Grocery Shopping Tips for Weight Loss and Saving Money

Streamline your Grocery Shopping Routine to Finally Get Healthy  and Save Money

Get your kitchen organized with these grocery shopping tips for healthy eating, saving money, and weight loss
Get your kitchen organized with these grocery shopping tips for healthy eating, saving money, and weight loss

One of the first steps to eating healthy is having the healthy and delicious option in your house. Deciding what to buy and figuring out how to eat healthy on a budget can feel overwhelming. Here are 21 grocery shopping tips to get your home and kitchen ready for a healthier lifestyle!

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shopping list photo

Before Grocery Shopping Tips

To have the healthiest kitchen and save the most money, you may want to do a few things before you shop. A plan, a grocery list, and a phone full of discounts goes a long way. Getting a little organized before you go can relieve stress and help you feel less overwhelmed. Here are a few grocery shopping tips to try before you grocery shop.

  1. Clean out your kitchen of foods that you feel are having a negative impact on your health.
  2. Make your grocery list. There are many ways to go about this. One idea is to  plan your meals ahead of time and make a grocery list according to your planned meals and planned snacks. If you follow a list, you’re less likely to make an less nourishing last-minute food choice. Another idea is to make a general grocery list using The Meal Builder Cards found in The Nourishing Meal Builder. The Nourishing Meal Builder shows you how to make nourishing, delicious meal on the fly without meal planning.
  3. Not sure how to meal plan and grocery shop? Try a healthy meal plan app.  For help preparing a HEALTHY meal plan and grocery list, you can visit several websites or apps like Mealime.com. The Mealime site and app helps you plan meals and  include a grocery list. You can find a healthy grocery list developed by a dietitian at http://dietitiandeanna.com/grocery-lists/
  4. Take it a step further, after planning your meals once a week and following your grocery list; then pre-cook, pre-portion, and freeze food for the week. Then you will be ready to go the whole week and won’t worry about what you are going to eat all week long. Even better, you can even plan frozen meals, make all the meals in one day and freeze them for the rest of the month! I show you how to efficiently do this in the ebook, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals.
  5. The next step after planning your grocery list, is to find ways to save money. The best strategy I have found is using coupon and rebate apps. These apps are completely FREE!!!! By using these apps,  I was able to keep healthy foods in the house AND still save money. I don’t make it too complicated either. So I don’t get overwhelmed, I focus on only four discount apps. I just check these four apps before I shop for anything, not just groceries.

My Four Favorite Money Saving Apps

Ibotta App

The first is Ibottta. You can shop online by clicking on the store selections and shopping at your favorite stores right from the app. You can shop in a brick and mortar store as well, and you can even add your grocery store rewards card to the app! Before you shop, you just pick the coupons in the app that you think you might use. These coupons are added to your rewards card, and your discount will be added to Ibotta when you swipe your card at checkout. If you don’t have a card, no worries. You still pick out your coupons on the app before shopping. Then you scan your receipt in the app to receive the rebate. It is so simple. To sign up for Ibotta with my referral code click the link below:

ibotta.com

Coupons.com

The second app I use is coupons.com. This works much like Ibotta. I simply select the coupons I want to use before I shop, and then I shop. When I swipe my Food Lion card, for example, the coupons are used automatically! Check it out at Coupons.com

Swagbucks

I also use an app called swagbucks. For this app you get points for shopping at certain stores. These store selection is huge. I can buy groceries on amazon or a birthday present for my daughter at The American Girl store and earn points. You can also earn points by answering daily questions and taking surveys through the swagbucks app. You can use the points to get gift cards!!! And these are legit great gift cards. You can get $25 gift cards to Amazon, “Bath & Body Works”, Walmart and so much more! It is pretty amazing. Start getting swagbucks as my referral by clicking on the link below:

Swagbucks.com.

Ebates

The final app I use doesn’t really have many grocery coupons, but I like to mention it when I mention my other apps. This is ebates. You can buy all kinds of products and save. Again, this app gives you discounts to a huge number of popular stores like Kohl’s, “Bed, Bath, and Beyond”, and of course, Amazon. The list goes on and on. Whenever I am about to buy somehting online, I check this app along with the other three apps to see if a coupon or rebate is available. You can download this app through my referral link by clicking on the Ebates button below.

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

I can not emphasize enough how huge these saving have been for my family. My friends are amazed at how many groceries I am able to buy for the amount of money spent. When I get that rebate, I feel like I am bringing in money for my family!

By using these apps, you can shop healthy and save money.

5. Okay, so you planned your week or month, you made a grocery list, and you have found all your discounts. Now you are ready to grocery shop. Hold on! Are you hungry? Don’t go grocery shopping when you are hungry. If you are hungry, eat a healthy snack before grocery shopping.

Now you are ready to shop healthy and save money!

 Grocery Shopping Tips: At the Store

6. Stick to the Grocery List.  Or stick to the general grocery list found in The Nourishing Meal Builder. The Nourishing Meal Builder is more fluid and open to your mood and what is available in the grocery store.

7.  Get your children involved by letting them pick a different fruit or vegetable to try each week at dinner. Have them pick a variety of colors.

8. Buy packaged products that have whole foods listed at the first ingredient on a simple ingredients list. Check the labels and look for foods that are more nutrient dense vs. sugar and calorie dense. 

9. Make sure the majority of your grocery items are lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

10. Stock up on frozen and canned fruits and vegetables like canned peaches and pears so that a healthy option is always on hand.

12. Save time and money during the week by buying foods in bulk like lean protein (chicken breast and ground turkey), pasta, rice, beans, pretzels and cooking a week’s worth on Sunday night. Then, pre-portion the chicken or other meat into deck of card sized portions and store in freezer. Divide other foods into portions after getting back from the grocery store. (Example: make zip lock bags of pretzels.)

13. Don’t buy food just because you have a coupon. Use a coupon only for foods you actually want and use.

14. Avoid buying sugary desserts. Eating sugar causes us to want to eat more so limit sugary foods. In other words, the sweeter the food, the more we want sweeter food. The less sweet the food, the less we desire sweets. For example, if you go a long time without sweets, then a piece of fruit will taste plenty sweet to you and a piece of chocolate cake may taste too sweet to you. But if you continue to eat sweet foods, a piece of fruit will not taste sweet enough and a piece of chocolate cake will be needed to feed your sweet tooth.

Grocery Shopping tips for saving money, healthy eating, and weight loss
Grocery shopping tips for saving money, healthy eating, and weight loss

After Grocery Shopping Tips

Once you are home from your grocery trip, you can unpack in a  way that can help you eat healthier throughout the day.

15. While you are unloading the groceries, wash fruits, and pre-portion healthy snacks in small ziplock bags as part of your unloading routine. I keep pre-portions snacks in a lower side shelf of the fridge. I wash grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc and put a small amount in little ziplock bags. Then I store these individual bags in this lower refrigerator shelf. This is the “kids grab and go” snack shelf. My children know that if they are hungry they can always grab anything from this shelf. I also include cheese squares and yogurt on this healthy snack shelf as well.

16. You can also have a similar healthy snack spot in your pantry.  I bought a new shoe rack like the 24 Pockets – SimpleHouseware Crystal Clear Over the Door Hanging Shoe Organizer, Gray (64” x 19”)and hung the rack over the pantry door. I like the clear shoe racks so that my children can easily see what is inside. I keep healthy snacks like popcorn, cups of mandarin oranges, and whole-wheat crackers on the lower shoe compartments. These are snacks my children (and I) can easily grab anytime. I keep a small portion of their favorite not-so-healthy snacks in the higher shoe compartments. My children can’t reach these compartments and have to ask me if they can have these snacks.

Healthy Snack Door Shoe Rack
Healthy Snack Fridge compartment

17. Store foods out of site. If snacks are sitting on the counter, you are more likely to munch on them throughout the day. When you see them you will constantly crave them.

I hope you found some grocery shopping tips you can use in your home. Which grocery shopping tips did you find most helpful? What grocery shopping tips and tricks do you use when shopping?

The Nourishing Meal Builder

Find out how to make grocery shopping and cooking less stressful in The Nourishing Meal Builder! I don’t even spend time making grocery lists or meal planning now that I follow The Nourishing Meal Builder, and I am making an endless variety of fantastic meals!

The Nourishing Meal Builder
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.

Find More Grocery Shopping and Kitchen Organization Tips in  “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals”

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook not only includes a detailed freezer meal plan and grocery list, but also includes mindful eating strategies and techniques and a weight loss guide.

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook has 22 Chapters full of helpful information and tips including:

  • The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
  • The Mindful Eating Guide
  • The Importance of Faith
  • A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.

    The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:

  • More daily free time,
  • A decreased grocery bill,
  • Healthier meals for the whole family,
  • Less daily stress, and
  • Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance

Learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook here.

What Others are Saying about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meal” ebook

“I have lost 17 pounds since I started eating these freezer meals. They are healthy AND taste great!!! We are now eating at home more, which has made a huge difference!” Chad, South Carolina

“As I read this book, I kept thinking, ‘this is so much more than a freezer meal cookbook! Lacy needs to be a life coach! She has such a positive outlook on life!’ “The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook is so uplifing and encouraging!” Wendy, South Carolina

“I can actually see a decrease in my grocery bill since I started eating these freezer meals, and my kids love them! We are eating healthier now. Plus, we are eating more meals together as a family!” Nicole, South Carolina

Click here to learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook

Get your kitchen organized with these grocery shopping for weight loss tips
Get your kitchen organized with these grocery shopping for weight loss tips

About Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN

Developed by a registered dietitian, Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN, Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC focuses on how to live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition.

Ngo is currently the owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC. Several branches fall under the Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC umbrella. One is Mindful Vending, which is one of the few dietitian owned and operated vending companies in the nation! She is also the author of two books, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals and The Nourishing Meal Builder. You can also find evidence-based nutrition articles, recipes, convenient healthy snack lists, and faith-based mindfulness techniques on her blog, Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

Published by

Lacy Ngo

Lacy Ngo is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Human Nutrition. Lacy focuses on mindful eaitng and living and her blog provides over 400 nutrition and weight loss tips as well as inspiring faith stories

45 thoughts on “Grocery Shopping Tips for Weight Loss and Saving Money”

  1. I totally agree about not buying trigger foods. I sometimes will be tempted but I know how I’m going to feel after I eat the whole box of it. Thanks for all the fab tips! I’m feeling the Winter waistline creep so I think I’m going to have to implement a few to get back on track!

    1. I know what you mean about the winter waistline. I am in a wedding in Feb. so I need to make sure I fit in my dress after the holidays are over. lol! Keeping my kitchen “healthy eating friendly” helps me so much!

  2. Snacks are the worst ! It’s true though – to eat healthy you have to purge your areas of the most tempting and unhealthy things. It’s hard but it can be done.

    1. Mindless snacking can be so hard. When I snack, I try to take the time to mindfully enjoy my snack instead of mindlessly grain. This gets hard sometimes. I have gotten a little slack and need to do better. If I mindlessly snack I don’t even get a chance to even enjoy my food. Having healthy snacks in the house helps so much as well! If it is not in hte house, I can’t eat it!

  3. Great tips! I bulk buy and then freeze them into portion sizes. This helps me save money and keep on top of our intake.

    1. What a great shopping technique. So true, it saves money and, in the long run, time as well.

  4. Great post! I think that it gets hard to avoid those last minute impulse purchases, and it’s even harder to avoid without a list. Love these tips and I’ll definitely be trying these apps.

    1. Thank you! I agree! When I go to the store without a list there is no telling what I will come back with!

  5. This is a wonderful list! So easy to use all these tips. I love the steam fresh veggies as well and I am going to have to invest in a shoe rack for my pantry! I never thought of that.

    1. I am bad about using paper coupons, and I forget to search for coupons. That is why I like these apps. I just look at these 4 apps to get my coupons.

  6. Thanks for this list! The two things that stood out to me were cleaning out and donating the junk food in your house and sticking to the grocery list! I make much healthier choices when I’m not tempted by the unhealthy things in my fridge, like soda!! I’ll def be checking out these apps!

    1. I am so glad you found some helpful tips. It helps me so much when only healthty choices are in the house. There are some yummy healthy snack options out there.

  7. I really like the different ways to save and shop on this blog. I didn’t know about Swagbucks, so that was really neat. I also really like having the snacks already set out for an easy grab and go.

    1. Swagbucks is my newest favorite. The grab and go snacks have been so great for the kids and me. I am not constantluy having to get a snack for them.

  8. I have three teenages (2 of which are boys). Always looking to save a few dollars. Great stuff here!

    1. I have an 8 year old boy, and the amount of food he eats is already increasing. I am nervous about the grocery bill when the teenage years come around. At least I have these awesome apps!

  9. Great post. I’m about embark on a fitness journey. This is just great for that. Thanks for sharing.

    1. How exciting. I am acutally working on several post to help someone starting a fitness journey. Keep a look out; these post should be coming soon.

  10. Great tips!

    When I [used to] go to the gym, I’d find going grocery shopping after was a great time to go. Not only did I feel great from endorphins, but I was motivated to be healthy, too.

    I never thought about looking for discount/coupon apps. I know my healthy shop costs A LOT more than an unhealthy one (deals are never on the fruit and veg!).

    1. Oh I love this tip! It is true that we often make healthier choices after we exercise due to endorphins. What a great tip!

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