this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

With the economy going south, many people are trying to pinch pennies where they can.  I know for us, groceries is often a great category to try and save a buck or two each month.  Earlier this week, Frugal Dad wrote about how he predicts that as a result of Americans trying to save money in this area, they will end up overweight. This does seem likely to happen, because many people think that eating healthy just costs too much, but I don't think it has to.

We don't spend a whole lot on groceries.  I don't buy organic or a lot of fresh produce because it can be expensive.  I also don't buy a lot of pre-packaged convenience food or junk food because, get this, it can be expensive.  My family's diet isn't super healthy, but it's not horrible either, there certainly is room for improvement.  But I attribute most of it to laziness and not lack of funds.  Here are a few ways that my family eats semi-healthy without spending a fortune.

• I stock up on canned veggies and fruit, and frozen veggies.  Not as good fresh, but better than nothing.  That way when the fresh produce is more than I would like to pay (or looks as if it's been sitting on the shelf for too long, which is actually more often the case) I have something for us to eat.  I always peruse the produce section because you never know when something might be at a good price.  But here's where the laziness comes in.  Sometimes I just don't get around to even opening a can of corn, so we eat our spaghetti with out a side dish.  I have also been known to forget about the spinach or zucchini in the fridge and end up having to throw it out. 
• I cook from scratch.  Sometimes this is harder than other times.  But I like to keep a few quick meals in my repertoire for nights when I'd rather do a little less cooking.  Spaghetti or sandwiches are quick and easy and still easy on the waistline.  This doesn't mean we never go for convenience.  Macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets serve as occasional lunch time fare for my boys, (especially when we are out of bread) but I do make the homemade variety every now and again.  Though it really isn't as good as the canned stuff.  We make our own spaghetti sauce using tomato sauce and herbs.  It saves us a lot of money though.  I also make cookies and other treats, though Oreos do occasionally make it into my shopping cart.
• I take advantage of leftovers. The Tall One takes them for lunch and I'll often try and reinvent them for another meal.  
• We drink juice (the 100% juice variety) instead of soda.  It probably does cost more than the soda, but it's healthier.

I'm lucky enough to live in a place where milk goes on sale a lot.  I can normally pick up a gallon for $2.50 or less.  If it isn't on sale one week, I'll try and stretch out our milk for another week to wait for another sale.  This frees up money for other things.  Try and find a staple that seems to often go on sale and buy it only on sale if you can.

My ultimate thought is, next time you throw a bag of potato chips into your shopping cart, remember that several apples cost about the same.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think it costs you a lot more to eat healthy, or do you just have to make smarter shopping choices?