on berries and Greek yogurt.
- Ground beef is marked down - make hamburgers one night, meatballs another, and stuffed peppers later in the week. Freeze extra shaped beef for later.
- Frozen greens are discounted - add them into every meal like omelets, pasta, and stir fries. An easy way to eat more veggies!
With Many Penny's sale tracking, you'll always know the best deals for healthy ingredients. A little planning goes a long way when you can stock up on fresh produce, lean protein and whole grains at lower prices. Eating nutritious foods on a budget is achievable when you meal plan around weekly sales!
Shop Store Brands
One of the simplest ways to save on groceries while still eating healthy is to buy store brand items. Generic labels offered at chains like No Frills, Superstore, and Walmart can be significantly cheaper than name brands, with prices up to 25-30% lower!
The key is not to equate lower cost with lower quality. Store brands go through the same quality control and inspection as national brands. In many cases, the actual underlying products are identical because they are made in the same manufacturing plants. The only difference is the branding and packaging.
With Many Penny's price comparisons, it's easy to see just how much you can save by trying generic labels. Do a side-by-side price check next time you shop to compare store brand prices against national brands for items like:
- Canned beans, tomatoes, tuna
- Frozen fruits and veggies
- Dairy products like cheese and yogurt
- Dry goods like pasta, rice, oats
- Nut butters, granola bars
You might be pleasantly surprised at the savings, while still getting the same healthy products! Going with generic brands allows you to maximize your grocery budget so you can afford more fresh produce, lean proteins, and other wholesome staples.
Load Up the Freezer
With Many Penny, you can take advantage of big sales to stock your freezer with budget-friendly foods for busy weeknights. Bulk buying frozen items like meat, prepared meals, soups, and bread when they're marked down can lead to huge savings over time.
When stocking your freezer, be sure to:
- Label items with name and date before freezing so you remember what’s inside.
- Portion meats into meal-sized servings and freeze in airtight bags or containers to avoid freezer burn.
- Arrange items with older food in front so it’s used first.
- Allow hot foods to cool completely before freezing to maintain quality.
- Freeze bread in airtight bags, squeezing out excess air. It will last 3-6 months.
- Most prepared meals and soups can be frozen for 2-3 months.
To defrost, move items from freezer to fridge overnight. Alternatively, place sealed frozen goods under cold running water or in the microwave, taking care to avoid parts becoming warm while still frozen.
With a well-stocked freezer, you'll always have healthy, budget-friendly options for quick weeknight meals. Let Many Penny help you take advantage of big grocery sales for feeding your family both conveniently and affordably.
Focus on Nutrient Density
When grocery shopping, it pays to focus on foods with a high nutrient density. Nutrient dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients with relatively few calories. By choosing more nutrient dense options, you can maximize your nutritional intake per calorie. This allows you to eat well while staying within your calorie needs for weight management.
Some affordable nutrient dense foods to add to your cart include:
- Beans and lentils - These legumes pack fiber, protein, iron, potassium and other key nutrients. Canned options make them convenient as well.
- Eggs - One of the most nutritious foods, eggs provide high-quality protein and a range of vitamins and minerals. Plus they are very budget friendly.
- Frozen vegetables - Flash frozen at peak ripeness, frozen veggies deliver the same nutrition as fresh. Opt for plain mixed veggies or greens like spinach and kale.
- Oats - An excellent source of fiber, oats contain protein, magnesium, zinc and more. Choose old-fashioned or quick oats and avoid sugary instant flavored versions.
- Canned fish - Canned tuna, salmon, sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, calcium and other nutrients. Look for options canned in water.
- Greek yogurt - Higher in protein than regular yogurt, Greek yogurt also provides probiotics, calcium, B vitamins and potassium. Select plain unflavored varieties.
By focusing your grocery list on affordable yet nutrient-dense foods, you can eat healthfully while maximizing your budget. Use Many Penny to track prices and find deals on these high nutrition staples.
Recap and Next Steps
The new year provides a great opportunity to reset your health and budget. With Many Penny as your grocery savings sidekick, you can shop smarter and make healthier choices without breaking the bank.
Throughout this article, we covered key tips like meal planning around sales, buying frozen produce and proteins, and focusing on store brands and nutrient density. Taking even a few of these steps can lead to big savings over time.
Now is the perfect time to join the Many Penny community. Download our free app and start experiencing the smarter way to shop and save on groceries.
With price tracking, notifications and an intuitive interface, Many Penny makes it easy to find deals, plan meals, and optimize your shopping. Say bye to flyers and wasted trips - let Many Penny revolutionize your grocery experience in 2023!
About Many Penny
Many Penny is a Toronto-based startup founded in 2022 that is revolutionizing the way Canadians shop for groceries.
Our app allows you to instantly compare prices across major grocery chains to ensure you always get the best deal. Key features include:
- Real-time price comparisons across multiple stores
- Price drop alerts so you never miss a sale
- Barcode scanning for quick price checks in-store
- Optimized shopping itineraries to save time
- Personalized shopping lists and favorites
- Comprehensive price tracking and insights
With Many Penny, you have all the tools you need to shop smarter, save money, and buy healthier groceries on a budget. We pull together the best deals from flyers and store apps into one easy-to-use platform.
Our mission is to make grocery shopping effortless, affordable, and even enjoyable! Join over 100,000 savvy shoppers who have discovered the power of Many Penny.
Download the Many Penny app today on iOS or Android and start experiencing a smarter, more budget-friendly way to grocery shop!