DPP: Eating Healthy and Happy on a Budget

What’s Your Budget?

American per capita food expenditures

• $7,672: annual per capita food expenditure (home and away)
• $3,187: annual per capita food expenditure (home only)
• $61: weekly per capita food expenditure (home only)
• $35: daily average food expenditure for a family of four (home only)

Your budget may be more or less than average

Look at Where You Shop and Which Brands and Products You Buy

Shop at the best stores for you. 

• Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and big box stores are often best bets
• Convenience stores tend to be most expensive and have limited selection of food.
• Farmers markets, ethnic stores, and dollar stores may have good buys on select products.

Check store brands instead of national brands for packaged products. 

• Store brands can be as high in quality and have the same variety of flavor and health options
• They can be far less expensive

Consider less expensive but similar food swaps

• Sliced whole-grain bread instead of whole-grain bagels and English muffins
• Peanuts instead of almonds or mixed nuts
• Tomatoes and onions instead of asparagus and bell peppers

Reduce Food Waste and Prepare Your Own Foods

Reduce food waste while eating healthy until your next shopping trip.

• Plan ahead to be able to use all of your food. Freeze fruit and protein, or cook and freeze vegetables and protein, to prevent them from going bad before you eat them.
• Eat very perishable foods like greens, tomatoes, and berries first.

Cook simple recipes instead of buying prepared foods. Chili, soup, salads, sandwiches, and many other foods are easy to make, and you can make them healthier by preparing them yourself instead of purchasing ready-to-eat foods.

Prepare your own foods, such as boiling eggs, cooking chicken, cutting fruit, and chopping vegetables, instead of purchasing them ready-to-eat. 

Get Help When You Need It

Ask for help when you need it. 

• Alternating trips to supermarkets with a neighbor if you don’t have much access to a car can help you get more fresh foods for lower prices. 
• Share dishes with neighbors so you cook sometimes and they cook at other times.

Look into aid if you need it. 

• Programs such as SNAP/EBT (formerly known as Food Stamps), WIC, and Senior Farmers’ Market Bucks can be easy to apply for and use, and you may be eligible! 
• Food pantries and food banks are often nearby. They may have fresh and non-perishable foods, and regular distributions. 

Building Low-Cost Meals

Add protein, vegetables, and other healthy items like fruit, healthy fats, whole grains, and starchy vegetables

Sample meals:

• Oatmeal with peaches, yogurt, peanuts, and cinnamon
• Peanut butter toast with banana
• Eggs with black beans, sweet potato, and chopped vegetables
• Homemade tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwich
• Tuna salad with whole-grain pasta
• Chicken soft tacos
• Tilapia stir fry with vegetables, brown rice, and fruit

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