Frugal living is about finding the best cheaper alternative without compromising on quality. That applies to food, too. Whether you are broke or just watching your food spending, carrying a list of the best cheapest foods to buy at the grocery store can help you spend less and save more on groceries.
Here’s why a grocery list can save money.
Food is an everyday necessity. You need the energy and the health to plan your other lofty financial goals and work productively. Whether you want to retire on a six-figure nest egg or save for your dream vacation, don’t do it on an empty stomach.
The fact is, you don’t have to break the bank to eat! Grocery spending can quickly break your budget if you don’t make meal plans. It’s easy to go into your grocery store and veer from the list, and impulse buy expensive food.
You walk in to buy discount meat, flour, and sugar but come out with a shopping cart full of overpriced groceries. Sounds familiar? It can be devastating for someone trying to lead a frugal living.
So, what are the best foods to buy on a budget? Planning an affordable grocery list presents a lot of opportunities to save money. See our guide on how to save $10,000 in a year.
We’ll give you a list of the best food to buy on a budget. Are you vegan or on keto? We’ll also give you a cheap keto grocery list and a cheap vegan grocery list.
Cheap Things to Buy at Grocery Stores
To control your food spending, make meal plans for the whole week. Then make your cheap grocery list for all the items you need for the week from your menus.
To avoid running to the grocery store daily, set one day of the week as your shopping day. Then carry your grocery list, all clipped coupons, and gift cards to your favorite discount grocery store and stick to your list. See our list of grocery stores that accept EBT payments.
Here’s a list of the best cheap grocery items when creating your grocery list. Our list also includes the nutritional value and health benefits.
Cheapest Food To Buy on a Budget Infographic
1. Bananas
Bananas should be #1 on your cheap grocery list. They cost about 50 cents a pound, which is roughly fifteen cents each. They’re packed with Vitamin C and B6 and minerals like potassium and manganese. Throw in its heart-health fiber plus antioxidants, and you’ll experience all the amazing properties, including improved digestion, low blood pressure, and may help prevent asthma.
Plus, you can use bananas to make various delicious recipes, including pudding, pancakes for breakfast, muffins, yogurt, and creamy ice cream for dessert. You can also eat them with cereals and make yummy banana nut bread.
2. Broccoli
Broccolis is a top item to add to your cheapest grocery list for likable vegetables. Branched, green veggie broccoli has an amazing nutrient-rich profile. It shines as a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, E, K, B, folic acid and contains minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and potassium.
Once on your plate, broccoli helps with heart and eye health, strong bones, excellent blood clotting, and aids in the absorption of iron. Buy broccoli crowns from Walmart grocery at around $1.50 per pound. If you’re one of those who include the stalks in some of your dishes, buying the whole broccoli heads, including the stalks, can be even cheaper.
3. Cabbage
Cabbage is a commonly overlooked vegetable with its healthy and nutrient-rich profile. Its crinkled leaves have minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamins B6, C, and K. Regularly eating the crunchy veggie helps improve digestion, combat inflammation, and may act as a powerful preventive of chronic diseases through improved skin and heart health.
Cabbage costs less than 80 cents a pound in my area; you should allow this inexpensive veggie some room on your plate.
Another reason it should be on your cheapest food-to-buy grocery list is its versatility to make several recipes, including sauerkraut, salads, soups, stews, and slaws.
4. Canned Tomatoes
Include tomatoes on your cheap things to buy at the grocery store. Canned tomatoes are loaded with a wide variety of nutrients, including fiber, potassium, and vitamins K, C, and E. They’re filled with powerful antioxidants like lycopene, which can help reduce the risk of cancer.
Canned tomatoes not only cost less than fresh ones but also come with other perks, including ease of storage and the ability to last longer. The average tomato lasts only two weeks in a refrigerator, while canned tomatoes last up to 18 months in your pantry.
5. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is one of the cheapest foods to buy when broke. Being 90% water, this juicy summer fruit is packed with vitamins A and C and minerals, including iron, calcium, zinc, and folic acid.
Thus, it helps to keep your body hydrated and full of energy. Cantaloupe makes your bones, skin, and eyes healthy by protecting your cells from damage.
It tastes great when eaten alone, but don’t shy away from including it in salads or eating it with your favorite non-fat or low-fat yogurt. You can buy it at less than 50 cents a pound.
6. Carrots
Including carrots on your cheap grocery list is a big plus because they have a lot to bring to the plate. Carrots are packed with fiber, potassium, beta carotene, vitamin K1, and antioxidants.
Reduced risk of cancer, weight loss, improved eye health, and lower cholesterol levels are among the top health benefits you get eating carrots as part of a balanced meal.
To buy cheap carrots, consider purchasing carrots whole and in bulk. But if you can get baby carrots on sale, then go for it!
7. Corn
Summer isn’t complete until you have had some fresh corn on the cob. They’re loaded with high fiber content, B vitamins, and essential minerals to the body like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and manganese. Corn is one of the grains that you can buy cheaply when it’s in season.
The grain aids in digestion. Since corn is full of minerals and vitamins, it helps improve your overall health.
Corn is versatile enough that it can be broiled, roasted, grilled, steamed, or microwaved. Buy corn at the nearest Walmart store for about 40 cents a cob.
8. Cream of Wheat
Cream of wheat is a famous brand of breakfast porridge. It’s rich in iron and B vitamins, including folate, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. Other health benefits of cream of wheat include its powerful micronutrients like selenium which helps decrease inflammation and protect against diseases.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, Cream of Wheat is a source of iron, whose deficiency can result in anemia.
Derived from wheat, the hot cereal can be prepared easily with water or milk. It can be enjoyed in many ways with toppings such as sugar, fruit, salt, nuts, maple syrup, butter, and cheese. Walmart stocks it for less than $4 a box.
9. Flour
Wheat flour is a basic must-have in almost every cheap grocery list. It’s an essential ingredient of staple foods and recipes in many homes. Flours carry carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Combine flour with fat, liquids, eggs, or yeast to make anything from bread, cookies, pancakes, pasta, cakes, dumplings, and pastry. Flour prices usually cost less than $2 for 5 pounds at Walmart.
10. Garlic
At only 50 cents or less per bulb, garlic is a fabulous flavor enhancer to have on your cheap grocery list. Besides flavor, garlic doubles as a source of vitamins B &C and minerals such as copper, iron, manganese, and potassium.
Top health benefits associated with garlic include its ability to combat the common cold, lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and fight other illnesses.
11. Kiwi
Kiwis cost around $2 per pound and are some of the cheapest groceries to buy when you’re broke. They carry tons of fiber, potassium, folate, antioxidants, and vitamins C, K, and E.
A Kiwi can help treat asthma and aid in digestion to boosting the immune system and protect against vision loss. It has no shortage of health benefits that you can reap by making it part of a balanced diet.
Whether eaten alone or sliced to make a fruit salad, kiwis make for a delicious and refreshing taste.
12. Sugar
Sugar is inexpensive and a basic grocery item that shouldn’t be missed on your affordable grocery list. Depending on your local grocery store, sugar prices cost about 50 cents a pound.
With sugar and flour, you can make almost anything, like cakes, cookies, and bread.
13. Sweet Potatoes
The sweet and starchy roots are rich in fiber, antioxidants, minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, niacin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins A, B6, and C. The sweet potatoes’ nutrient-rich profile helps promote gut health, has cancer-fighting properties, supports healthy eyesight, enhances brain function, and supports the overall immune system.
Sweet potatoes cook quickly in the microwave. You can enjoy them in various ways, including sweet potato chips, fries, toasts, or in the form of baked, spiralized, and mashed sweet potatoes. Go to your nearest Walmart and buy a sweet potato for less than $1 each.
14. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the cheapest groceries to buy when you are broke at around 9-12 cents an ounce. It makes for a great breakfast but can be enjoyed with desserts and every other meal of the day.
Being gluten-free and rich in fiber, oats and oatmeal carry minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. Weight loss, reduced risk of heart diseases, and lower blood sugar are some of the top health benefits of oatmeal.
15. Onions
Selling at about 80 cents per pound at Walmart, onions are among the cheapest flavor-adding groceries to buy. They make great additions to spice up and add flavor to many dishes when sliced and diced, but they will give you a reason to cry when raw.
Unknown to many, onions also contain antioxidants and compounds that help combat inflammation and reduce cholesterol levels.
16. Peppers
Peppers are among the cheapest grocery spices to buy. It’s used with meats, vegetable soups, scrambled eggs, salad dressings, pasta, avocado toast, or stir-fries to add great flavor-add to many recipes.
Peppers come in hundreds of varieties and are rich in vitamins and minerals, which give them inherent therapeutic properties.
17. Spinach
This leafy and low-calorie veggie is packed with loads of vital minerals, including iron, calcium, and magnesium. Thus, spinach has vast benefits to your bones, skin, hair, and weight.
It’s a versatile and relatively inexpensive veggie that goes well with other inexpensive dishes like salads, egg omelets, pasta dishes, meat sandwiches, stir fry dishes, and quesadillas.
18. Squash
Squash is a food staple during the fall, hence one of the cheapest groceries to buy during the fall season. Whether raw, steamed, or roasted, squash is not only healthy and delicious but also comforting.
Squash is rich in vitamins C, B6, and minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium. Its top health benefits include enhancing skin, bone, eye, and hair health and lowering the risk of depression.
19. Zucchini
Often overlooked in the grocery store, zucchini is packed with vitamins A, C, K, B6 and minerals like potassium, magnesium, folate, copper, phosphorus, and thiamine. Thus, it’s good to strengthen eye vision, aid in weight loss, reduce blood sugar levels, and maintain youthful-looking skin.
Zucchini can be grilled or sauteed with garlic and oil, baked with bread or pancakes, boiled and blended with soup, or stuffed with rice or lentils. It makes for a hearty and tasty meal. Never throw away the zucchini peel because it’s the most nutritious part of the veggie.
Cheap Grocery List For College Students
College students operate under tight budgets. Adopting a cheap grocery list for college students can go a long way to cut your living expenses and create some wiggle room in your budget. Any extra money saved can be put towards tuition or paying down student debt.
Top items to include in your cheap college grocery list include:
20. Cereal
Cereal is a food group that you should have on your cheap food to buy when broke list. Wholegrain cereals like oat, wheat, rice, barley, millet, and rye are cheap and a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. They are recommended as part of a healthy diet and associated with many health benefits like reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer.
Breakfast cereals like cornflakes, granola, muesli, bran flakes, whole wheat bread, and porridge are among the cheapest groceries to buy because they are affordable and filling.
21. Cheese
Made from milk, both cheddar and gouda cheese are rich in calcium, zinc, and vitamins A, D, and K. All these nutrients help build and maintain healthy and strong bones.
Cheese goes for about 30 cents an ounce and is one of the cheapest foods to buy when you are broke in college. To save a couple of dollars, consider buying a brick of cheese instead of pre-sliced cheese for a couple of dollars.
Cheese tastes amazing with other cheap groceries, including chips, pasta, bread, crackers, cakes, pizza dough, eggs, omelets, and almost anything else.
22. Eggs
Eggs are loaded with 11 vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, high-quality proteins, and antioxidants. A dozen eggs cost just over a dollar. Eggs are a cheap healthy food to buy for college students. You can take them boiled, poached, over easy, sunny side up scrambled, or in an omelet.
23. Milk
Milk is a staple of all dairy products, making it one of the cheapest foods to buy when broke in college. It’s full of proteins, and vitamin C. Milk is great to drink on its own. It also goes well with other inexpensive groceries like cereal, pancakes, biscuits, mashed potatoes with white gravy, waffles, french toast, and more.
24. Pasta
Besides being one of the cheapest groceries to buy in college, pasta is a versatile item that can be topped with butter, sauce, or cheese. Derived from grain, pasta is a good source of fiber, energy and can help lower cholesterol and stomach problems. Pasta costs about a dollar a pound. Going for less than a dollar a pound, pasta is a cheap way to stretch the meat portion of dinner.
25. Ramen Noodles
Ramen noodles are on every poor college student’s grocery list. Though it lacks fiber, protein, and some vital vitamins and minerals, ramen noodles still provide iron, manganese, and B vitamins.
Ideas for ramen noodle topping include frozen vegetables, eggs, corn, cheap meat, garlic, and whatever you think is a good topping. Ramen comes in flavors such as chicken, pork, beef, seafood, soy sauce, and more. Depending on your grocery store, ramen noodles cost less than $3 for a package of twelve servings.
Ramen noodles are ideal for college students because they’re cheap, easy, and quick to prepare.
How to prepare ramen in the microwave:
- Break the noodles in a microwave-safe bowl
- Pour water into the bowl
- Microwave the bowl for a minute and stir. Continue to heat in 30-second intervals and stir until it’s cooked to your preference.
- Add the selected flavor packet and toppings to your ramen bowl.
26. Yogurt
Yogurt is a dairy product that’s a healthy, portable, cheap item to include on your grocery list. To get the best value for your money, consider buying yogurt in large containers and portion it from there any time you want to eat it.
Yogurt tastes great when alone, but feel free to take it with dried apricots, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, dried cherries, jelly, and granola for breakfast.
Cheap Keto Grocery List
Ketosis means going low in carbs and favoring high fat and moderate protein foods. Being on a keto diet doesn’t have to be expensive if you plan well. Once you’ve planned your keto diet meal plan for the week, carry your keto grocery list with you to avoid impulse buying.
Here’s a cheap keto grocery list that will help you spend less and save more when dieting.
27. Broth – Bone and Chicken
Bone and chicken broth is a good source of beneficial amino acids and supports weight loss, joint health, production of anti-aging molecules, hydration, and improved sleep. Broth is easy and cheap to make.
According to Dr. Volck, you should try drinking two to four cups of bone broth a day to receive all the health and anti-inflammation benefits.
28. Canned Salmon
Canned salmon is a natural alternative to fresh-caught Atlantic salmon when on a tight budget. It’s full of protein, vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 fats. Salmon is good for your brain health and may reduce the risk of heart disease, and help with weight control.
Canned salmon is inexpensive and a good item to have on your cheap keto grocery list.
29. Canned Tuna
Tuna fish has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating it regularly helps lower cholesterol, cardiovascular disease risks and reduces omega-6 fatty acids in the body.
Canned tuna is an inexpensive and nutritious source of protein. The cans last for years and are cheap bulk food to store in your pantry. Meals to make with canned tuna include tuna salad, tuna casserole, sandwiches, etc.
30. Chuck Roast
Chuck roast is a fatty and filling piece of meat full of rich beef flavor when slow-cooked. It’s an excellent choice on a cheap keto grocery list because a small portion goes far. That means you won’t eat a lot of food, which is good when on a diet.
31. Flour (Almond and Coconut)
Both almond flour and coconut flour are gluten-free, lower in carbs, but higher in fat. Thus, both types of flour help boost weight loss and are great alternatives to wheat flour when on keto.
The flours are good for a basic keto grocery list when making low-carb cheese crackers, gluten-free coconut raisin scones, no-bake vanilla cake bites, hamburger buns, and more.
32. Chicken
Chicken meat is a lean protein and a great alternative to red meat and supports weight loss, and helps with weight management with its ability to make you feel full quickly.
Chicken is less expensive compared to other types of meat like beef, pork, and lamb. It’s great for dishes like enchiladas and tacos. You can buy ground chicken and chicken breasts for less than $2 a pound. When your local grocery store runs a sale, consider buying chicken in bulk and stock up.
Consider buying chicken thighs as they’re cheaper than breasts. Also, buying the whole chicken is a great way to get chicken meat without spending a fortune.
33. Cottage Cheese
Full-fat cottage cheese is an excellent candidate for your cheap keto grocery list. Eating cottage cheese boosts your protein intake and makes you feel full with a low number of calories.
An inexpensive dairy product, cottage cheese is also packed with calcium linked with aiding the fat-burning process. All these benefits are good for weight loss.
Like yogurt, buying cottage cheese in bulk will ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. An unopened container will last 2-3 months in a freezer.
34. Ground Turkey
Ground turkey is packed with proteins, fat, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Fat-free turkey is low in calories and a good option for weight loss during keto.
Sometimes, you’ll find ground turkey on sale, and you can buy it cheaper than ground beef. Buy ground turkey in bulk and freeze it to use in various dishes instead of ground beef.
My favorite ground turkey recipe is burgers with onion soup mix.
35. Nuts
Nuts are an inexpensive snack food to buy at the grocery store for keto diet plans. They contain unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, and other nutrients. Eating nuts helps lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, may reduce inflammation levels, and improve heart health.
Although, nuts are still high in calories and should be taken in moderation to realize full benefits. The American Heart Association recommends four servings of unsalted nuts per week.
36. Pork
Pork is a relatively inexpensive source of fairly low-fat protein, vitamins, and minerals like phosphorus, iron, and zinc. It’s a great alternative to red meats like beef and lamb, especially during keto. Hence, it’s a good item to have on your cheap keto grocery list.
37. Pork Rinds
Pork rinds are a great alternative to tortillas or potato chips. A pork rind is carb-free but high in fat and protein. It makes pork rinds good for a keto diet plan and an easy snack item to have on your cheap things to buy for a keto diet.
You can buy pork rings at your local gas station, convenience store, and grocery store.
38. Peanut Butter
Unsweetened nut jars of butter are high in protein and are among the best foods to buy on a budget that’s filling. Sugar-free peanut butter can be used to make all kinds of sandwiches and snacks.
For example, you can make about 40 sandwiches from a 40-ounce jar of peanut butter that costs $4 or less. You can make a PB&J sandwich for less than 50 cents each. Combine it with an inexpensive apple, and your lunch is less than a dollar! That’s a great way to save money fast!
Cheap Vegan Grocery List
Vegan or plant-based whole-food dieters favor plant protein rather than animal protein.
The thing is, you don’t have to spend a fortune to be vegan. Compiling a cheap vegan grocery list from your weekly menu is a good way to ensure that you are spending less and saving more on groceries.
Here are some of the cheapest foods to buy when you are broke and should be included in your vegan grocery list.
39. Apples
Apples are not only sweet but highly nutritious, which makes them a top item to include in any vegan grocery list. An apple is packed with fiber, vitamin C, K, and potassium. It supports weight loss, heart health, low risk of diabetes, and contains compounds that may help prevent asthma and fight cancer. Apples make for wonderful snacks, desserts, and breakfast food.
40. Beans
Black beans to a vegan eater are like beef or pork to a regular carnivore. They are full of fiber and high in protein. Beans help maintain healthy bones, lower blood pressure, support weight loss, combat indigestion and help manage diabetes.
A can of beans is inexpensive and costs less than a dollar per can. Stock your pantry with canned beans for quick and healthy meals. A can stored in a dry and cool place can last 2-5 years.
If you plan well, you can also cook dried beans. They’re even more budget-friendly; freeze portions and include them throughout your weekly meal plan. Dried beans cook quickly and don’t require soaking.
Beans are a protein-rich grain and quite versatile. Use them in soups, sandwiches, hummus dips, tacos, curries, chili’s, and snacks, including roasted chickpeas.
41. Bread
Whether white or wholemeal, bread is packed with calcium, fiber, proteins, iron, vitamins, and minerals. It helps maintain healthy bones and teeth, aids in digestion, lowers cholesterol, and controls blood sugar levels. B group vitamins like thiamine and niacin found in bread are essential for maintaining healthy skin, nails, and eyes.
Bread is quite versatile, from sandwiches and cheese loaves to salads and pizza. There is no shortage of dish ideas that you can make with bread. Buy a half loaf of bread for a cheap grocery list for one person or buy a whole loaf and freeze the other half.
To save more money, try finding bakeries that accept EBT.
42. Canned Pumpkin Pie
A can of pumpkin pie costs around $2 and a cheap food item on your grocery list during the holidays. It’s a good source of fiber, calcium, vitamin A, B2, C, E, and essential minerals like manganese, potassium, copper, and iron.
The benefits of eating pumpkin include promoting weight loss, reduce the risk of eye disease, boosting immunity, heart and skin health, and antioxidants that help combat chronic diseases.
Pumpkin is incredibly versatile and easy to add to your dishes like custards, pancakes, soups, roasted vegetables, muffins, portions of pasta, curries, and pies.
43. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are an excellent substitute for meat in vegan diets because it’s high in protein. It’s also rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eaten as part of a balanced meal, chickpeas can help improve digestion and support weight management.
44. Dried Herbs and Spices
Dried herbs and spices are among the cheapest groceries to buy when broke. They’re an inexpensive way of adding flavor to a vegan diet. Dried spices and herbs are last longer and are easier to store than fresh; they also add medicinal value to almost any meal.
Red pepper flakes, garlic powder, ground cinnamon, whole nutmeg, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and curry powder are the basic dried herbs and spices you can pack in your pantry.
45. Frozen Vegetables
Vegetables are a staple in vegan or vegetarian diets and are top items to include on your cheap vegan grocery list. Certain types of fresh vegetables can get quite expensive, especially when out of season. At such times, frozen vegetables provide an economical alternative when your favorites veggies are not in season.
The good news is that vegetables lose little to no nutritional value when frozen. Consider buying frozen vegetables and enjoy them in soups, omelets, stews, and casseroles. You can land great deals by comparison-shopping serving sizes for different frozen vegetables. It’s easy to buy cheap food online when you compare the price per ounce of the various frozen vegetables.
46. Hummus
Quite delicious and nutritious, hummus comes packed with plant-based proteins, up to 7.9 grams per serving. Hummus contains iron, B vitamins, phosphorus, and folate, all of which are vital to vegans and vegetarians, as they lack these in most of their meals.
Hummus’ top health benefits include promoting gut and digestive health, controlling blood sugar levels, and helps fight inflammation.
You can enjoy hummus on sandwiches, chip or veggie dips, and wraps. I’m a fan of the Good & Gather garlic and lemon juice hummus at Target; it’s so creamy with a hint of lemon.
47. Lentils
Lentils are another excellent source of plant-based proteins and fiber. It’s low in calories and highly nutritious. One serving of lentils carries over half of the daily recommendation of fiber.
Top health benefits from regularly eating lentils include weight loss, stabilized blood sugar, digestive health, and lower cholesterol.
Include lentils in your cheap vegan grocery list and enjoy them in salads, crackers, and spreads. You can also make vegan lentil sloppy joes from this delicious legume.
48. Popcorn
Popcorn is a great snack that you can pop at home for pennies on the dollar. Instead of buying popped ones at Walmart, consider purchasing popcorn kernels in a bag and pop them yourself on the stove. Buying the kernels is very cheap and a fraction of what you’d spend for a popped bag.
Here’s a video on how to make popcorn on your stove
49. Potatoes
Full of fiber, potatoes are one of the cheap foods to buy when broke. They’re multipurpose and have endless uses in the kitchen. You can use them to make a meal of baked potatoes or as the main ingredient in a delicious casserole. They also make for a side dish for breakfast or dinner, like crispy hash browns. Potatoes at Walmart cost only a couple of dollars for a 5-pound bag and should be on any affordable grocery list for a vegan.
50. Salsa
Salsa carries a good dose of vitamin C and fiber; it’s low in calories but full of flavor. Salsa is less expensive when bought ready-made rather than DIY.
It promotes healthy aging, helps stabilize blood sugar, it’s hydrating, and helps burn fat. You can eat salsa as a snack or enjoy it with rice, tacos, beans, or potatoes.
51. Seasonal Frozen Berries
Berries are packed with fiber and one of the best foods to buy on a budget. They contain antioxidants that help combat chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Fresh berries are great, but frozen berries last longer and are easy to store. Frozen also provides a great alternative to when fresh berries are out of season. Another advantage of frozen berries is that they can last longer in the freezer with their nutritional value intact. If sealed tightly, frozen berries can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Squeeze all the air from the bag to prevent freezer burn.
You can enjoy a mixed berry smoothie for breakfast or a banana berry popsicle for dessert.
52. Soy – Edamame and Tofu
Edamame and tofu are good sources of soy protein. Tofu contains all the nine amino acids, iron, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus. Edamame is also packed with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin K. Whether edamame or tofu, soybeans make for nutritious snack food or a side dish.
53. Whole Grains
Types of whole grains include oats, quinoa, and rice, among others. Whole grains are inexpensive and are some of the cheapest foods to buy when you’re broke. They’re packed with proteins, fiber, B vitamins, minerals like iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and antioxidants.
Whole grain-rich diets have many health benefits, including the ability to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, some forms of cancer, and obesity.
Quinoa is gluten-free and comes with all nine essential amino acids. Whole grains are a staple of many dishes.
Best Cheap Food to Buy Summary
There you’ve got it! Start getting into the habit of creating a cheap grocery list directly from your weekly menus. Then bring your list to your local discount grocery store or buy your food online. See our guide on Walmart money services.
Set aside one day of the week for grocery shopping to purchase everything for the week. You’ll cut unnecessary trips to the grocery store and save time and money on gas.
Thoroughly inspect your fruits and vegetables when purchasing at Walmart or any grocery store; here’s the Walmart return policy.
