Eat healthy on budget 7 ways to cut costs on your grocery bill without sacrificing nutrition BY LINDSAY CUOMO . SPONSORED BY SHAPE YOUR FUTURE OKLAHOMA.
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Swap your sugary drinks for water. You’ll be cutting calories, saving cash and skipping the sugar crash! Robinson invested in reusable water bottles for everyone in her family and those go with them everywhere. “We are a busy family,” said Robinson. “Having water with us means I am not spending money on juice boxes or things like that.” Create your meal plan with veggies first. When meal planning, most people first consider the protein, but Robinson has started prioritizing what vegetables she wants to serve. Health experts recommend filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, so Robinson has changed her mentality to let those foods be the star of the meal. “We have so much more variety in our meals now,” said Robinson. “Sometimes we find we don’t even need meat to have a filling, balanced meal.” Shape Your Future has dozens of quick and easy healthy recipes to fit any budget, including kid-friendly snacks that incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables. Start planning at shapeyourfutureok.com/healthy-recipes and shapeyourfutureok.com/recipe-categories/snacks.
As prices soar due to record inflation, families are feeling the pinch, especially at the grocery store. Often, the first items that don’t make the budget are the pricier items, which also tend to be healthier choices. But that doesn’t have to be the case! With these seven tips and recipes from Shape Your Future Oklahoma, you can still serve up healthy meals and stick to your budget. Make a list and stick to it. This is Budgeting 101, but limiting impulse buys is essential to staying on budget. Shape Your Future’s grocery planner (shapeyourfutureok. com/individual_pdfs/grocery-list) helps you prioritize healthy foods and a balanced diet. Erin Robinson, a local mom of three young kids, says meal planning is the most important step to keep her family on budget. “Making a plan for meals and snacks each week really saves us money and makes sure that nothing goes to waste,” shared Robinson. “When prices are high, the last thing I want to do is throw something away.” 1
12 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAY-JUNE 2022
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