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Nutrition.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Shopping, Cooking and Food Safety
  4. Food Shopping and Meal Planning

Food Shopping and Meal Planning

Plan meals and shop for groceries the healthy way with these tips and resources.

Healthy Eating on a Budget
USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Making a plan before heading to the store can help you get organized, save money, and choose healthy options.

Healthy, Thrifty Holiday Menus
USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP-Ed Connection

Browse sample menus for celebrating holidays, including Cinco de Mayo, the 4th of July, and Halloween.

What's in Season?
USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Healthy Meals Resource System

Find out what fruits and vegetables are in season.

Tasty and Low-Cost Recipes
USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Visit these resources to discover delicious and budget-friendly recipes your family will love.

Sample 2-Week Menus
USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

These sample 2-week menus can be used by any person or family wanting to follow a healthy diet at a modest price. The menus are designed to meet nutrition needs on a budget.

Food Shopping Tips
HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, We Can!

Buy healthy foods for your family using these tips and resources.

Just Enough for You: About Food Portions
HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Weight-control Information Network

Understand how much you need to eat and control food portions so that you can eat just enough for you.

Serving Sizes and Portions
HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Read about the difference between servings and portions, and find out how much portion sizes have grown over the past 20 years.

Heart-Healthy Foods: Shopping List
HHS, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

When it comes to your heart, what you eat matters. Follow these tips for heart-healthy eating.

Tips to Reduce Food Waste
HHS, Food and Drug Administration

We can all play a part in reaching the national food waste reduction goal – to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030. Start using these tips today to reduce food waste, save money, and protect the environment.

Modifying a Recipe to Be Healthier
Ohio State University Extension

This fact sheet provides ideas to decrease the amount of fat, calories, salt (sodium) and sugar in recipes. Ways to increase fiber in recipes are also provided.

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Purdue Unversity Extension

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. Use these tips to make healthy choices while staying within your budget.

Grocery Budget Calculator
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

This tool allows you to look at what you’re spending now and how you can make small changes that add up to big savings.

Vegetable Nutrition Database
Produce for Better Health Foundation

The Vegetable Nutrition Database offers information on selection, storage and nutrition benefits.

Fruit Nutrition Database
Produce for Better Health Foundation

Find information on selection, storage, nutrition information.