7 Cheap Veggies to Buy on a Budget and Still Eat Well ...

Carrots are one of my favorite cheap veggies to buy on a budget. First, they’re amazing for your skin and hair, plus they have a natural sweet taste that is just fabulous. You can get a whole bag of large carrots for around 88 cents- $1.25 most of the time, and even organic carrots are very cheap. A large bag of mini carrots range from $1.99 to $3 most of the time and are also cheap if bought organic. Carrots make great snacks, are great to stir in stew, soup and even chopped as a puree to make a sauce or dressing. They’re full of fiber and add bulk to your meals to keep you full too, which is great if you’re on a budget.

Lettuce is often overlooked as the boring veggie that has little nutrients, but this is so not true! A whole head of lettuce contains all your daily Vitamin K requirements, plus Omega 3 fatty acids, believe it or not. Lettuce is also rich in Vitamin A, and even varieties such as Iceberg and Butter Lettuce are healthy too. My favorite kind of lettuce is romaine and a whole head usually feeds around 6 people and costs under $2. Iceberg is even cheaper, which feeds anywhere from 4-6 and costs around $1-2 per head. You can not only use lettuce in salads, but also on sandwiches, and even in green smoothies if you’re into that. They also make a great low-carb alternative to bread since they’re large and sturdy like bread.

Cucumbers one of my favorite veggies to eat all year round, not just in summer. They are rich in silica that is great for your skin, and also 95% water, which makes them extremely hydrating. They also contain potassium that helps reduce inflammation in the muscles and only cost around 70 cents to $1.25 apiece. Organic varieties tend to be more expensive, so if you’re concerned about the pesticide issue, but want to buy conventional to save money, simply remove the peel which contains most of the pesticides. Cucumbers are great for everything! I eat them raw, dip them into salsa and hummus, eat them sliced on salads, toss them into omelets, and even freeze them and use them in smoothies in place of fruit. They are so amazing and one of the most versatile cheaper veggies you can buy.

Oh, how I adore spinach! Fresh varieties are my favorite, but frozen is a mainstay for me because it is so cheap and doesn’t go to waste before I can use it. Frozen spinach is just as nutritious as fresh spinach too! It is rich in magnesium, protein, folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and fiber. Plus, spinach can be used in anything! From omelets to casseroles, to smoothies, or sautéed on the stove top with some coconut oil and your favorite meat or fish, it makes a great addition to any meal. You can also steam frozen spinach just like other frozen veggies to eat. All you need to do is add some seasonings like Mrs. Dash to transform it to one tasty dish fast! Frozen spinach usually only costs around $1-$2 per 16 ounce bag, which is such a steal of a deal.

Oh, the humble onion! Onions are so great for everything and they make anything taste great too. They also last forever! Onions can be sliced raw into salads, stirred into a soup, used to make a homemade broth, casserole or omelet, sautéed with some fish or chicken on the stove top, or sautéed with other veggies to make an incredible veggie entree dish, like spinach and onions or stir-fried potatoes with onions. Onions are rich in sulfur, which is naturally detoxifying to the liver and also great for your skin. At the same time, onions are also rich in fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. Red onions are slightly higher in antioxidants, but yellow onions and white onions are very nutritious too and the difference is quite minimal, except for the taste. Yellow onions tend to be sweeter, while white and red varieties are more savory. Onions usually only cost around 33-50 cents apiece and a whole bag is under $3 or cheaper, even in most organic varieties.

Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, white potatoes, oh my! Don’t rule out potatoes if you’re watching your carbs, especially if you’re on a budget! Potatoes may be a starch, but they are actually full of nutrients. While it is optimal to buy sweet potatoes, purple potatoes and red potatoes over white potatoes because of their lower glycemic index, all potatoes are healthy. All potatoes are rich in potassium, fiber, water, Vitamin C and magnesium. They are also much better than eating starchy carbs like cheap bread and white rice. After all, they are a vegetable! Potatoes are one of the cheapest veggies you’ll find which are all under $1 apiece most of the time, and a bag of potatoes usually costs less than $3. They are so filling they can serve in place of a meat at your meal, which makes them one incredibly money-saving veggie to love.

Celery is another one of my cheap veggies to buy. First, it usually only costs around $2 or under for an entire stalk, and that will last you a good week if you’re single. If you have a family, it will still serve many servings of snacks, or it can be used for sauces, soups, stews and stirred into any entrée dish like sautéed dishes, raw salads or even omelets. My favorite way to eat celery is as a snack with carrots dipped into salsa or hummus, or chopped onto salads. Even the organic varieties are fairly cheap if you’re concerned with this issue. Celery is rich in Vitamin K, fiber, and Vitamin C. It also acts as a natural diuretic, helping to prevent bloat and has been proven to reduce blood pressure significantly. Don’t reach for the chips, reach for celery instead!

I buy these 7 cheap veggies every single week and they usually last me a good week and a half. As a girl on a budget who still wants to eat healthy, I’m always looking for great ways to save money and still eat well. Do you have any tips for saving money while still eating healthy?