When you have a family to feed, there’s no doubt you want to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. Eating healthy on a budget can be super easy—with a little bit of savvy, knowledge, and planning. And, what better way to plan with ease than with a few of these tips and tricks!

Tip #1: Stock your pantry with low-cost staples

The secret to stocking up on healthy and filling meals every night of the week is searching for the traditional foods. These include lunch and dinner items like whole grain pasta, brown rice, and all kinds of canned beans for the base of these meals. You can go further into other healthy grains like quinoa and couscous, also super friendly on your wallet.

Tip #2: Budget breakfast

Steel cut oats or old-fashioned rolled oats are filling and inexpensive. Dress them up with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and a touch of cinnamon for sweetness. Besides being rich and satisfying—it’s a meal prepared to keep you full until lunchtime.

Pro tip! Have your kiddos customize their own oatmeal for some added fun.

Tip #3: Take the time to look for the deals and steals

Ground turkey is especially low-cost and has less fat than ground beef. You can buy chicken breasts in bulk, bake them, and then freeze them to reheat with different meals. Choose your proteins and veggies based on what’s on sale that week—this creates variety to your cooking routine.

Check your local grocery store flyers for weekly specials. These can be on all kinds of foods from meat, poultry, vegetables, and everything in between. You can also cut out coupons to use on top of the weekly specials, but don’t forget to check the fine print!

Tip #4: In season=best prices

Fruits and veggies that are in season are your go-to’s. For example, strawberries aren’t in season in the winter, so they’re going to be more expensive.

As a general guideline—try to buy your berries in the summertime, apples in the fall, and citrus in the winter. Bananas on the other hand, are always a great option because they’re available year-round and are very low-cost per pound.

The same goes for vegetables. Try to find ones in season to get the best bang for your buck. They’ll taste better and be less money out of your pocket. Check out this perfect seasonal produce guide to learn a little more on when it’s the best time to buy certain fruits and vegetables. ¹ Pssst, when meal planning the print out reference is super handy.

Tip #5: Go meatless on Monday’s

Save some cash each week by going meatless on Monday. Make your meals filling and healthy with a variety of bean-based dishes that can be satisfying and yummy. Veggie black bean burgers are a terrific recipe to try. Kids can dress them up any way they like with condiments, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

Getting the kiddos to eat healthy

Involving your kiddos from start to finish can help them make awesome choices. We asked a few Plexus® parents for their go-to tips for encouraging their kiddos eat better.

Your new shopping buddy

“I let my kids pick out our fruits and vegetables and meal plan with me. By taking them to the store with me they become my “special helper.” All my kiddos, especially the little ones, love to help out where they can and they’re more likely to eat what they picked out.” –Amanda, Arizona

Let them be your chef side-kick

“When my kids are engaged in all aspects of cooking, they’re more likely to eat the things they help prepare. It’s a source of pride for my kids! They’re way more excited to try the things they help me make.” –Heather, Illinois

Play secret agent

“My little one is on the picky side—so I try to stir up the ultimate disguise. I’ll get creative by disguising fruits and vegetables into other dishes. My little one doesn’t eat broccoli alone, so I mixed it into homemade low-fat macaroni and cheese, made with skim milk and whole grain pasta. It made it a little more tempting for him. Pureeing vegetables or fruits, then blending them into dishes is another healthy and sneaky way to get my kids to eat healthy.” –Tyler, Arkansas

Keep healthy snacks in reach

“My kids always seem to get hungry between meals. So, having a healthy and delicious snack on hand where they can easily access it helps them independently decide to eat healthier.”—Taylor, Ohio

Happy kid=happy parent

“Giving compliments to my little ones when they try anything new is what seems to do the trick. It encourages them to try more new items.” –Cory, Minnesota

Sticking to your budget when grocery shopping tends to be a little easier if you’re armed with a pre-approved list. Consider this your your go-to healthy grocery shopping list.

Ideas to rock the lunchbox

Tip #1: Snacks

Snacks are by far the best part about a lunch box! Make your own to make a super healthy—and delishious—snack.

Or, try inside out cucumber sandwiches. Grab a couple of sliced cucumbers, a little cheese, protein, and wa-lah! A sandwich-snack masterpiece. And, if you’re looking for something quick—you can’t go wrong with apples and nut butter—or any fruit or veggie for that matter.

Tip #2: Plan ahead

Make Sundays a family meal-prep day. Meals like   and bean burritos are great and inexpensive lunch ideas to pack.

Tip #3: Single serving packs=no-go

Buying in bulk—or at least full-size bags—is always cheaper. And, portioning snacks into reusable baggies is great for your budget and the environment.

Tip #4: Substitutions, substitutions, substitutions

Finding healthier alternatives is easy when you get the hang of it. If you’re craving some salty chips, grab a bag of tasty baked kale chips—you can buy these at the store or make them yourself!

Tip #5: Bento boxes for the win

Individual lunchtime containers called bento boxes are seriously the bomb-dot-com. They’re made with different compartments—making it super easy to sort out a healthy lunch. Mix veggies and fruits with healthy dips like hummus, salsa, or natural peanut butter. There are literally a never-ending combo of healthy ideas these lunch containers allow you to pack!

Whether you chose to play secret agent, go meatless on Mondays, or pick up a bento box, those efforts will pay off in the long run—leaving a happier and healthier you, making a healthier and happier fam.