Which side of the river? I grew up outside Philly on the NJ side. My hometown is super rural, so there are tons of farms where you can buy locally grown produce at a fairly low price. Hmm... other than that I'd say Danny Seo's tip about getting coupons directly from the manufacturers could be helpful! Good Luck!

Alison, I completely agree. I was just commenting on this to my boyfriend after the post last week on saving at Organic Grocery Stores.
With no coupons available for fresh vegetables , I try to buy them as much as possible from farm stands and farmer's markets. If it's the dead of winter, I usually stick to frozen veggies, as they tend to be equally as healthy. Also, if you can, I would recommend planting a vegetable garden next spring. This has been a great saver for me.
Aside from veggies, I devote alot of time to selecting recipes that fit within my budget and also have as few processed ingredients as possible.
I know these aren't solid recommendations, but I feel your pain and this is what I do to stay healthy and attempt to keep my own costs down. You do have to devote some time into it, but it is possible!
Good luck!

Farmer's markets, CSA's, and Pick-your own farms.
Ok, they're not -always- cheaper, but you'll be getting seasonal produce and it's cheaper when its in season.
The internet is a great resource for eating the mysterious veggies you get in a CSA box. If there's too much of a bounty for you, find a friend or neighbor who wants to split it with you!

The Whole Foods Blog isn't a bad place to start ... they advertise some steep discounts on quality meats here and there. Super Target's website also offers their coupons which occasionally include $$ off on something green. Otherwise, for us it's shop seasonal, stock up when it's cheap, all the usual tricks.

Hope to hear some other tips!

Philly suburbs have tons of farms! I agree that you should go there. Also I am a student on a budget and I shop at WF every week. I am only one person, of course, but I keep my bill low by buying in bulk, using their coupons (they also take manufacturer's coupons), stocking up on their one-day-deals, buying generic items, and sticking mostly to buying fresh produce and just a tiny bit of meat. If you stock up on stuff like pasta and canned tomatoes when there's a sale (or go to Costco or something) then your weekly bill will be less because you'll only be buying the fresh stuff. Also - the bulk bins are really good when you only need a little bit of something - like just a little bit of oatmeal for a crumble topping.
Good luck

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They have a lot of organic & fresh food options that aren't all that pricey.

Check out the sales flyer for Whole Foods on their website. They can have great deals on meats and grocery items. Buy cereals, grains, nuts and the like in bulk and shop the farmers market. You don't need to buy organic but local and seasonal will always be less expensive. Also, make good use of leftovers and make more of your meals meatless. If you need a protein-eggs or beans fit the bill nicely. Good luck!

Are there any mexican supermarkets near you? Those are a great place to get amazing produce and meat at a steal. 20 limes for a buck, skirt steak at $4.99/lb....that sort of thing

1) Are their food coop's in Philly? When I was in Minneapolis, there were several. While some (in the tonier neighborhoods) rivaled Whole Foods in price, the one closest to me was quite competitive, and also maintained a basket of produce that was getting past prime and needed to be used that day or the next for a really good price.
2) Watch for sales and other deals. I know Sprouts is not in Philly, but once or twice a year, they run a deal where you can buy $100 gift cards for $90. They aren't predictable enough to buy enough to last until the next sale and no more, but its still a pretty good discount if I'm shopping there, anyway.
3) Grow your own, especially of things that you like but are pricey (for me, that would be dino kale). Most vegetables are annuals and can be grown with limited investment, and can be grown in one season or another in most parts of the country (I wouldn't try okra in International Falls or carrots in Brownsville, but most places have a "warm season" and a "cool season")

You can coupon less healthy food and use the overage to buy fresh/more expensive items/foods. If you're not into the food you need to buy to get the overage, you can donate it to food banks.

I've been buying some coupons on eBay for healthy things that we buy often, like Kashi cereal for example. Every few weeks it seems like Target will have buy a few get one free, then pair the manuf coupons with Target coupons from their website, you can get some pretty good deals if you buy a lot at once. My newspaper doesn't have the best coupon selection, so I use eBay for things we buy all the time.

One of the most healthy things to buy is also one of the most inexpensive--bulk grains and beans. Find a store with a good bulk department.

Ooh...I don't have great suggestions but thanks for the great question. I gave up on coupons after a few months of grocery shopping for myself when I realized that they were mainly for processed foods and/or things I don't normally buy. We mostly get by on Sam's and the ethnic market, but I would love to increase our veggie intake even more and can't seem to do it these days and stay within budget, so I look forward to reading these answers!

Keep in mind that foods don't have to be fresh to be healthy - frozen and some canned (low-salt, jarred or BPA free if that concerns you) vegetables may actually be better for you than their out-of-season counterparts. I write healthy recipes for my blog that use only pantry staples (meaning, no produce) and have found there's a whole world of options out there.

That being said, knowing WHICH produce to buy is as big of an issue as knowing sales, etc. The USDA has a listing of the most economical fruits and vegetables per edible cup; some will surprise you: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib71/

To cut food costs during my student days, I'd hit up a smaller store that clearly bought the "second tier" of produce from wholesalers. Stuff didn't look picture perfect and many items (especially fruit) needed to be consumed by the next day, but it was a whole lot cheaper. I did have to go grocery shopping more often, but that was the main trade-off.

People have mentioned the WF sales fliers, which are definitely helpful. If you are lucky enough to live near other quality grocery stores I'd recommend subscribing to their weekly newsletters, as there are typically new sales ever week or so on seasonal produce and other quality items. I like to stock up while things are on sale. I'll buy more produce than I know I will eat and freeze the rest -- this could work for you too if you've got the space in your freezer.

Someone above suggested starting your own vegetable garden, and I think that's also a great idea. However, you mention that you're a student and I'm not sure how much time that will leave you to actually tend & manage a plot.

I focus my coupon energies on non-food items, so I can use those savings towards foods that don't have coupons.

I've been blanching or roasting and freezing local vegetables now (peppers $.66/lb, broccoli 2/$1.50, etc.) and freezing fresh fruit. More money upfront, but your bill in the winter will be a lot lower and you'll have so much prepped food at your disposal.

You can use recyclebank to earn points for recycling. The points can then be redeemed for coupons for things you actually buy. (not highly packaged, highly processed junk). Here's the link to get started: http://bit.ly/nWo36w

I always buy whatever is on sale in my grocery store's flyer in terms of produce. Also, sometimes at the end of a farmer's market, people are willing to offload slightly bruised, but otherwise fine, produce at a discount which is what I did when we were on an extremely limited budget. Also, I just make out a list for our favorite foods (i.e. Stonyfield plain lowfat yogurt), and do a search for coupons online. Also, Whole Foods 365 brand is often cheaper (i.e. their organic plain yogurt is cheaper than Stonyfield, even with a coupon more often than not). Don't get tempted into buying processed "health food" just because there's a coupon, though--that's often what coupons promote, and in that sense, I find the store flyers to be more helpful (i.e. do you want to pay a lot of money for frozen organic burritos, or buy 5 cans of organic refried beans on sale?). This coupon database has been helpful for me, as you can search for the exact things/brands you'd be buying anyway: http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/lrwc-coupon-database?

Good luck!

While fresh fruits and vegetables don't have coupons, they do go on sale. You just have to be flexible with what you buy rather than sticking to a planned shopping list. Also, even if in-season produce doesn't have a big sale sign on it, if you pay attention to the prices over the year you will notice them drop fairly significantly during the height of the season.

You can print coupons for some organic items at http://www.coupons.com/Couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=15046&zid=uw18&nid=10

hit up the italian market downtown when you can for cheap produce! i stock up and spend an afternoon making things that i can throw in the freezer for later, like soup and sauces. definitely a money saver and a totally awesome place to shop. It would be worth the trip in.

If you live close to the Main Line, you could try Amelia's Grocery Outlet (they had good fruit and really cheap frozen veggies when I went there a few times) or maybe Produce Junction in Exton for a lot of fresh fruits and veg.

I would also suggest ethnic grocery stores. There's an Asian market in Frazer that has cheap bean sprouts for stir fries (they're in a fridge, away from the rest of the produce) and veggies like bok choy.

Of course, Philly has many Asian markets; it might be a good idea to go there every once in a while to stock up on things you can find cheaply. I think most things could be preserved or frozen to last you longer.

Meat is one of the most expensive things. I go meatless a few days a week, and use the savings to buy organic produce.

Also, avoid convenience foods. Organic sweet potatoes are $1.99/lb, but the baked sweet potatoes in the deli are $9.99/lb.

Sacrificing a few big ticket items (e.g., meat, convenience foods, snacks) not only gives you extra money to buy healthier options, but also contributes to your health by cutting out a few servings of those things.

I know everyone makes fun of Whole Foods, but I don't find it hard to keep my food budget manageable there.

Thank you all so much for your comments! They are so helpful. I have signed up for manufacturer's coupons (seventh generation, etc.) and that has worked well. Also, I do go to farmer's markets in the area for produce and eggs. We do not have a yard (apartment living at its finest) or a balcony, so unfortunately gardening would be pretty difficult. I live on the Main Line, so I try to go further west of Philadelphia to get better deals. Wegmans has worked well for us, because their house brands are reasonably priced and they have weekly coupons--usually a free item (this week was tuna) and discounts for meats. Thank you again for all your help--I just figure it was worth throwing the question out there, since I know many people who are in the same boat as we are.

Do you ever go into Philadelphia? The Reading Terminal Mkt. has a great produce place called Iovines with reasonable prices and good selection. There is a Trader Joes in Ardmore and one downtown too. My husband and I do all of our shopping in those places, Whole Foods for bulk goods, and CSA for extra veggies. We spend approx. $250-$300 a month on food and that includes eating out. Philly is a really great place for food!

Blah blah blah, coupons are only for soul sucking useless foods and items. Gah.

Off the top of my head right now I can think of coupons for Kashi, earthbound organics, Annies, 7th Generation, store brands and rebates. And those are repeat coupons, which are almost always around.

Eating healthy is more about accessing what you want to eat and finding creative ways to save on it. Store brands or sales that give coupons good on your next purchase can be used to get organics for cheap. You may need to purchase other items you won't eat at times, but food pantries will welcome the unused items.

Annies, 7th Generation, Kashi, etc not only publish coupons in the newspaper on some Sundays, they have sticker coupons right on boxes, flyers on displays and live product sample events. They also often offer printable coupons right online from their websites. Kashi has an insider club which nets you samples and coupons in the mail. Earthbound organics sends out free reusable bags for Earth day, which come with coupons for their products.

There are often rebates, mostly offered by beer or wine companies, for buying their product and other items including meat, cheese, produce, grain products, etc. Some states don't even require you to buy the beer.

Try bartering with a farmer, especially small ones. I have friends who barter their shampoo, makeup, and snack foods they get cheap after coupons for everything from organic free range eggs, grass fed beef and art lessons.

Our natural food co op has booklets of coupons right by the front door - of things in their stores. Some convenience items, but some staples as well. They are produced by "Mambo Sprouts" (I think there may be a 2nd booklet as well, but I can't think of the name.) They are on-line here, with e-coupons if you need them:

http://www.mambosprouts.com/

We also get a coupon for 10% off once (sometimes twice) a month, and member's only 5% on the 15th and 16th of the month. Nice.

I'll dissent and say that Danny Seo's tips weren't that helpful for me: many of his tips seemed geared towards folks who purchase things like cereal and processed food. I rarely do.

I found that buying a seasonal cookbook (I love Clean Foods and Simply in Season) and planning menus from those books helped more than anything else.