
Our Top Tips For Filling Half Your Plate on a Budget:
1. Follow The Seasons
Buying produce out of season is always expensive. There's less of it and it's more costly to ship it. So skip the asparagus and go for the brussels sprouts. Leave the packet of fresh blackberries on the shelf and pick up a big bag of navel oranges or a pomegranate. Here's a sample of what to be on the lookout for this time of year:- squash
- sweet potatoes
- yams
- parsnips
- turnips
- beets
- onions
- cabbage
- carrots
- cucumbers
- citrus fruit
- kiwis
- bananas
- pomegranates
2. Shop Around
This may seem obvious but it still needs to be said. Cauliflower has been in the news non-stop recently for costing everywhere from $6-8 a head. And yet when we did a quick survey around the country we found it for as little as 2 heads for $3 and as high as $7.97 with everything in between. Canada is a big country and prices fluctuate regularly. Don't buy into hysteria or a few outrageous news reports from a particular part of the country. Instead, do a quick circuit of the produce section when you pop into the grocery store and make note of the prices. Check your local supermarket flyers for specials. And don't forget your local green grocers - they may not advertise or participate in circulars but they often have amazing in store deals that beat out the grocery stores on certain items.3. Buy In Bulk
If you find a good deal, buy it in bulk. A lot of winter produce stores well if kept in cool dark places - especially squash, potatoes, carrots, turnips, apples and parsnips. You can find great storage tips on the Half Your Plate website. Bananas, grapes, pineapple and mangos (you can often find really great sales on these items if you shop around this time of year) can easily be frozen. And frozen fruit is great for tossing into a morning smoothie or adding to a dessert or muffins Buying fresh produce in bulk is a great tip to make use of all year round - berries, beans, peas, stone fruits - all of them freeze well and are very inexpensive in season. Or you can can them. And then you have the delight of peaches in winter!4. Avoid Food Waste

Great advice. My wife and I (well, she… as she does most of the grocery shopping) already implement most of these. It’s a great affirmation that we are on track to eating and living healthy. Thank you for putting this out for others to see.