About The Episode
Did you know that switching to store-brand or generic products can lead to bigger savings? Some consumers have reported saving up to 41% by choosing these alternatives over name-brand items, and some of the products are exactly the same, just with different packaging!
Hosts Cristina and Addison dive into the conversation with Dietician Megan Ware.
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Budgeting While Shopping For Food
5:26
Cristina Asks Question 1: How can people prioritize nutrition without blowing their budget on food?
Megan: It's focusing on whole foods and less on these packaged products. I think a lot of people think that eating healthier is more expensive, but when I compare something like a bag of potato chips, I can get a bag of potatoes or sweet potatoes that's going to last much longer for many more meals for $3 or $3.50. So I think if you get in your mind that "I need to shop with Whole Foods", so things like oats, beans, eggs, ground chicken, ground beef, and not those. I guess the luxury items, when it comes to like goji berries and things that are, I don't even know, $12.
Budget-Friendly Hacks
7:02
Addison Asks Question 2: I think that everyone who shops within this kind of budget has hacks or tips for saving. So do you have any two favorite budget-friendly habits that make grocery shopping more efficient or less stressful?
Megan: Yeah, I think one thing you can do is go in with a plan. We all know you have to go in with a plan, but picking three meals, so three meals that you're going to make that week, with enough for leftovers for the next day. So maybe you cook dinner on Monday night. You have that for lunch the next day for the whole family. One of my favorite things to make that I think is very budget-friendly are power bowls. So pick your base. So it could be brown rice. It could be sweet potatoes. It could be quinoa. You can usually buy those in bulk for pretty cheap, pick your protein. So whatever protein's on sale. Is the chicken breast on sale? Is the pulled pork on sale? Is the ground beef on sale that week? Is it a Mediterranean-style bowl? Maybe you can add some tomatoes and some cucumbers. Is it a Chipotle-style bowl? And you can add some onions and some peppers to that. And that way the whole family can kind of join in on that because what do they like? What do they not like? You can also use that as a way to use up any other vegetables that you have. Throw that in your power bowl, throw some avocado on top of there or a little bit of guacamole on top of there. So you're making your own kind of Chipotle style bowl or fresh kitchen style bowl, but you're making enough for leftovers.
Getting The Most From Your Money
8:48
Cristina Asks Question 3: All right, so what are your really great affordable staple foods that really get the most bang for your buck?
Megan: I know everyone's complaining about the egg prices right now, but comparatively, for proteins, eggs are still one of the cheapest proteins out there. And you can really throw an egg on anything. So if we go back to that power bowl example, if you do brown rice, black beans, you throw an egg on top, and maybe some veggies. That's perfect nutritionally. I would suggest getting the pasture-raised eggs; you get a lot more bang for your buck in terms of nutrition for those. So they might be $6 a dozen, but they're still a lot cheaper than any other protein. So eggs are always on the list, no matter what. Definitely almond butter. Peanut butter. Keep those in the pantry because that's a good source of healthy fat and protein. And then also nuts and seeds because that versus a potato chip, you're actually getting a lot of nutrition. So you can get something that's salty and a little snacky. But you're getting protein. You're getting healthy fat from those nuts and seeds. Things that you become mindful of to think about your spending a little bit more intentionally.
Pros and Cons of Delivery Services
11:41
Addison Asks Question 4: So what about online shopping services like Instacart? So we know they're the pros. But what about some cons as far as that go?
Megan: I mean, I think it's all pro honestly when it comes to the online shopping. Because the biggest thing is you don't do the impulse buys. I know when I walk into a grocery store and I see the BoGo, or I see the cookies. You're always gonna buy more. And that's where Target gets you. Because, like, even if you're going grocery shopping, you're passing the purses first and you're passing the sunglasses and you're passing the makeup and you're going to pick up more stuff. So I have like 12 things that I get every week, and then those staples are already in there. And then I just add my little things that I need extra to that. So I really think it cuts down on impulse buying for me and my budget. It's definitely saved me money in the long run. I also do two different, so I don't just stick to Instacart, I do Walmart Plus because it came with my credit card. And then I also do Whole Foods via Amazon. And I actually did a trial. I did the Whole Foods via Amazon delivery and then bought the exact same things at Publix and compared the receipt. And the Amazon Whole Foods was $6 more than Publix, really. And I didn't have to leave my house. So I was okay. Like, you know, these days I think groceries are just so expensive that you automatically think, well, somewhere like Whole Foods is going to be more expensive, but it didn't end up being more expensive. And I got it delivered to my house.
First Steps of Financial Mindfulness
13:22
Cristina Asks Question 5: So we've talked about Sam's and Costco. I know they could be overwhelming. We go there and we have all intentions. We buy fruits and vegetables. And then I throw away half that baby spinach because it was just sitting there because you bought, like, a ginormous tub of baby spinach. So how do you really do good healthy foods at big bulk stores?
Megan: You only want to buy the things in bulk that you know you and your family are going to go through. Like, I know my family is going to go through berries for sure. We can eat the whole thing of berries in one sitting. So I will buy the berries in bulk. But other things like olive oil, avocado oil, peanut butter, and almond butter. We really like these things called simply fuel protein balls. So they're peanut butter, oats, coconut, chia seeds, and some probiotics. They're just quick, easy things you can grab for breakfast or a snack. So those things I know that we're going to go through, that's what I'll buy in bulk. But something like spinach, it's really hard to get through that big thing. And that's just like, you know, with berries and greens and those things that are more tender. Those are going to go bad quickly. But things like apples that are going to stay good for a lot longer, you could buy those in bulk or, you know, just buy a smaller bag at the grocery store and you can kind of leave those for later in the week.
Convenience Can Help
14:47
Addison Asks Question 6: What could people bring with them that they can just help make that experience better and more, you know, convenient?
Megan: Then I'm going to actually throw something else out there for people that they may not have thought of. So if they don't have time to do the grocery shopping, or let's say you're going back from vacation because it's summer and they haven't put in their Instacart order getting something like a factor or fit like food. So these are meals that are already done for you, that show up at your door, and all you have to do is reheat them. Actually, they used to be a lot more expensive, but now that groceries are so expensive, they're averaging between $8 and $12 a meal, which you can't really get anything less than $8 to $12 a meal. So I would say if you're on vacation, you need something to kind of show up at your door and o you don't have time to do the cooking. Fit life foods and factor my two kind of go to. And nutrition-wise, they all they're all going to have a protein, a complex carb and usually a vegetable to go with it.
Rapid Fire Questions
16:13
Cristina Asks Question 7: Since proteins are usually the higher price tag, what is your go to affordable protein for healthy meals?
Megan: Beans. Black beans? Yes. So getting a big thing of dried beans, making them in the crock pot, a huge batch of them, and then freezing them in smaller batches so that you can have later on. I think that's genius. And it's like cents on a dollar
16:55
Addison Asks Question 8: So which three healthy staples do you personally always keep stocked in your pantry?
Megan: Peanut butter for sure. I would say nuts for sure. And then those protein balls, those are always in my pantry.
17:16
Cristina Asks Question 9: Oh, we were just kind of talking about what is one healthy snack to make at home that's about under $2 a serving.
Megan: Apples and peanut butter.
17:48
Addison Asks Question 10: How do you stretch fresh produce to last all week?
Megan: So kind of going back to, like, using those berries and those greens and those really tender things that are going to go bad quickly, use those first. Make a plan to use those first and then save the things like the sweet potatoes, the onions, for later in the week because those are going to stay good for a lot longer.
About The Guest
18:09
Addison Asks Question 11: Where could anybody look you up if they have any more questions about this?
Megan: I'm an easy-to-find Orlando dietitian. We're @nutritionalawareness on Instagram, and I also have a book called The Optimized Life that's available on Amazon.
22:09
The hosts share the Monthly Budget Expenses Calculator from Addition Financial Credit Union.
Posted on Aug 7, 2025
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