If you are trying to foster healthy eating habits but are finding it financially draining, you are not alone. Eating healthily, which means incorporating fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts into your diet, can increase your daily food bill by approximately $1.50 more compared to a diet filled with processed meats and refined grains. For a family of four, this could translate to an additional $2000-plus per annum.

At the same time, there are significant health costs tied to an unhealthy diet. Research suggests that an annual 18% of total healthcare costs in the U.S is due to cardiometabolic diseases triggered by an unhealthy diet, leading to an annual expense of $301 person.

Nevertheless, adopting nutritious eating habits does not necessarily mean having to overspend. Here are some strategies to keep in mind.

1. Go for store brands whenever possible. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Melissa Groves Azzaro advises that you don't have to rely solely on name-brand products for healthy eating. Store brands tend to have similar manufacturing standards as their name brand competition but sell at lower prices.

2. Be alert to sales and promotional activities on staple goods. Plan your meals around these discounted items, and buy extras to freeze for later.

3. If available, shop the bulk bins for dry foods such as beans, grains, nuts, and rice for money-saving deals.

4. Looking for dietary fish? The freezer aisle is your best bet. Frozen fishes offer the same nutritional quality as fresh fish but at lower prices.

5. Make apt substitutions in your recipe. If a recipe calls for special ingredients you don’t normally use, it's fine to replace them with what you have at hand, says Colleen Christensen, an RDN.

6. Choose bulk over convenience items. Although foods that take longer to cook sound less attractive, they cost less.

7. Shop the inner aisles of your grocery store for nutritious, cost-saving deals like low sodium canned vegetables.

8. Consider shopping from multiple stores for the best deals.

9. Look at your cart and replace or remove items you may have at home or would not need immediately.

10. Organics are not compulsory. RDN, Amy Gorin, proposes that you don't have to buy organic produce exclusively, especially for fruits and vegetables where you don't eat the whole item.