The cost of Mediterranean Diet plans and other healthy eating diet plans may be a larger factor for families with rising economic cuts. We have a fixed grocery budget. Even when food prices go up, our grocery budget stays the same. For the past several months, I have watched the prices in the grocery store inch up slowly. When the prices aren’t going up, the sizes are going down. One can of tuna fish used to be enough. We now need to purchase two cans.
Cost of Mediterranean Diet
It’s no secret to most people that healthier food costs more money than processed foods. I would love to fill my grocery cart with only fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains each week. I find myself adding in fillers to stretch the meals to feed a few more servings. Some of those fillers aren’t as healthy as I’d like. Diets like the Mediterranean diet encourage you to eat more whole foods and less processed and commercially prepared foods. Examples of those whole foods are:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Fish and poultry
- Whole grains
- Nuts, beans and lentils
- Olive oil
What you’ll notice is missing in the list above are processed foods and dairy products. The Mediterranean Diet doesn’t have dairy as a major focus. When it is included, it’s generally in the form of cheese and yogurt. Sweets and desserts are limited to special occasions. When you look at this list, you may think it’s impossible to follow given the cost of Mediterranean diet plans. However, there are foods that you will commonly find coupons for that will fit into the Mediterranean diet plan.
Fresh fruit may be your first thought. Canned fruit in 100% natural juices can also be an occasional option. Stay way from heavy syrup and anything marked light or low sugar because that will have preservatives and artificial ingredients. Look at the ingredients list before you choose. Avoided added sugar. One of my favorites are the Dole Fruit Bowls (pineapple tidbits). The ingredients are pineapple, pineapple juice, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, (Vitamin C). When a fresh pineapple doesn’t fit into my budget, picking this up with a coupon is better than a more heavily processed food.
There are many pasta brands that offer whole grain versions. Brown rice is now available from a variety of brands as well. I noticed that Uncle Ben’s now offers brown rice the last time I was in the grocery store. Carbs should not play a huge part of your diet. When you do include them, choose the whole grain version. Most cereal brands have whole grain cereals. Kashi is one of my favorites when I look for healthy cereals.
Dairy plays a small part in the Mediterranean diet. Yogurt is an option. I love yogurt for breakfast but I’m careful what I choose. Avoid the yogurts with artificial colors, sweeteners and heavily processed add ins like candy, yogurt, and cookie pieces. I avoid yogurts that don’t have real flavors. Since there isn’t a cotton candy plant, I won’t buy cotton candy yogurt. One of my favorite yogurts is the Yoplait Simplait. It is a whole fat yogurt that contains only six ingredients. The Mediterranean diet recommends whole yogurts instead of fat free.
These are just a few products that regularly have coupons that I look for when I try to eat closer to the Mediterranean diet and other healthy diet plans. My choices probably don’t come as a surprise to you. Most people know what they need to do to eat healthier. It’s not always possible to make a huge change all at once. I try to make healthier choices each time I go to the grocery store. I choose the healthiest product I can based on what I want to buy.
I found a site that offers coupons for some of the healthier products I buy regularly. EverydayHealthyValues.com aims to help consumers save money on purchases regardless of where they are on the healthy eating spectrum. The savings on the site allow individuals to save money on the foods they feel are better for them. Understanding the health benefits and risks of food items can be confusing. The food products on Everyday Healthy Values meet nutritional criteria established based on information from published federal health, nutrition and food labeling guidelines and established nutrition science. Pick and choose the ones that fit best into the healthy eating plan that you’re following.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.
About Ellen Christian
I don’t coupon as a regular practice. I purchase mostly whole foods like you mentioned – it’s healthier but more expensive. In my area, we have a “wholesale to the public” produce market. When I shop there I walk out with a bag full of produce for under $10 – the same items at the grocery store would cost more than double. You should check to see if you have one in your area - or maybe a CSA?
I live in a fairly rural area so we don’t have anything like that. I do garden in the summer though to help with fruits and veggies.
I try to shop the outer aisles in the grocery store and avoid anything processed. I wish our store had more selection because I find the lack of selection really sad. I guess that goes with living in a small town.
it is sad that buying healthy foods is so much more expensive than processed foods. thanks for the tip about how to save money!
I think buying processed food is more expensive. I find a lot, for cheap at local farmers markets and such. Even growing some things on my own. I do think a Mediterranean Diet is affordable.
What do you mean cotton candy is not a plant!??!
I find shopping at the farmer’s market helps stretch my grocery budget.
We love the Farmer’s Market! Ours is only open from Basically late May to early October but I visit it often when it is.
The think with a lot of what is on the Meditteranean food diet is that a lot can be purchases in bulk – like the olive oil, grains, and lentils/nuts etc. Those are my favourite kinds of food anyway – and it does end up being fairly inexpensive, yet packed with nutrients and delicious flavours! I can’t comment on the price of the meat products, since I don’t eat meat, but I haven’t noticed the price of the things I’ve mentioned has changed in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been on my own.
That’s true! I do wish we had stores where would could buy bulk in our area. I guess that’s one of the hazards of small town living. I’ll have to drive to the city and check out or health food store one of these days.
Sorry about my spelling in my previous post!
Definitely – you can save a lot by buying those things in huge quantities. They don’t ‘go bad’ for a really long time and tend to keep/store well.
That’s true. Our little grocery stores just don’t have bulk options available. I’m lucky I can find half the healthy things I want let alone finding them bulk
Although it would take a bit more planning and effort, I think a diet like this is doable on a budget.
I think so too. I just need to make sure I have a menu plan and stick to it when I shop. I guess it’s like anything else, lack of planning is not good.
I could seriously live strictly by the Mediterranean diet however the other member of my family would rebel. So I try to sneak in a few of my choices each week.
LOL my husband wouldn’t go for it either but I try!
I shop at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and some more local chain stores… each have their benefits and cost savers. I just make it a priority to spend money on healthy options… but we still have splurges here and there of not as healthy foods. Everything in moderation
I really wish we had Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods in Vermont. My only option is the farmer’s market in the summer or our local grocery store.
My local grocery store is so overpriced, it’s not even funny. We’re spending a record amount on groceries and this really needs to change. I think it will be worth the gas money driving a little further and of course using great resources like coupons! Thanks for the wonderful post
I always check to see if there is a coupon for what I want to buy. I have found them for Cuties (oranges), cherry tomatoes, Greek yogurt, etc. There aren’t as many for healthy foods but they do exist thankfully.
I’m not much of a coupon person. I tend to stick to the outside aisles, fresh fruits and veggies and lean meats. Hard to find coupons for many of those items. We try to grow as much as we can during the summer, and I try to freeze and preserve as much as I can. We buy most of our meat from local farmers, grass fed whenever possible and we raise our own chickens. That’s the bonus of living in the country!
We do the same here too, Linette. With my back issues we are trying a container garden this year. Our chickens keep us in eggs and we have several fruit trees. I do love country living.
Honestly I LOVE Mediterranean food. I really wish I could grow half of this in my backyard but sadly I don’t have a green thumb
I would love to have a huge garden too, Marina! We have a small garden every year thankfully but that’s about all I can manage.