11 Tips to Help Your Nutrition Clients Eat on a Budget

If you’ve shopped at any grocery store recently, you’ve probably noticed that the prices of healthy food choices are rising.

If eating healthy was a challenge before, the rising price of food has made it even harder. 

Making suggestions to help your clients eat on a budget is important, especially when they can't afford healthier options. 

That’s why in this blog, I’ll give you tips and strategies to help your nutrition clients eat healthy on a budget.

Tip #1: Replace Meat With Other Protein Sources

While looking at protein sources, the go-to is usually animal products such as beef, poultry, lamb, or pork. However, the normal household's monthly grocery bill increased by about 10% since last year, so many are going to avoid the expensive stuff. In this case, one of the main contributors is the rising cost of meat, as well as dairy and fresh produce. 

Swapping out some meat sources for other options, like lentils, beans, edamame, and chickpeas, that have excellent protein profiles, can help clients reach their protein goals on a budget. There are hundreds of ways to prepare either option, like adding beans to ground meats to stretch meals out, or creating savory dips like hummus or black bean dip for a snack. Canned goods and dried beans are usually around $1-3, providing adequate protein while maximizing a client’s protein intake. 

Canned tuna is another inexpensive and convenient protein option. One can of tuna has about 30g of protein for about $1.50. 

If a client is insistent on using a specific kind of meat, they can always shop for different and cheaper meat options to get the same flavor. 

Here are a couple of easy swaps your clients can make to save money:

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken vs. boneless, skinless.
• Sirloin tip steak, eye of round steak, and stew meat for beef. 

It isn’t just meat substitutes; stuff like nutritional yeast is a good parmesan substitution, and lasts a long time.  

Tip #2: Buying Frozen or Canned Fruits and Vegetables 

Frozen fruits and vegetables get a bad rap, and they shouldn’t. Especially if we look at what has contributed the most to the rise in grocery costs, it’s coming mostly from fresh produce. The solution may be buying frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.

Blueberries, strawberries, green beans, broccoli, and carrots are excellent options over fresh produce while on a budget. This can make grocery shopping even more cost-effective. 

Keep in mind, everything is harvested at the peak of freshness, then frozen and packaged, meaning you're getting the same nutrient profile as you were eating fresh. 

The same can be said for canned fruits and veggies like black beans, corn, pineapple, and peaches. They are processed at peak freshness. 

Now, many clients looking to control calories may have to be particular with the fruit. Many of the fruits might have extra sugar from syrups, so be on the lookout for the ‘No Sugar Option’ to avoid extra carbs. 

Generally, you don’t have to worry about them going bad, like what happens in your crisper when you swear you’re going to eat all of that romaine lettuce. So, outside of keeping something in your freezer for way too long, your clients won’t have to be concerned with wasting these fruits and vegetables. 

Also, one pro-tip for clients bringing meals to work is to add frozen vegetables to their meals. It’s an easy way to keep stuff cold without having to worry about coolers or ice packs. 

Tip #3 Buy In Bulk and Freeze

When it comes to buying in large quantities, there is no better option than Costco or Wholesale Stores. Although bigger isn’t always better, and spending $500 for decades worth of ketchup defeats the purpose of trying to save money. However, If your clients have the ability to buy larger amounts of meat, or frozen fruits and veggies, buying in bulk can help reduce the cost per meal dramatically. 

An entire package of chicken breast is roughly $25, with enough for 8-10 meals for an individual. Buy some freezer lock Ziploc bags, and separate them out individually to avoid thawing more than you need. This is an easy and cost-effective way to ensure your clients have a consistent protein source while shopping on a budget.

Tip #5: Protein Sources From Local Producers

If your clients are looking for a large source of meat, local ranchers or farmers may offer a better price per pound than in the grocery store. This might include buying a quarter or half of the beef cow that has all the cuts prepared the way you enjoy them, or even other livestock such as whole chickens, pigs, and sheep. This is possible, but it’s all about asking around and forming the right relationships. 

If anyone does decide to go this route, it is best to have a large freezer or go in with a few friends to share the costs and divide up the meat. This way, everyone you know will benefit from having a quality protein source throughout the year. 

Also, if you’re wondering if buying a deep freezer is worth it, many budgeting blogs have crunched the numbers, and you can save a lot of money if you freezer cook.

Tip #6: Source Your Own Protein

In many areas of the world, hunting deer, elk, and moose can provide a great source of protein for adventurous individuals willing to trek outside for 4 or 5 days a year. Most wild game is going to be a lean protein with very little fat. Moose has some of the lowest amounts of fat at around 1% when compared to beef, pork, or poultry. As well, moose is rich in B vitamins, Iron, and Vitamin A.  

Some people might stray away from hunting, but the methods in place are respectful and sustainable.  Sources of meat, like venison or moose, also make wonderful meals that keep really well, like roasts, stews, sausage, and jerky. 

Tip #7 Purchase In-Season Vegetables

Short of starting your own garden in the summer (which many people do for loads of different reasons), purchasing in-season vegetables is a great way to save some dollars when you want to enjoy fresh produce.

It’s all about knowing what is fresh and when:

• In the springtime, reach for more cucumbers and broccoli.
• In the summer months, berries and green beans.
• In the autumn, you have everyone’s favourite “basic” go-to like pumpkin, but also squash and potatoes.
• In the winter, depending on where you live, you may have apples, pears, and potatoes in season.  

In the nutrition world, we always praise variety, like varying fruits, vegetables, and colours, for different micronutrients. This is generally good advice, but when a client is trying to eat healthy foods within a budget, too much variety can be problematic. 

The answer is routine. 

Encourage them to eat similar meals to cut down on food waste, learn how to prepare them within a budget, and save time. This may be a bit robotic and monotonous, but for periods of time, it won’t hurt from a nutritional perspective and can help save money. 

Remember, protein is going to be one of the most expensive items to buy on a budget, and although the price of supplemental protein has also increased with inflation, cost of ingredients, and demand, it can be really cost-effective (ranging between $1-2 for 25-30 grams of protein per serving). 

Again, we need to think about waste and expiry dates. Generally, supplemental protein doesn’t go bad, especially not quickly like fresh food. Being able to eat more protein without the risk of going bad is a huge perk of supplemental protein and adds to the convenience and effectiveness of these products, especially when people need more protein.

Final Thoughts 

That’s it, folks, rising costs are all around, and everyone needs to eat (and eat healthy). 

Many of your nutrition clients may be struggling to budget for healthy food, putting additional strain on their health and wellness. These tips are small adjustments your clients can make to improve their nutrition on a budget, and they won't derail their progress. 

Using these tips, there's no reason NOT to be including healthier options in your diet.