Save 💰 Swaps: Spinach 🥬 Box Vs Bunch

Tariffs are lurking… time to buckle down and start to figure out how we can save money AND be healthy while we go through these times. So, for the summer I plan to pop up with a “save money swaps” series as we traverse together!

PSA: First, Let’s address where we eat…

“Food-away-from-home expenditures accounted for 58.5 percent of total food costs!!!”

Food is one of our top cost drivers at home. Facts are fact. So when we focus our time and energy on saving money and being healthy on food, we win with our household budget overall. The more we eat outside the home, the more we’re adding other costs to our budget. The overhead of those restaurant and delivery is passed off to YOU! Every time you eat at home, you are saving yourself a bit more coins in your wallet.

Now, I too enjoy a delicious meal at a favorite restaurant on occasion, but the key word is on occasion. Let’s go back to some of our old-ways :). We’ll talk more about this in another post…. I digress….

Second: Let’s Address WHAT we eat? Add greens 🥬 to Everything!

In the African Heritage Diet Class I teach, we talk about greens being at the bottom of the food pyramid. We want to add greens to as many meals as possible!!! The tips I provide below can be applied to any greens, but let’s talk about spinach in particular. A nice dark leafy green!

🧠 1. Supports Brain Health
Spinach is rich in folate, vitamin K, and antioxidants like lutein and beta-carotene, which are linked to better cognitive function and slower age-related mental decline.

2. Strengthens Bones
It’s loaded with vitamin K, which plays a crucial role in bone health by helping the body absorb calcium and reduce the risk of fractures.

❤️ 3. Boosts Heart Health
Spinach contains nitrates, which may help regulate blood pressure and improve artery function, reducing the risk of heart disease.

🩸 4. Improves Blood Health
A good source of iron, especially for vegetarians, spinach helps support the production of red blood cells and prevents fatigue and anemia.

🛡️ 5. Enhances Immune Function
Spinach is packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene, both of which help strengthen the immune system and fight off illness and infection.

👀 6. Protects Eye Health
It’s a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

🧬 7. Fights Inflammation
Spinach contains powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients that reduce inflammation in the body, potentially lowering the risk of chronic diseases.

8. Supports Digestive Health
High in fiber, spinach helps keep your digestive system regular, reduces constipation, and supports a healthy gut microbiome.

🎯 9. Aids in Healthy Weight Management
Low in calories but high in volume and nutrients, spinach is ideal for filling meals that don’t overload on calories. It supports satiety and healthy weight goals.

🌱 10. May Help Prevent Cancer
Spinach contains plant compounds like chlorophyll, flavonoids, and carotenoids, which are being studied for their role in slowing cancer cell growth and protecting DNA from damage.

So, on Sundays I choose my weekly recipes that include some sort of green plant.

The easiest way to have a greens ready to go is by prepping them in the fridge for the week.

While shopping in Kroger I thought let’s save a few bucks. Instead of the normal box of spinach. I’ll grab a couple bunches and save money.

Third: Let’s Address How Much By Doing a Bit of Math: Grocery Store Exercise

One Bunch of spinach at the store was $1.99 lb (can be found in the produce section)

Bringing it all home…

“For this swap you spend about 9 times less by buying a bunch vs box spinach 🤯“

The magazine Food52 goes even further than the example I am providing. They believe we should skip the pre-packaged salad mixes. Not only do those mixes cost more, they’re also apt to go smooshy and smelly very quickly. Stick to whole heads of lettuce or bunches of other greens. If you’re really craving spring mix, go to a grocery store that has bulk lettuces and fill up a bag with exactly how much you’ll need for your meal. Or, even better, head to the farmer’s market!  

Are you willing to spend 6.5 min to save money?

So that’s about the time it took me to wash and prep bunch spinach for the week. Having it prepped and ready to go will allow me to use it for everything from salads, casseroles, sandwiches, egg bakes, or top my scrambled eggs. It can be that easy.

*Pro Tip: Using kitchen shears made the process a bit faster than only using a knife to cut off stems rough chop the greens. Even in the morning, I used kitchen shears to cut the spinach into smaller pieces before adding to eggs or baking. You can find kitchen shears pretty much anywhere in the kitchen section. Even Dollar Tree (click here)!

** If you are interested in a video showing how to purchase “bunch” greens in the store drop me a note! I’m always up for a grocery store field trip! Drop me a holla here!

Now What Do you Do With It?

With my freshly prepped spinach I’ll:

• Use it for salads
• Add to scrambled eggs
• Toss in with pasta
• Add in smoothies
• Layer on my sandwhich
• Top on Pizza
• Add to a grain bowl!

I wrote a post earlier this year on grain bowls and how our family makes them fun and customized to each person’s tastes!

So Friends, let’s start making simple swaps to keep our healthy journeys going and save some 💰!!

I’m rooting for you!

J

References

Health Benefits of Spinach

How to Make the Salads of Your Dreams—Without Going Broke

Food and Prices Spending

Ready to transform your wellness journey from the inside out?

If you choose to continue this journey with the book, I highly encourage you to mark it up! Don’t treat it so precious, that you don’t take advantage of the tools and bookmarks. They were very intentionally created for you to use direct. 

✨ Whether you’re just beginning or deepening your wellness journey, this book is your companion to real, lasting growth.

Order your copy today on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMD4G2FM

I’m cheering for you!!

groceries Healthy eating Physical Health save money