Affordable produce deals -
The bananas will form a thick, ice cream-like texture that's hard not to love if you're already a fan of bananas. It's important to get plenty of green veggies on your plate, which means you want to fill your fridge with as much green as possible. That can get expensive if you're mainly opting for kale and arugula, but there are green veggies out there that can stretch your dollar.
Like so many of the veggies on this list, there's a lot you can do with celery. It's worth keeping some on hand just to have something to snack on with or without some peanut butter , but it's also a great addition to soups and chicken salads. If you're looking for a way to add more crunch to your diet, or you're just looking for a refreshing veggie to liven up your meals, you can't go wrong by grabbing some celery.
Another cheap option for the fruit lovers out there is apples. The USDA says that apples are one of the lower-cost fruits out there.
However, when you're shopping for apples, you should take a close look at the prices for each individual variety. Some types of apples require more intensive farming practices than others, and some may have to be shipped from farther away, both of which can raise the price.
However, in general, apples will be one of the cheaper fruits available in the produce section. Apples aren't quite as cheap as bananas, but they're still relatively inexpensive, typically coming in at between one and two dollars per pound, per the USDA.
Eat them on their own for a quick snack on the go, or add them to your oatmeal in the fall for some extra flavor.
Don't forget to use them in apple-based pies like desserts and galettes as well. If you're looking for cheaper produce at the grocery store, it may surprise you that honeydew melons tend to be on the less-expensive end of the spectrum.
Of course, that comes with a caveat. While these melons are often packed with nutrients, they also won't provide the amount of calories that you'll get from other fruits, like bananas. Regardless, most melons are budget produce, which is why there's nothing wrong with picking up some honeydew from the store every once in a while.
On average, honeydews cost less than a dollar a pound, per the USDA, making them a seriously good — and refreshing — deal. Cutting up some melon and eating it on its own makes for a healthy and cooling side dish, but that doesn't mean you can't combine your honeydew with other ingredients.
It's delicious as part of a fresh fruit salad, especially when it's combined with other types of melons. There are few vegetables as refreshing and hydrating as cucumber, which is why many people love to have some in the fridge, especially during the hottest months of the year.
Luckily, it doesn't cost much to keep it stocked in your kitchen, coming in at just 72 cents as of May , per the USDA. You're not going to find many other veggies for that price, so it's something you can always have around when you need your vegetable fix.
Wondering what to do with your cucumbers, besides slicing them up and eating them with salt? Chop them up along with some tomatoes and red onions to create a quick summery salad, or add them to cottage cheese for an easy savory breakfast.
You may also like marinating them in a combination of soy sauce and chili oil, either to enjoy on their own or to eat with rice. Even if you don't like cucumbers on their own, the flavor is mild enough that you can adjust it to your liking with different spices and seasonings.
Most melons tend to be cheaper than many of the other fruits in the produce section, which is why it's always a good idea to pick out a giant watermelon to take home, especially during the summer when they're in season. Even if you're normally not a fruit person, there's a good chance you like watermelons — their subtle sweetness and incredibly juicy flesh make them hard not to love.
Yes, that may seem like a lot compared to some of the other types of produce on this list, but you have to consider that you're getting a lot of food when you buy a watermelon. On a hot day, there's nothing like cutting into a fresh watermelon, cutting it into chunks, and enjoying a huge portion to get your day off to the most refreshing start possible.
Try also making watermelon salad with cucumber, feta, and basil. If you're looking for a vegetable that tastes just as good raw as it does roasted, you have to snag yourself some cauliflower, which in May was going for a little over a dollar a pound on average, per the USDA.
That's a pretty good deal when you think about just how much flavor this veggie can add to a dish. When it's raw, it adds a vegetable flavor and plenty of crunch to whatever you're combining it with, but when it's cooked, it takes on a slightly sweet quality that makes it a natural pairing partner for a wide range of other roasted veggies.
Don't tend to like cauliflower? First, I checked in with a favorite group of budget grocery shoppers on Facebook. As you can see, no store had the best price on every item.
However, Aldi did have the best prices more often than the other three stores. I will say I was surprised. However, while I was trying to literally compare apples to apples here for example, per each or per pound of produce , these four stores packaged produce very differently.
For example, Walmart generally offered the smallest portions; you could buy an individual pepper, avocado, or potato in almost every instance.
Aldi falls somewhere in the middle for most fruits and vegetables. They have pre-bagged produce in set sizes for most items, but they tended to be smaller, in the lb range. Hopefully to buy many more expensive items. And often over Christmas, boxes of oranges are a great price. In one area that we used to live in, I could get a 20 lb.
box of fresh blueberries for considerably less than I would typically pay for fresh or even frozen blueberries! When it makes sense and is less expensive, buy the larger package. When you find fresh produce on sale or seasonal produce for a great price, buy extra and preserve it by freezing it or canning it.
Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables are typically not only cheaper but also are just as nutritious? In fact, many times they are actually more nutritious because they are harvested at the peak of ripeness.
I like to buy frozen broccoli, cauliflower and green beans as well as various fruits. I love using the fruit for my easy Frozen Fruit Smoothie! Those three-pound bags of onions never all weigh exactly 3 lbs. Same with packages of apples, oranges, carrots and lots more. Weighing a couple of bags and choosing the heaviest one is a simple way to get more for the same price.
more this way!
Back to Afffordable. In fact, a Affirdable conducted by Sample giveaway events U. So how can you eat a produce-filled diet on a budget? Below are AAffordable buying tips that can Trending freebies and samples online you Affordable produce deals so, and you can check out our blog post about grocery shopping on a small budget for other tips:. Wondering what the most affordable produce is? Check out these fruits that tend to cost 50 cents or less based on average cost per cup equivalent:. Comparatively speaking, these fruits and vegetables can cost about the same or even less than a serving of some of the most popular highly processed snacks. Start Cheap grocery discounts New Year off prkduce with Affordalbe head full Affordable produce deals great ideas and a pocket Afflrdable of Affordqble saved when Affordable produce deals try these practical tips to score Affordable produce deals produce! You can also place vegetable scraps that can easily grow in water by a window, such as green onions, lettuce, or celery. No green thumb? Hip readers are also big fans of these AeroGardens that practically grow fruits and veggies with little effort! Grow Green Onions in Water. Regrow Romaine Lettuce from a Stem.
0 thoughts on “Affordable produce deals”