INDfamily

Eating well and spending less

by Kari Walker

ChooseMyPlate.gov introduces free program for eating healthy on a budget

The USDA's Healthy eatin on a Budget program makes understanding how families can make healthy choices with free online planning tools.

The school bell will soon ring one last time and the kids will be playing in the sprinklers, sleeping late and no doubt asking you, "What's for dinner?" Growing children are hungry, but it doesn't mean they should be diving head first into a giant bag of cheese puffs.

Families want to keep their kids healthy, and summertime is notorious for snacks like ice cream, burgers, and other indulgences. The Choose My Plate initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture understands and wants to help keep families healthy and also keep that grocery budget from spiraling out of control.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to healthy eating is knowing where to start with planning. The new Healthy Eating on a Budget program by the USDA includes free online downloads like sample menus, grocery shopping lists of ingredients and recipes for some suggested menu items.

If you already have an idea of what you'll be cooking for the week, there are also blank templates for organizational tools to create menus and shopping lists.

INDfamlily really loves the link to smart shopping tips for each aisle including how to read price tags on shelves and nutritional labels on products.

We give the USDA's Healthy Eating on a Budget tool two big thumbs up - and we encourage you to share it with your kids in these quick and easy ways: