Depending on the time of year and where you live, it may be a challenge to find fresh produce at an affordable price. This will influence the choices you make when meal planning.

Here are some great ways to save money when buying fresh produce:

• Plan carefully to avoid waste. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the typical American throws away several hundred dollars of food per person per year. For a family, that adds up! Create a meal plan thoughtfully. If you don’t food shop that frequently, buy a mix of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. Use your fresh produce first before it can spoil, then at the end of the week use your frozen produce.
• Shop the sales.
• In-season produce is often less expensive than other options.
• Buy local, and seasonal. Pick your own produce at local farms or orchards.
• Buy in bulk. If you have the freezer space, consider buying large quantities of produce when it is in season & freezing the excess. This works great for blueberries, strawberries, bell peppers, corn & more.
• Use the whole vegetable – Use the peels and trimmings of root vegetables to make vegetable broths. If you have a garden, compost your produce scraps.
• When looking to buy produce that is out of season, buy the frozen variety. For example, fresh blueberries are quite expensive out of season whereas frozen blueberries are typically affordable.
• Grow what you can. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can grow a tomato or basil plant in a container in the sun. Try sprouting seeds—broccoli and cabbage sprouts are extremely nutritious! You can buy the seeds and sprouting kits online.
• Share any bounty. If you buy one type of vegetable in bulk, you could trade with a friend or neighbor for another type of vegetable.

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