Devon Berry is a nursing professional residing in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family. He has served at universities across the country, including Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and most recently, Devon Berry was the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
Healthy eating is a priority for Berry and his family, which includes shopping for food that is accessible and nutritious. In many grocery stores that sell $8 coconut milk yogurts, $20 nut butters, and $7 bee pollen smoothies, it can feel like winning the lottery to come across something healthy, inexpensive, and versatile. But with some extra legwork, it’s possible to get in and out of those places fairly cheap. Below are three tips for how to shop at expensive grocery stores on a budget.
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A rule of thumb is most items will be cheaper in their least-processed state. For example, a block of cheddar will be cheaper than a pre-shredded bag. The same goes for a head of romaine instead of romaine in a pre-washed plastic clamshell. In the grocery aisle, dried garbanzo beans are cheaper than canned.
Buy in Bulk
Especially helpful for those in smaller households or those shopping for one on a budget, bulk bins let you buy only as much as you need. Great in scenarios like making pad thai, when you need just a handful of peanuts or for jazzing up stir-fry, subbing brown rice for another grain like farro or wheat berries.
Be Selectively Organic
For foods you peel—such as avocado, oranges, bananas—the outer skin protects the inner flesh from pesticide residue, so buying non-organic is a safe bet to save money. While there are good reasons to buy organic eggs, they have the same amount of protein no matter how they were cultivated, so if price is keeping you from reaching for an egg instead of a protein shake, buy the conventional carton.
Devon Berry 