Eating healthy on a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. At Farm Boy, we’re all about bringing you the best, freshest-tasting, longest-lasting products at an excellent value for you and your family to enjoy. Rising food costs can leave us feeling like we need to shop smarter when it comes to balancing our budget. However, that doesn’t need to be at the expense of nutrition. There are plenty of ways you can continue to shop and eat in a healthy way without breaking the bank. Read on to learn some valuable tips and tricks when it comes to eating healthy and shopping healthy on a budget.
Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget at Home
Tip #1: Check out flyers for sales.
Flyers hold a ton of great info about weekly deals, sales, new items, and time-sensitive discounts that can help you stick to your grocery budget. Our Farm Boy digital flyer offers savings on fresh produce, meats, and pantry staples across all store departments every week! Keeping track of items available at a lower cost is one of the best smart shopping tips to save money without sacrificing nutrition. Use the flyer as a tool for meal planning and creating a shopping list that works for your budget. Plus, signing up for our newsletter means you’ll get a sneak peek at upcoming deals, helping you plan your affordable grocery shopping with ease. From discounted produce to wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients, staying on budget has never been easier!

Tip #2: Stretch your meals.
Gone are the days when “leftovers” were a last resort at dinner time. With a little creativity and some smart meal prep tips, you can turn leftovers into nutritious and satisfying, affordable meals. Make double or triple portions of your favourite dishes and freeze them for quick, cost-effective meals during busy weeks. Stretching your meals is a great way to reduce food waste while also stretching your dollar. Use items from previous meals to create something brand new, transforming simple ingredients into wholesome home-cooked meals. Budget-friendly and leftover recipes are perfect for family meal planning on a budget. Some of our favourite waste-reducing recipes include:

Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
Cozy and comforting, this easy dinner idea makes great use of leftovers. While this recipe makes a casserole, if you’re running short on time, simply omit the breadcrumbs and serve right from the skillet! We use leftover chicken in this recipe, but it also works well with extra holiday turkey. Rich, creamy, and wholesome, it’s a satisfying dinner that’s as easy as it is delicious. Pair it with a simple green salad if you’re feeling the need for an extra dose of veggies.

Salmon Quinoa Cakes
One of the best parts of leftovers is reinventing the components of previous meals into something new. If you have quinoa from our Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl and extra salmon from our Togarashi Salmon, then you have the main components for this recipe. As an added bonus, these cakes can easily be frozen! Simply reheat them for busy weeknights when you want something wholesome, packed with protein and fibre.

Green Vegetable Rice
Did you know the best rice for fried rice is actually leftover rice? Day-old rice is drier than fresh, giving a better texture and allowing other ingredients to shine! That principle applies to this dish, which puts a Mediterranean spin on fried rice. We used Barrel Aged Feta, but for a plant-based twist, swap it for our Vegan Feta-Style Cheese. Full of vibrant flavours, you’d never guess this dish was made with leftovers.
For even more ideas on how to reuse leftovers for inexpensive healthy recipes, check out our blog Waste Reducers: Recipe Roundup Featuring Leftovers.
Tip #3: Experiment with meatless alternatives.
Beans, lentils, and tofu are easy ways to add protein and fibre to dishes without skimping on flavour. They also happen to be much cheaper than your regular meat options! Try incorporating one or two plant-based dinners into your week to help cut down on your grocery bill. Some of our favourite inexpensive healthy recipes are below.

Spicy Chickpea and Rainbow Chard Stew
Enjoy comfort in a bowl with this easy stew recipe that won’t break the bank. Full of nourishing flavours, it relies on affordable foods like chickpeas and canned tomatoes for the bulk of it. While the most expensive items in this healthy recipe are the spices, they’ll last a while and become pantry staples. Loaded with protein and fibre, the chickpeas in this dish are sure to become your favourite budget-friendly superfood!

Teriyaki Tofu and Noodle Stir Fry
Loaded with plant-based protein from the tofu and chock full of vitamins thanks to the veggies, this inexpensive healthy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Make things even more convenient by marinating your tofu the night before to soak up all that delicious teriyaki flavour. I For an even more budget-friendly take, swap out the noodles for rice, instead!

Red Lentil Ragú
Rich, comforting, and healthy, this plant-based recipe mimics a traditional Bolognese but is a lot lighter on your wallet. Lentils are full of protein, iron, and fibre, making this a healthy meal for budget-conscious cooks. For extra savings, make a double batch of this sauce, freeze it, and then reheat it when you need something delicious, nutritious, and affordable.
Tip #4: Plan your menu for the week.
Planning your meals for the week is a very effective way to make sure you stay within your budget while keeping nutrition in mind. Design your menu with items that can be used in more than one way. For example, leftover chicken purchased for a fajita recipe one night can be easily added to a salad for extra protein the next! Planning your menu ahead of time also means you’re less likely to resort to takeout or fast food when you already have something ready to go at home.
Tips for Shopping Healthy on a Budget at the Store
Tip #5: Shop for fruits and veggies in season.
At Farm Boy, we’re always at the markets bright and early to obtain the freshest produce available. This means our fruits and veggies last longer, as we work directly with suppliers and growers to ensure they maintain our high quality standards. We then pass that excellent value onto you! For even more savings, look for produce that is local, as these are less expensive for our stores to obtain, which means we can help reduce your grocery bill even further. Many of our fruits and veggies are provided to us from Ontario-based or Canadian farms and vendors, so you can enjoy the best of what our communities have to offer!
Tip #6: Stock up on canned and frozen items.
If fresh items don’t fit your current budget, you still don’t have to sacrifice quality! Our frozen fruits and veggies are harvested at peak ripeness so that you can still enjoy the best flavour, texture, and nutritional benefits. When you’re meal planning on a budget, you’ll also want to take a trip to the canned aisles of our stores. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fibre, making them a versatile addition to many dishes like soups, salads, stews, tacos, and more!
Tip #7: Snack before you shop.
You know that saying “eyes bigger than your stomach”? When it comes to grocery shopping, if you’re shopping hungry, it may be more like “eyes bigger than your budget”. When your belly is rumbling, everything can look tempting, leading to more impulse purchases that inflate your grocery bill. It can also mean stocking up on items that aren’t as nutritious, because they’re what you’re craving in the moment. To combat this, have a nice, nutrient-dense snack before heading into the store. Keeping your appetite from going into overdrive while you peruse the aisles can do more than you’d expect when it comes to keeping your haul affordable.
Tip #8: Try the Farm Boy Private Label!
Shopping under our Private Label means you’ll enjoy high quality products at an excellent value that you simply won’t find elsewhere. From pantry staples to frozen meals to chef-prepared items to weekly purchases like bread, milk, and eggs, we have you covered. All Farm Boy Private Label products undergo rigorous testing and assessment before we decide they should have the Farm Boy name. We’re committed to offering our customers only the highest quality of products which means, if it has the Farm Boy name, you know it’s going to be good!