Ways to Save Money While Eating Healthy Snacks

This post has been sponsored by Brita® and Glad®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Eating healthier foods doesn't have to cost you more money. In fact, it is possible to save money while eating healthy snacks using the tips below.

A few years ago as I was analyzing my grocery bill, I realized I spent quite a bit of money on bottled juice. I decided to cut back, not just because of the expense, but because drinking plain water would be healthier for my kids. I was met with serious opposition when I encouraged my family to drink more water which actually surprised me because they often chose bottled water over juice boxes when at parties. When I asked them why they didn't want to drink tap water, my kids said it was because they didn't like the taste of our tap water. And I had to admit they were right. Our tap water often has a strong chlorine taste to it.

I bought a Brita® Filter Pitcher and my whole family willingly started drinking water. This is not only healthier for all of us, but saves me a substantial amount of money on my grocery bill. One Brita® Filter can filter the equivalent of 300 bottles of water, so whether I am using it to replace bottled juice or bottled water, I am cutting down on the amount of plastic I am bringing into my home and the amount of plastic I have to put in the recycling bin and haul to the curb. You can find Brita® Filter Pitchers at Dollar General.

To save us even more money, we use the filtered water to fill water bottles ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Before we leave the house we grab a prefilled bottle of filtered water and go. This ensures I don't have to stop while we are out to buy the kids something to drink which can lead to some bad food choices.

Ways to Save Money While Eating Healthy Snacks

Those unplanned food purchases can really add up, so we also prep healthy snacks in Glad® Containers ahead of time for grab and go snacks that will tide us over until we can get home. One of the ways that I have found that encourages my kids to willingly eat healthier snacks is to involve them in the preparation. There is something about actually interacting with the healthier foods that make them more appealing to kids. A side benefit to involving my kids in healthy snack prep is that it saves me time. While I am cooking dinner or setting the table, my kids can fill the water bottles with filtered water and portion snacks into individual servings.

Earlier this year I realized that I had been buying individual serving sizes of snacks to help my kids with portion control. This was not only more expensive per serving, it wasn't actually teaching them anything about portion control. So now I buy a regular size package of crackers or nuts and have my kids read the label to find the recommended serving size. Then they divide the package into individual servings and place them in Glad® containers or bags. Before, if I bought a box of crackers, they would consume them all within a couple days. Now that they divide up the crackers into individual servings, a box of crackers lasts at least a week sometimes longer. This concept can be applied to other items as well to save money. Instead of buying individual applesauce or fruit cups, buy a large jar or can and divide it between Glad® containers. When your kids divide them up, they will quickly realize that one serving of fruit or vegetables provides them with a lot more food than one serving of crackers!

Healthy Snack Ideas

Below are some easy snack ideas for kids on the go or for adults to take to work.

• Apple slices and peanut butter - this is a filling snack!
• Crackers and string cheese - Pull off some cheese and put it on top of a cracker.
• Clementines - my kids find these easier to peel than large oranges.
• Carrots and Snow Peas with Asian salad dressing.
• Yogurt with granola on top.
• Applesauce  - for variety stir in some berries.
• Frozen fruits - frozen grapes and frozen blueberries make a tasty treat!
• Mixed nuts and raisins - save money and make your own trail mix!
• Popcorn is a great snack when you are craving something salty.
• Cereal - at our house we don't eat cereal for breakfast, but we do enjoy it as a snack.

Snacks don't have to be complicated to be satisfying. Simple healthy snacks that are prepped in advance so you (or your child) can grab them and go will help you save money and save time while feeding your family wholesome foods.

If you would like to save money while eating healthier, visit Dollar General where you can find a Brita® Filter Pitcher, Glad® Containers, and foods that you can use to create healthy snacks for your family.