New Feature - Healthy Deals

I entered the world of couponing and serious deal-seeking about a year ago. One of my quick assumptions, fed by the comments of many others, was that couponing and deal-seeking would be at the expense of nutritious and healthy food. You know - the common assumption that coupons are available for pre-packaged food that is full of artificial flavoring, many preservatives, no fresh ingredients, and little helpful nutritional value. While it's true that using coupons can push you in this direction, I decided several months ago to try a little test. I significantly altered what we eat, and attempted to stay within the same budget. I did it over a period of six months, because I knew that just one or two months would not be enough to really figure this out. The result? It's possible! Now - hear me out. We still enjoy pre-packaged treats from time to time (hard to beat Pillsbury fudge brownies!) and not everything we eat is organic, but we are working towards a good balance. Here's a summary of the types of things I look for in the store:

Meat: Lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and occasionally fish.
Dairy: Milk, cheese, and plain yogurt
Grains: Cereal and whole grain bread (both of these free of high-fructose corn syrup), whole grain pasta, white and brown rice
Produce: Fresh fruit and veggies - usually by buying what is in season, I can keep these costs quite reasonable and still have a constant supply of fresh produce. I also freeze excess produce when something is priced at a significant discount. This frozen fruit can be used in a variety of ways, and since I froze it myself, I know it contains no sugar or preservatives.

I have recently thought it might be helpful to have a "gathering place" where we can post the deals that we find on healthy food options, organic food options, coupon match-ups, sale prices, etc.

So... welcome to Healthy Deals! Each week I will post the match-ups or great prices that I see on healthy food options. Feel free to check out the list, and if there is something you know of that I haven't posted, leave it in the comments. I'll add it and give you credit.

Just to get us started...

This week, Giant of PA has Kashi cereal on sale for $2 when you buy 4. If you combine that with the $1.50 coupons sent out by Vocalpoint a few weeks ago, you can get a great deal!

Also at Giant, Arnold's bread is priced at $3.99, but it's BOGO this week. $2 for a loaf of healthy bread with no preservatives is pretty good!

Tell your friends about Healthy Deals - the new weekly feature. If we all join together, we can make healthier choices while staying within our budgets!

[Note: My definition of healthy may not be the same as your definition of healthy. This feature will always reflect my personal, nonprofessional opinion. This is not intended to serve as nutritional or health advice. Please use your own judgment to decide if products fit your desired diet and/or lifestyle. ]