my tips...
For any budget....
Start a list of prices of food [frozen and fresh chicken, x per lb.; apples, x per lb., etc.] and log where you buy. Then when you're out shopping and you see a sale price, you can see if it's less than your lowest...[does that make sense?]. I used 6 months or so of receipts and excel to start my list. Then when I started looking for deals, I would update my list. I had one price slot for typical and one slot for sale [so I knew if it was ever that or lower, stock up time]. Check the weekly flyers for sale prices and compare to your list.
Walmart and Meijer will price match any sale price [except buy 1 get 1 and % off]. Meijer also doubles coupons up to $.50.
Now to the healthy foods...
The key here is not to overbuy things that will go bad on you. The biggest mistake I've made is stocking up on fresh produce only to throw it away when I clean out the fridge...[$$$ literally in the trash].
Fruit typically is less expensive at Aldi if you have one near you. Sometimes it's on sale for lower than Aldi, then I'll go there. [small example bananas at aldi are .33, usually .39+ elsewhere except occ. they're .19].
Stock up on Egg Beaters [Costco usually has good bulk price; otherwise match a sale with coupons].
Buy FROZEN bags of veggies and fruits. I buy these at Trader Joe's, Aldi & elsewhere. [they last a lot longer, have more nutrients than canned, great for out of season produce].
Stock up on Chicken when it hits your sale price point. Otherwise, Meijer often has B1 G1 on the frozen breasts. Aldi typically has good prices on frozen breasts. Ditto with Fish...I'm not a huge fish person but I do enjoy Tilapia.
Do not buy bags of lettuce..expensive. Instead buy the bags of romaine and chop yourself. You can get 3 'heads' and make several salads. Romaine has more nutrients than iceberg. If you see spinach on sale, grab it and mix in. Great way to get more health. Stock up on your favorite low fat or ff salad dressing when it's on sale [I love Trader Joe's FF Balsamic Vin.]. Or make your own. Mix in any veggies you've bought that week on sale.
Cottage Cheese with pineappe makes a great snack. Or string cheese and apple slices. Buy generic and/or sale prices for good low price healthy snacks.
Brown rice, whole wheat flour [so you can make your own rolls, biscuits, etc.] and corn tortillas [for a sandwich wrap, etc.] are great and healthy staples for you, buy generic or on sale.
Buy a Big tub of the light Vanilla and swirl preserves or fruit into it . My kids love 'strawberry yogurt' made this way. I sometimes crunch up pretzels for them. And it's much cheaper than the little tubs.
Stock up on WHOLE GRAIN BREADS when it's on sale and freeze loaves you aren't using....make sure they're whole grain and high in dietary fiber.
Water is FREE and great for you.
I rarely eat red meat, but I buy the rolls of ground beef when they're on sale. The key with the more fatty red meat is to rinse off the fat after you cook. I put it in sink with a strainer and rinse. It reduces the fat and saves you $$$. But better savings for pocket and heart is to just limit it. Same with pork.
Some Recipes if you are interested:
Breakfast...
Egg Beater Omelet...an egg beater omelet made with [1/2 c egg beaters in pan sprayed with Pam, add salsa on top for more veggies and flavor or a sprinkle [sprinkle] of cheddar cheese].
Egg Pancake....1/2 c egg beaters + 1/4-1/3 c quick oats [you want it to be thick but not too thick that you can't pour]. Pour in pan sprayed with Pam.
Cook like a pancake. Add 1T Strawberry Preserves to top and enjoy.
Lunch...
Stir-fry chicken and veggies [pre-cook chicken breasts and keep in fridge so you can grab a breast and chop it up]. I basically steam the veggies if fresh [if frozen just throw in skillet] then throw in skillet with 1-2 T Soyaki and the cut up chicken. Delicious and cheapo.
Dinner...
Blackened Tilapia...[non fishy taste]. I spray the fish with Pam and then rub blackened seasoning on it. I grill it. Yummy. This + veggies + brown rice...mmmm.
Chicken...1 T olive oil, 1/2 c white wine or chicken broth or water, capers, garlic, artichoke hearts salt, pepper & chicken breasts. Yummo.
Hope this helps...
Trish