These make-it-yourself swaps are healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable than their store-bought versions.

You’re not imagining it—grocery trips are still getting more expensive. Everything from flour and grains to milk and (siggghhhhh) coffee has hit the wallet harder, jumping in price by 12, 25, or even 60 percent (we’re looking at you, eggs).

And when prices rise, we logically reach for cheaper alternatives. In many cases, that means more processed foods—bad news for health and the environment. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, “as prices of healthy foods escalate, unhealthy (discretionary and/or ultra-processed) foods have become relatively cheaper, which influences dietary choices. In times of financial stress, families…tend to purchase the cheapest and most affordable food; this is often the less healthy products.” 

Put more plainly in The Guardian, “In response to higher prices, people are buying cheaper, processed foods high in calories, sugar and sodium over costlier options like fruits and vegetables, protein and whole grains, according to public health researchers and anti-hunger experts.”

We know that for many, there’s simply no choice here. With limited income and people to feed, you do the best you can. That’s why we’ve been looking for alternatives—places where we can find ways to maintain health, reduce packaging and trash, and keep costs down. 

Homemade oat milk

Oat milk is creamy, delicious and more sustainable than dairy milk. (See here and here.) It can be pretty expensive though, costing $3 to $6 for a half gallon. And, in many cases, the carton is bound for landfill. 

It’s actually pretty simple to make it yourself, and you can buy a whole pound of oats for the same price as a carton of oat milk. At about ¼ a cup of oats per 8oz serving of milk, that means you’ll get 20 servings of oat milk for the same price as 8 cups in the store bought versions. 

DIY veggie broth

The most economical fresh foods often have a whole second life hidden in them—carrot tops, onion scraps, celery bits, and herb stems can all be tossed in the freezer to be used in vegetable broth.

Broth is a cheap and easy way to add flavor to soups, stews, beans, and potatoes. An herby broth even tastes great on its own and can soothe a bad stomach or seasonal sniffles. But like many pantry items, prices have inched up. And yep, it typically comes in the same unrecyclable carton as milk. 

Store-bought vegetable broth: Average $2.50 with a non-recyclable carton

Homemade vegetable broth: Mere pennies, using the parts of veggies you were going to throw out.

Recipe: https://foodwastefeast.com/recipes/2018/4/17/kitchen-scrap-vegetable-stock-or-meat-stock

More ways to save

We know that homemade versus store-bought is tricky. While many swaps may indeed cost less money and use less plastic and waste, they also take more time, planning, and access to kitchen tools and fridge space.

We swear by oat milk and broth because, for the most part, the recipes are simple and use easy-to-find ingredients. But we know there are LOTS more tricks and tips out there.

If you’re looking for more ways to save, check out these additional resources:

• All of Food Waste Feast’s cookbook and blog! 

• The FREE, printable PDF of Good & Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day

• We’ve been eyeballing this homemade peanut butter recipe. We haven’t tried it yet, but a $3 bag of lightly salted peanuts will make a bunch of nut butter without the added fat and sugar or the plastic container. We’ll report back!

• Herb infusions and teas!

• Dried beans and lentils. Even the fancy, heirloom brands will cost you less per serving than the average canned beans and without all the cans. (They are delicious and make a heavenly broth, too.)

What are your favorite economical and sustainable grocery hacks?