Kyle’s Coupons: Raising Healthy Kids Can Be Expensive
Posted by Lynnae on June 25, 2008
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Raising healthy children doesn’t have to be expensive.
But it doesn’t have to be.
My wife and I were at our local grocery store yesterday and what I saw will astound you! Well, maybe not, but it will definitely make you realize why 1 in 3 kids in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese.
What we noticed, in almost every instance, was that the cheaper the food, the worse it was for your body. For example, Wonder Bread was $1.50 a loaf cheaper than the whole grain alternative. Also, a big box of Trix cereal was $1.98, while you would have to pay $3.99 for a smallish box of granola cereal.
In most 3rd world countries, the poorest people are often incredibly thin and malnourished. Not in the U.S., where in general, the poorer you are, the more obese. It comes down to simple economics; the dollar menu at the fast food joint is a cheap and easy way to feed you and your family if you are living paycheck to paycheck. I can’t say as I blame parents for utilizing the most affordable ways to get food on the table. Especially if you are choosing between feeding your kids and making rent on time. But there are ways to eat healthier that don’t have to cost more. Here is one example I noticed, followed by a frugal solution that my family has adopted.
~ Fruit, Juices, and Snacks - At our local Winco grocery store, you could buy a box of 12 Capri Sun drinks that are loaded with sugar and contain ZERO fruit juice for $1.98. If you wanted something healthier for your kids, you are going to have to pay twice that price! A box of 12 Capri Sun drinks that contain 100% fruit juice sell for $3.99. Totally ridiculous! Apparently fruit costs twice as much as raw sugar.
Our Frugal Solution:
Don’t Buy Either. Instead buy fresh or frozen fruit to serve as a snack. Bananas are very affordable and one of the healthiest foods in the world. Also, check out your local farmer’s market for deals on fresh fruit and keep an eye out for summer sales on things like peaches, grapes, and nectarines.
Fruit Smoothies, yum! A couple days a week this summer, my wife and the kids have been making their own smoothies with fresh and frozen fruit. I get lucky enough to have one brought down the hallway to my office as well. They are awesome! Not only are they a healthy snack, but they are a fun activity that they can all do together.
Plant a Fruit Orchard. If you have enough land, plant a fruit tree or several. We live on 3 acres and a couple months ago, I planted 7 fruit trees. I can’t wait for the day when we will have our own fruit to pick. I have fond memories of growing up on a farm and picking fresh peaches and eating them right off the tree and letting the juices flow down your face!
Make Your Own Fruit Snacks. Another frugal solution is to buy 100% frozen juice concentrate that makes a large pitcher of juice. We have been buying these (on sale) and filling ice cube trays with the juice, adding a toothpick, and making our own frozen popsicles.
Use Grocery Store Coupons. If you clip your coupons and shop the sales and circulars, you can get the healthier alternatives at a much better price. We make sure to stock up on our non-perishables this way.
I am really curious what you do to make sure you are eating healthy and at the same time staying within your budget. Please leave a comment!
In keeping with tradition, here are some online coupon codes that may not be able to get you a great deal on fresh fruit, but can hopefully save a few bucks if you were planning on shopping for something you needed anyways.
Gardener’s Supply Company.com (Buy a fruit tree!)
Get 15% taken off your $50+ online order thru this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expires: 6/26/08
See All: Gardener’s Supply Coupons
Home Depot.com
Get 40% taken Off Lighting and Ceiling Fans thru this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expires: 7/09/08
See All: Home Depot Coupons
Home Visions.com
Get $5 taken off your 50+ online order
Coupon Code: HVAFCC68
Expires: 6/30/08
See All: Home Visions Coupons
Old Navy.com
Summer Sale, save up to 40% off and get free shipping on $100 or more
Coupon Code: JUST4YOU
Expires: 7/15/08
See All: Old Navy Coupons
Abt Electronics.com
Get 5% Off all Weber Grills & Accessories
Coupon Code: FIVEOFFWEBER
Expires: 7/06/08
See All: Abt Coupons
Ross Simons.com
Get 20% Off your online order w/ Free Shipping
Coupon Code: FREESHIP
Expires: 6/29/08
See All: Ross Simons Coupons
Nike Store.com
Get $10 taken off your $75+ online order
Coupon Code: SUMSALE
Expires: 7/06/08
See All: Nike Coupons
Ann Taylor LOFT.com
Get 25% taken off your Maternity order
Coupon Code: JUNEMOM
Expires: 6/30/08
See All: Ann Talyor Loft Coupons
Photo by rastafabi.
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The orchard idea is great, but you don’t need a lot of land. There is a company out there which sells a “postage stamp” orchard. It only requires a 20′x 10′ area, because they are miniature dwarf trees. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are easy to grow. People may want to consider removing some of their ornamental landscaping or lawn and replacing it with edibles. A good book for learning about how to go about it is Food Not Lawns by H.C. Flores.
This summer, I’ve found that organic fruits go on sale for cheaper than non-organic produce periodically at my grocery store. The other day I bought organic grapes for 1/2 the price of their non-organic counterparts. I think this is because the organic fruit doesn’t sell very well in my area. So, my advice is to check out the organic section, you never know what you might find!
Great advice Mandi and Penny. I love the idea of the postage stamp orchard. Not only when you save a ton of money by not having to water a lawn, but you will reap the benefits of having your own fruit and berries. Thanks for the book recommendation, I am going to check it out!
We eat healthy and stay in budget by cooking. If you cook most of your foods rather than buying prepackaged foods you will do most of your shopping in the produce section, which is where the healthy foods are. If you watch the sales you can get raw meat fairly cheap.
I have a 4 yr project going on a “food not lawns” project…my city lot, 50×100 with the house on it, doesn’t leave much room for gardening. However, the lawn is quickly disappearing (now in year 2) and being replaced with veggie raised beds. The fencelines are being hedged with raised beds also for perennial veggies and edible flowers. So far I planted a 4 variety dwarf cherry tree and a semidwarf pear. I have hopes for apricots, apples, and loquats if room.
I’ve gathered a lot of info from the library, and from Edible Landscaping sights, Urban Homesteading, Square foot Gardening, and vertical gardening.
I buy bread at the Franz Bread Store, and produce at the Grocery Outlet - both help. And did you know you can freeze bananas? They look dark, but are still good and can be used for smoothies and breads.
I take all the free fruit and veggies offered. The surplus I blanche and freeze, or dry. My grandkids love dried fruit! Especially when they help make it!
Love the post. We are new parents and have done everything we can to save money . I don’t want to succumb to the idea that kids can be SOOOOOO expensive. I know we can do it intelligently and with help like this, I know we can do it quite inexpensively. Thanks
What my wife and I have been doing to just saying to ourselves that we will not sacrifice our fresh fruits and veggies at the grocery store. We supplement with fruit smoothies using frozen fruit (which is cheaper, and then you don’t have to put in ice) and frozen vegetables as well. We try to make up the difference when the prices go up (like now) by getting sales on all our prepackaged stuff.
Nice post.
I used to feed myself and my kids anything that was cheap and easy. I have three boys, the youngest has a neurological disorder. We noticed that by changing his diet to one that mimics that of early 1900s (before the addition of hydrogenated oils and preservatives), his motor planning abilties greatly improved and many symptoms of his disorder have disappeared.
We are a family of 5. My husband eats like a teenager. We are able to eat very heartily on an average of $80/week. It does, however, require me to plan and make most everything from scratch. We have NO milk products in our diet (which saves a TON at the store). For us, meal planning is the key. If I know ahead of time what I am going to make for dinners, I can soak beans the day before, I can make sure I have pitas made or biscuits for dinner. We had a bumper of strawberries this year and I canned many strawberry treats for later in the year.
By going natural and healthy, not only has my child with special needs blossomed, but my middle son’s behavior has improved, and my oldest, who was borderline overweight, is now lean and healthy.
Growing up, my family had the usual 1/4 acre house in a subdivision. We had peach, apricot, apple, and cherry trees lining the back yard. Currently, there is a new apricot tree and the peach tree is still from when I was a kid. My dad, still plants tomoatoes, onions, peas, bell peppers, green beans, corn, and a whole host of other fruits & veggies that are alluding me at the moment.
I currently live in an apartment and can’t wait until I can plant a garden of my own. There is no comparison to fruits & veggies from your garden vs. what you buy in the stores.