Is the high cost of food getting you down? Do you think trimming your food budget means an expanding waistline?

    We are all aware of the bad news that ALL food prices continue to rise. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables - the basics of lower calorie eating.

    Here are some of my favorite ways to stay on track with your diet without breaking the bank: 

    Drink tap water: No bottled water, or other low-calorie drinks. Good for your wallet and the environment.

    Shop seasonally and locally: If it's local, and in-season, the shipping costs are largely reduced, with the savings passed on to you. 

    Look for frozen foods (fruits, veggies, poultry, fish) (without any added sauces): the same nutritional quality as fresh.

    Buy store brands (private labels): These are often produced by the "name brand" companies.

    Be flexible with "in-store" specials: Planning a fish dinner, but chicken breasts are a great buy? Change your menu!

    Purchase foods in bulk from the "Big Box" stores like Sam's Club and Costco. Go in with a friend or two, to save money and reduce spoilage. You might not need 18 pears, but 6 or 9 would be perfect. 

    One BIG money waster: Driving from store to store for all the "best" bargains. You'll spend extra gas money, for small savings, and lose the frequent shopper advantages. Pick one major market, and become a mindful shopper there. Plus, when you get a "store card', you'll get coupons for frequently purchased foods, and other money-saving perks for your loyalty. 

    高的食品價(jià)格真的發(fā)生了嗎？你認(rèn)為調(diào)整你的食品預(yù)算就意味著增大腰圍嗎？

    我們大家都知道全部食品價(jià)格繼續(xù)上漲的壞消息。水果和蔬菜——這些基本的低熱量食物更是如此。

    這里是我按部就班保持規(guī)定飲食而不影響收支平衡的一些最喜愛(ài)的方式：

    1. 喝自來(lái)水：不喝瓶裝水或其它的低熱量飲料。這對(duì)你的錢包和環(huán)境都有好處。 

    2. 采取季節(jié)性地就地購(gòu)物：如果是就地并且按季節(jié)的商品，運(yùn)費(fèi)將大大降低，你也能節(jié)約一些。 

    3. 尋找冷凍食品（水果、素菜、家禽、魚(yú)）（沒(méi)有任何附加的醬料）：它們的營(yíng)養(yǎng)品質(zhì)和新鮮的一樣。 

    4. 購(gòu)買有商店牌子（私人標(biāo)簽）的貨物：它們經(jīng)常是由“名牌”公司生產(chǎn)的。 

    5. 靈活對(duì)待“店內(nèi)”優(yōu)惠價(jià)：原計(jì)劃一頓魚(yú)餐，但是雞胸脯現(xiàn)在是便宜貨？就改變你的菜單吧！ 

    6. 從“大盒子”商店（大賣場(chǎng)）如山姆會(huì)員店和 Costco 購(gòu)買批量食品。同一、兩個(gè)朋友一起去聯(lián)合購(gòu)買，這樣會(huì)省錢并且減少腐壞。你或許不需要 18 個(gè)梨，但是 6 個(gè)或 9 個(gè)可能是很好的。

    一個(gè)大大費(fèi)錢的舉動(dòng)是從一個(gè)商店到另一個(gè)商店驅(qū)車尋找“最好的”便宜貨。你將為了小額的節(jié)省而花費(fèi)額外的汽油錢，并且失去在一個(gè)店鋪頻繁購(gòu)物的優(yōu)惠。選擇一個(gè)主要的市場(chǎng)，成為那里的留意購(gòu)物者。而且，當(dāng)你得到一個(gè)“商店卡'時(shí) ，你會(huì)因?yàn)榻?jīng)常購(gòu)買食品得到優(yōu)惠券，并且因?yàn)槟愕慕?jīng)常光顧得到其它省錢的福利。