Eating healthy is super affordable.

Okay, you can stop laughing now.

Seriously, it can be. I admit that I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods, organic markets, and farmers markets. When I first started regularly shopping there, I was spending $150 a week for groceries for 2 people.

See? That's affordable....maybe if you make a lot of money or you are feeding many people. That explains why I get the you shop at "Whole Paycheck" joke from coworkers and friends.

Yes, that was ridiculous, and I even questioned if this was worth it. As I switched to plant-based recipes, I found that many of these ingredients were not in my pantry. That alone caused my bill to be high. Then it didn't help that I tried numerous recipes with multiple ingredients that were foreign to me at the same time.

While I was really enjoying the meals, I noticed that the fresh produce I used in only 1 dish was going bad before I could use it again. I know you're thinking that's basic grocery shopping 101. If you don't use it, it will go bad. But I encountered a new problem. How in the world to do I incorporate the leftover fresh dill/turmeric/kale into other dishes? Until I learned how they tasted and how I could mix them with other herbs and grains, I struggled.  To be honest, I didn't change my approach because I devoted my free time to taking cooking classes and watching YouTube videos to learn what to do. I just got tired of paying too much and having to throw away food. Something had to give.

I started centering my meals around ingredients. Again, this was a pretty simple concept I used previously, but I thought I needed all these unique recipes and items to not get bored. I was wrong. So I want to share a few tips to help you avoid the mistakes I made when transitioning to a plant-based diet.

#1 - You do not need to buy everything on your 1st trip or even the 2nd.

The initial investment may be pricey, especially if you want to replace your regular grains with whole wheat ones, switch to all organic produce, and buy plant-based products. For many people, that is likely too much at one time.

First, survey what is in you pantry now. Do not throw out everything. You can still use these items with your new purchases.

But I found an awesome recipe for stir fried quinoa, and I don't have quinoa!

You can save money by using rice already in your cabinet instead. Just add the veggies and soy sauce as noted in the recipe.  This is likely better for you and still lower in sodium than ordering takeout. It could also make your transition easier because you are using things that are familiar. While I love quinoa, it is definitely not a perfect replacement for rice.

Buy some new items, but keep it reasonable. Set aside a portion of your grocery budget solely to buy new items. After a month or two, you are on your way to building your a well stocked pantry that will help you create amazing new meals.

#2 - Center your weekly meals around the same ingredients.

As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to switch it up so I didn't get bored and revert back to my old eating habits. I turned to Pinterest and found 4-5 recipes for a week to keep my interested. A typical week for me in the beginning looked like this.

Sunday - zucchini noodles with pesto
Monday - veggie tacos
Tuesday -leftovers
Wednesday - one pot veggie pasta
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - quinoa with roasted veggies
Saturday - veggie burgers w/ fries

I had 5 meals each requiring 3-4 vegetables. Some ingredients overlapped recipes, while others were only used in 1. I had variety, but I had too many unused ingredients at the end of the week. Fresh ingredients don't have a long shelf life, so many ended up in the trash. I told myself I would try harder to use everything. Then I just repeated this cycle.

Meal planning requires some extra work, but it pays off. I found that spending 30 minutes to search for recipes using the same ingredients helped me throw away less food. I also didn't find myself bored.  Incorporating different spices can make a world of a difference.  I previously didn't cook with cumin often, but I recognized its familiar smell the moment I opened the jar. A little transforms veggies into a nice taco filling or gives plain potatoes a kick.

#3 - Stock up when you catch a sale.

Who doesn't love a sale, especially on asparagus? While I'm sure you may not get as excited as I do when there's a sale at the grocery store, this can be an awesome opportunity to stock up your pantry.

We easily go through 1-2 cartons of vegetable broth in a week. So when I find organic broth for $2, I typically buy 5 or 6 at a time even if it is not on that week's grocery list.

Wait ... doesn't this contradict your first tip to limit your spending?

Not at all. Since some items are used more often than others, why not buy them at a cheaper price? Broth is a great example because it is so versatile. I often use it in place of water to cook grains like farro or brown rice to get a richer taste.

If you can fit extra sale items in your cart without going over your budget this week, you might be able to buy a more expensive ingredient the following week. Yay to splurging on that $9 artisinal plant-based cheese you've been eyeing!

I can't promise smooth sailing if you follow my tips word for word, but I can assure you that it will be a little easier and less overwhelming. Happy shopping!