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Keeping Kids Healthy

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Healthy Eating on a Budget
FamilyHost_Meredith - 2 weeks ago
All parents want their kids to eat healthy, right? They want to supply them with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and maybe even throw some organic items in there too. But those foods can be real budget busters! Pre-packaged meals, sugary snacks, and too many convenient and cheap choices make it hard to keep even some of the most dedicated parents on track.

What does your family do to incorporate healthy choices into your meals? Are there any tips or shortcuts to being able to afford and enjoy more nutritious items?
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  • Sons: Ages 3 & 4 months
  • Work at home
Mom2SammyW - 2 weeks ago

We have a garden where we grow a variety of vegetables. We eat them fresh in the summer and fall, then can and freeze for the winter. Also, we are vegetarian so the cost of meat is not an issue. We eat legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu and sometimes dairy products and eggs for protein. Our total food costs for the three of us last year was under $2500.

Even if families don't have a garden, they can still be good shoppers and buy just what's on sale. My mom doesn't have a garden but she and my dad eat everything organic and healthy - no junk food at all - and they don't spend much more than we do. She does this by buying only things that are on sale in season, and she freezes and cans a lot of it. She also barters during the summer and fall - homemade breads in exchange for a bushel of apples was one of her recent barters.


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  • Work part-time outside home
kayceecat - 2 weeks ago
I found that buying whole grains from the bulk section of our natural foods store costs less than buying it packaged at the regular grocery store. In the summer, the farmer's market has better prices on fresh vegetables and I like to support the local farmers. Fresh fruit dings my budget every time. If I only went with what was on sale my kids would eat less fruit and so I end up spending more on fruit because I buy what I know they will eat. It saves some on the budget when I bake my own cinnamon rolls, bread, and other snacks for the family.
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  • Son: Age 3
  • Stay at home
AnnabelleMcB - 2 weeks ago
We buy a lot of our produce in bulk at Costco. Generally it's too much for one small family, so I'll split it with my parents or a friend. That way we can get the benefit of cheaper food but not have some of it go to waste.
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FamilyHost_Meredith - 1 week ago
Replying to ...
  We have a garden where we grow a variety of vegetables. We eat them fresh in the summer and fall, then can and freeze for the winter. Also, we are vegetarian so the cost of meat is not an issue. We eat legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu and sometimes dairy products and eggs for protein. Our total food costs for the three of us last year was under $2500. Even if families don't have a garden, they can still be good shoppers and buy just what's on sale. My mom doesn't have a garden but she and my dad eat everything organic and healthy - no junk food at all - and they don't spend much more than we do. She does this by buying only things that are on sale in season, and she freezes and cans a lot of it. She also barters during the summer and fall - homemade breads in exchange for a bushel of apples was one of her recent barters.  
By Mom2SammyW
A home garden is a great way to both save money and control what exactly your family eats. You can decide what pesticides, if any, you use to grow your vegetables. Very cool!
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FamilyHost_Meredith - 1 week ago
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  We buy a lot of our produce in bulk at Costco. Generally it's too much for one small family, so I'll split it with my parents or a friend. That way we can get the benefit of cheaper food but not have some of it go to waste.  
By AnnabelleMcB
That's a great idea!
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