Eating healthier doesn’t need to come with a luxury price tag. The idea behind Food Is Medicine is simple: nourishing your body with real, quality foods can help you look, feel, and function better in daily life. For many people, the biggest barrier isn’t motivation — it’s cost. Between rising grocery bills and wellness products that seem designed for influencers instead of real families, it can feel like health is only for those who can afford premium products. The good
news is that eating better and feeling better is absolutely possible on a budget when you shop with intention and keep things simple.

One of the smartest places to start is right in your grocery cart. Choosing store brand staples over heavily marketed name brands can save shoppers 20 to 40 percent, without any difference in nutrition. Items like oats, rice, canned goods, peanut butter, and frozen produce are some of the most affordable and nutrient-dense foods available. For example, a 42-ounce container of store brand oats averages $1.00 less than the name brand container. When those swaps happen across multiple staples each week, the savings quickly stack up. Frozen fruits and vegetables offer even more value. Picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen to lock in nutrients, options like broccoli, spinach, or mixed berry blends can be much more cost effective. For example, a 16oz. container of fresh strawberries could cost as much as $2.00 more than the same size, frozen, variety. Not only are they cheaper, but they also last longer, which means less food waste — one of the most overlooked drains on grocery budgets.

Hy-Vee Corporate Registered Dietitian Olivia Thiede MS, RD, LD, who oversees Strack & Van Til’s dietitian programs, emphasizes this exact approach:

“As a registered dietitian, I often remind clients that budget-friendly foods can be surprisingly versatile. Staples like beans, eggs, whole grains, and canned or frozen fruit and vegetables can inspire endless creative meals that are both nutritious and budget-friendly. Keeping these staples on hand makes it easy to whip up nutritious meals anytime, without breaking the bank.”

Another key strategy is shopping the sales instead of the hype. Checking weekly ads before heading to the store helps customers plan around real savings opportunities instead of impulse purchases. Strack & Van Til’s weekly ad is filled with deals on everyday essentials, and pairing those price drops with a plan keeps healthy eating predictable and affordable. On top of weekly sales, taking advantage of Strack’s rewards program and digital coupons means earning points on purchases that can be redeemed for discounts on future trips, turning routine grocery runs into even more savings over time.

Supplements can support your goals, but they shouldn’t replace food or drain your wallet. Simple, evidence-based options like a store brand multivitamin ($8.99 for 60 days →$0.15/day), creatine monohydrate ($24.99 for 80 servings → $0.31/serving), whey protein ($39.99 for 30 servings → $1.33/serving), and fish oil omega-3 ($12.99 for 90 days →$0.14/day) are some of the most affordable, effective supplements for improving energy, body composition, and overall wellness.

And of course, the meals themselves deliver the biggest payoff. Overnight oats with Greekyogurt and frozen berries cost about $8.00 for 4 servings ($2.00 each). Chicken rice bowls with frozen veggies and family-pack chicken total roughly $18.00 for 5 servings ($3.6 each). A hearty ground turkey chili using store brand beans, tomato sauce, and frozen peppers and onions costs about $16.00 for 6 servings — just $2.66 per bowl. These are just a few examples proving
that healthy meals don’t need to be fancy to be transformational.

Health is a standard everyone deserves, and it starts with consistency, not luxury spending. With smarter shopping, weekly planning, frozen produce, store brands, weekly ads, and rewards working together, wellness is absolutely possible for every household — no expensive trends required.