Do you ever find yourself wanting to spoil your nieces and nephews with junk food? I see it often with parents too. One common excuse for eating junk, however, is that purchasing healthy food is expensive. So, let’s chat about the financial aspects of what goes into our shopping carts and the bodies of ourselves as well as our nieces and nephews.

I was one of those people who complained about the cost of healthy, organic foods until I sat back and reevaluated the situation. I realized that I spent way more money eating out than I did on groceries. Not to mention the cost of drinks in the city, averaging about $8 each, can definitely pump up the price of any dinner. So, now I counsel my clients from experience. Cut back on the number of nights you eat out. Brown bag your lunches because lunch in the city can be a $20 bill when you add up your morning lattes and post lunch sweet fix. The same goes for when you are spending time with kids, minus the lattes and cocktails. Junk food adds up just as much as healthy food.

Also, the cost of eating healthy is miniscule compared to the cost of getting sick all the time due to poor nutrition and health. When you are eating healthy and pack your diet with fruits and vegetables that contain necessary nutrients and anti-oxidants, you are building your immune system to fight off sickness. If you are eating low quality, junk foods you are destroying your immune system little by little and have a much greater chance of “catching” flus and colds that keep you unproductive and out of work for days at a time. Kids need a strong immune system to fight off all of those runny-nosed, coughing kids at school who don’t wash their hands! It also costs money to take care of a sick child.

So where should you “splurge” when it comes to grocery shopping?

When grocery shopping it is an absolute must to pay a premium for animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs. Unless you want a chicken breast with a side of antibiotics or a burger with a serving of growth hormones and other chemicals, I seriously suggest that you buy organic animal products. As a bonus, you are helping the environment as well. If you don’t believe me just do your research on conventionally grown meat products in the U.S. You will be shocked at what you find!

There is also a list called the Dirty Dozen that is put out annually by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which lists the most contaminated conventionally grown foods. The list usually contains spinach, peaches, strawberries, bell peppers, and grapes. So, if you can buy these fruits and vegetables organically then you are saving yourself from extra doses of pesticides.

Some other tips to keep a food bill low:

Eat out less and spend money on healthy groceries and it is possible to save money. Go vegetarian a few days a week. Vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes are relatively inexpensive and a healthier alternative to meals based on meats and dairy which are more expensive. You can build meals around these ingredients alone that can last for days as leftovers; So you can cook once, and eat for 3 days. Drink water (it’s free) and skip the chemical and sugar added juices, sodas and sports drinks that contain no nutritional value.

Cooking your own meals is the most wallet-friendly practice. It can help shrink your waistline while keeping your budget in check. Take-out food, although convenient, is usually drowning in oil and loaded with highly caloric sauces that can contain large amounts of sugar, salt and chemicals like MSG. Restaurants don’t care about your health, they just want the food to taste good so you will come back for more. When you cook for yourself you can control all of the ingredients that go into your meal as well as the amount.

Three things to keep in mind to give your body and your wallet a happy outcome when you are buying food for a family:

1 - Buy expensive items in bulk like olive oils and your cleaning products and paper goods.
2 - If the kids are staying over for a few days, plan your meals for the week so you don’t waste money on rotting produce in your refrigerator.
3 - Again, eat vegetarian for a few days a week and save money on costly items like fish, meat and dairy.