Budget Grocery Shopping Tips for College Students in Providence, RI

It's been a few years since I was an undergraduate, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten the trials and tribulations of the college environment. Sure, the classes were bad, and being poor all the time was worse, but probably the thing that I struggled the most with was food. Being in college meant that I was ineligible for food stamps, but it also meant that I couldn't work too many hours for fear of losing my scholarship.

Sure, I had a meal plan in the dining hall, but the selections were always nasty, and me being a vegetarian at the time made it worse. I definitely didn't want the greasy hamburger or the chicken marinara, but iceberg lettuce salads and french fries with cheese sauce got old fast. Dinner often meant Taco Bell, since that was the only affordable fast food place with veggie options, or ramen noodles. Sure, I was completely broke, and you might be, too, but my poor nutritional choices were unhealthy, and when I went home for the summer twenty pounds heavier, I knew things had to change.

I learned my lesson the hard way: If there's one thing you shouldn't skimp on, it's your groceries. We live in the land of heavily processed food, and it's entirely possible for most of us to pass our days without ever eating a single thing that's fresh, natural, or remotely healthy. While the Corn Refiners Association* would have us believe that a life of high fructose corn syrup is perfectly healthy, I believe that the simpler your fare, the healthier you'll be. (*You've seen those commercials, haven't you?) It's only in the last fifty years or so that processed foods flooded supermarket shelves, and we've grown fatter ever since.

Think eating healthy is too expensive? Well, you're right, sorta. Part of the reason corn syrup is so predominant in our food is because it's easy to produce and it's cheap. You'll spend a lot more money on groceries if you switch from Price Rite to Whole Foods, but with a few tweaks of your diet, you can eat well for less money and a higher nutritional intake overall.

The obvious way to cut your grocery bill, wherever you shop, is to ditch the meat. We're trained to expect meat with every meal, but our early ancestors ate more whole grains and fruits and vegetables than anything else. I'm not suggesting you start buying all those meat substitutes either, since they're more expensive than the real thing, and don't go out all the time, either. Learn how to cook! It's easier than you might think.

You already know that the fewer ingredients listed on the label the better right? And if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it? (Though foreign delicacies provide an exception.) I also avoid high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and bleached or enriched flour. Pay extra for whole grains, fresh organic fruit, and nutritionally sound snack foods. Quality is definitely better than quantity when it comes to groceries (and most things, for that matter), so eat less if you have to, but always eat well.

Can't ditch the meat? Make a trip to the West Side of Providence, prepare to hold your breath as long as you can stand it, and check out Joe's Meat Market at the corner of Westminster and Dexter Streets. It'll be like you stepped right into a Spanish supermarket, and the meat's as cheap as it comes. It's scary, sure, but it's also exhilarating and the meat is fresh and delicious once you cook it. If you don't live in Providence, explore your area to find a local meat market. They are everywhere, believe me.

While you're there, look for the fruit guys, who sell fruit out of the back of their trucks and on wooden pallets. It ain't organic and most ain't local, but fresh fruit and veggies are better for you than canned fruit any day of the week, and if you buy it in season, it's generally cheaper, too. I used to buy a pint of blueberries every morning for breakfast for $2. If you don't know what something is, ask the vendor to tell you how to cook it. Even in halted English, they'll usually be able to explain it. Try something new. You never know when you'll find a new favorite. Again, if you don't live in Providence, look for roadside fruit vendors and farmer's stands.

Raining? You'll have to leave the East Side, but Price Rite on Atwells Avenue has cheap fresh and frozen vegetables. Just make sure you check the labels on anything else carefully, as lots of it's crap. The best items to buy at Whole Foods are bulk grains and tofu, because they've got the best selection and fair prices, and switch to snacks with natural, simple ingredients. When you go out to eat, visit restaurants that use local ingredients like Julian's on Broadway or Local 121 downcity. If you have a car, drive to Warwick's Trader Joe's, which has, by far, better prices and better items than Whole Foods. Trader Joe's doesn't have the same selection, so you might not find everything you want, but I guarantee you'll find plenty you didn't know that you wanted.

You don't have to be rich to eat healthfully, and even if you only have $10 for a week's groceries, it's better to buy quality items like a big bag of brown rice, a bag of dried beans, and some milk than to buy a 10-pack of Mac 'N Cheese. Make beans and rice for dinner, and use the leftover rice to make a rice cereal in the mornings for breakfast. Your body will thank you.