What Fruits And Vegetables Are Cheapest At This Time Of Year?
I’m a poor college student, and the dining halls are closed this month. I also live in Ohio so please do not try to convince me that pineapples are in season and inexpensive.
I live in a small town, monopolized by two small grocery stores. I tried to buy grapes last week and after weighing the smallest bag it was still about 7 dollars.
Should I opt for canned vegetables or frozen? How bad is the salt content in canned vegetables? Also how long can frozen vegetables last in the fridge?
July 27th, 2009 at 6:20 am
First of all if you want fresh produce the cheapest produce is always the vegetables that are in season…
Check out this link to find out what vegetables are in season at what time of year:http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2…
Also, look for fruits and vegetables that will stretch your dollar the most. Things with starch such as potatoes and high in fiber fruits such as apples will keep you fuller longer.
Another idea for fresh vegetables is to go to the produce department of your local supermarket and ask for the manager. Explain that you are a college student on a budget and you just want to know if they have a day that they mark down the produce before it expires. I’ve bought very good fresh veggies that were marked down more than half price because they want to sell them before they go bad.
If your only alternative is non-fresh vegetables, frozen veggies taste better and are more nutritious than canned. As long as you don’t over cook your frozen veggies you will get lots of nutrition and a crisp taste still. For frozen veggies your best is to wait until the loss leader sales and stock up. Check your sales circulars every week and buy only the ones that are on sale and buy as much as you can so it will last through the times when they are not on sale. Also, if you have two supermarkets keep a price book and compare prices so you know who has the better prices…http://organizedhome.com/modules.php?nam…
An other option is to post a ad on craigslist or your local freecycle site that you are looking for excess veggies or fruits. Many homeowners will let you pick excess fruit or nuts from their trees if you come do it yourself. This is called gleaning and will give you free produce!
July 27th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
At any time of year, cabbage is always the cheapest vegetable. Mild-flavored temperate climate vegetables that are not in high demand are always cheapest. However, the most nutritious vegetables are the ones that are most brightly colored and also most expensive, so you get what you pay for. Potatoes, carrots and head lettuce are also inexpensive. Canned foods are really not that economical, except for baked beans. In frozen, try mixed vegetables (diced carrots, corn and peas or green beans). Frozen spinach and squash are also cheap.
As far as fruit goes, fresh fruit is never cheap. Apples are cheapest, but vary widely in price. Red Delicious are affordable, but taste like sawdust. Try Gala apples, or Golden Delicious. You can also buy raisins, those are high in iron. Canned peaches and Mandarin oranges make a special treat. Fresh navel oranges are also cheap.
July 27th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Frozen and canned is good, but stay away from from the fruit that is packed in syrup. Buy canned fruit that is packed in juice, there is less sugar. As for frozen I buy only the whole frozen fruit that is in the bag not the canisters. This way I know that there is no added juice or syrup of any kind. As for the cost of fresh fruit and veggies, is there a farmers market in your area. You may not be able to get there everyday, but if you have a car, take a day trip to a larger town to get larger amounts of produce at a cheaper price. Is there an Aldi in your area? If so go and shop, I have found that they have the freshest and least exspensive produce. Plus the selection is huge. I got some fresh mango from there for 75 cents each or strawberries for about 2.50 a lb and pineapples were only about $2 as well. I went to aldifoods.com and there are about 100 in the state of ohio. Good Luck
July 27th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Frozen vegetables tend to be much healthier than the canned variety which is higher in salt, and sometimes in added sugar. The canning process also reduces the vitamin content of vegetables. In the winter, root vegetables tend to be in season.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
summer
July 27th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
All Citrus is really cheap cuz it’s in season. Cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower… that kind of stuff.