Tips For Saving Money on Groceries - Eat Less Food (Without Starving Yourself!) To Save on Groceries
Eating less may not seem like much of a grocery savings tip, but if you learn to use portion control techniques, you'll not only reduce your food bill, you'll also reduce your daily calorie count without even trying too hard.
For example, if you cut your current portion size by 30% consistently, you'll automatically cut your grocery bill by 30%, without even using any other grocery savings techniques.
Here are some ways to reduce the amount of food you eat.
1. Use smaller plates, cups, and bowls. If you ever take a look in an antique store or museum, you'll notice how much smaller plates, cups, and bowls use to be. Quite simply, we eat and drink much more than we used to, and it shows in both our spending and our waistlines!
Although it is possible to put less food on a large plate, you'll naturally fill up the plate. Simply start with a smaller plate and you'll automatically eat less. Do this consistently, and you'll reduce your grocery spending!
2. Use the palm of your hand to determine how large your meat portion should be. Most chicken breasts and many other cuts of meat and poultry are at least twice the size of the palm of your hand. Cut the meat portion in half, if needed, to reduce it to the size of the palm of your hand and you'll automatically cut in half your meat consumption and your spending on meat -- perhaps the most expensive grocery item.
3. Use a food scale. Using a food scale will help you to know exactly how large of a portion you are planning to serve yourself. With time you'll be able to eyeball a food item and know how much you should serve yourself, but in the beginning, when you're training yourself to exercise portion control, a food scale is the most precise way to help you know how much to eat.
4. Skip the second helping. One of the best ways to reduce your grocery bill by observing portion control is to avoid eating a second helping of food. Now of course, if you're really and truly hungry, go ahead and take seconds. But often we take a second helping simply because the food is sitting here in front of you, tempting you to eat more without even really thinking about it.
That brings me to the next point. . . .
5. Put excess food aside before you even sit down to eat. You'll want to let food cool to room temperature before actually putting it into the refrigerator, but go ahead and put some food aside into individual serving sized containers and leave them on the kitchen counter rather than putting all the food on the table. When food has already been set aside for another meal, you'll be more likely to wait until another meal time to eat it. These leftovers can be eaten for lunch or dinner the next day, saving you time, calories, and money.
6. If you find yourself eating whatever you prepare, or if you don't like leftovers, simply cook less. For example, if a recipe calls for six boneless chicken breasts, prepare the recipe with three instead. I find it helpful to cut the chicken breasts in half before cooking, so the portion size is automatically reduced.
Unless you already eat very small amounts of food, you can easily reduce your grocery bill by at least 30% by simply preparing and eating less food. Not only will this help you to lose weight, it will also help you to save money on groceries.
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