Healthy Eating on a Budget – 30 Resources to Download

Prepared By: Jennifer Broxterman, RD
Private Practice Registered Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist
Owner of NutritionRx | www.nutritionrx.ca
London, Ontario

Below is a list of nutrition resources compiled December 2011 for the general public, Registered Dietitians, and other healthcare providers working with clients of lower socioeconomic status striving to eat healthy on a limited budget.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Resources for Lower-Income Clients and to Help Save EVERYONE Money on the Cost of Purchasing Healthier Food

DailySpark: $20 Food Showdown: Fast Food vs. Healthy Food
Here are some interesting photos that compare healthy to not-so-healthy foods and their relative costs:
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket

Eat Right Ontario
EatRight Ontario has an abundance of resources under the section Food Choices When Money is Tight:
http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Budget/Food-choices-when-money-is-tight—Budget-friendly.aspx

A print version of the resource kit Food Choices When Money is Tight can be obtained by calling EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-510-2 to request a free copy.  You may order up to 10 copies, which are meant to be used as a master copy and can be reproduced and distributed as needed.

Below are some PFDs I’ve compiled from Eat Right Ontario that you may find helpful:
ERO – Vegetable Best Buys
ERO – Fruit Best Buys
ERO – Grain Products Best Buys
ERO – Milk and Alternatives Best Buys
ERO – Meat and Alternatives Best Buys
ERO – Planning Healthy Meals
ERO – Save Money at the Grocery Store
ERO – Places To Go When You Do Not Have Enough Money for Food
ERO – Storing Vegetables
ERO – Storing Fruit
ERO – More Recipes

Haliburton, Kwartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
HKPR Health Unit – Pack a Powerful Lunch: https://www.hkpr.on.ca/uploadedFiles/Power%20Lunch.pdf

Jessica Zupan, Grocery Store Tour Nutrition Resources
20 Healthiest Foods Under 2 Bucks
Cheap and Healthy Shopping List
Cost & Nutrition Analysis, Convenience vs Homemade Foods

New York Times Sunday Review: Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?
An interesting article from the New York Times Sunday Review looking at the debate between the cost of “junk foods” versus healthier fresh foods:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?pagewanted=all

Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health has a variety of handouts that give people tips for the “best buys” from the different food groups when they’re on a tight budget.  Here’s where to find them: http://www.toronto.ca/health/nutrition/adult.htm#2.  Scroll down to the Shopping section and click on the ‘best buys’ resources.

Below are some PFDs I’ve compiled from Toronto Public Health that you may find helpful:
TPH – Best Buys Vegetables and Fruit
TPH – Best Buys Grain Products
TPH – Best Buys Milk and Alternatives
TPH – Best Buys Meat and Alternatives
TPH – Fruit Juice vs Fruit Drink, Whats the Difference
TPH – Healthy Shopping Made Easy

Print Resources

• Mealtime Memo for Child Care. April, 2002. National Food Service Management Institute, The University of Mississippi. March 2006.

• Diana Sagers, Lee Sherry, Kris Saunders, Georgia Lauritzen, Eileen Milligan. The Cost of Convenience. January 2001. Utah State University Extension. March 2006.

• Jessica R. Donze, RD, CDE. Smart Supermarket Shopping. August 2003. Kidshealth.org. March 2006.

• Ann Hertzler. Food Cents. February 2001. Virginia Cooperative Extension. March 2006

• Jane Snow. Costs of convenience. March 2006. Portsmouth Herald. April 2006.

• Shannon Brown, RD. Planning Low-Cost Menus. Southwest Human Development Services.