Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Are you having a hard time stretching your grocery dollars during the current economic downturn? You’re not alone. But before you stop buying fresh fruit, meat, vegetables and other items often perceived as costing a lot, check out these tips from a University of Michigan (U-M) Health System dietitian.

Holly Scherer, R.D., a (U-M) dietitian, offers tips for buying fruit, vegetables, and meat for less money. She says you can follow a few easy guidelines and still buy healthy foods, rather than switching to a diet of potato chips, macaroni and cheese, and a fast-food burger.

She suggests that you make your own coffee, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, occasionally replace meat with protein sources like eggs and beans, and, no matter how tempting it is, skip the fast-food drive-thru window.

“Hard economic times don’t mean that you have to eat less well,” says Scherer, a health educator with MFit, the health promotion division of the U-M Health System. "By planning ahead, shopping the sales and trying out those generic or store brands you really can save a significant amount of money while also providing healthy, well-balanced food for your family.”

Fruits and vegetables

Scherer debunks a popular myth: produce is too expensive. Wrong, she says. In fact, if you buy fruit and vegetables that are in-season, the price typically is very reasonable, she says. Buying fruit or vegetables by the bag instead of individually also tends to be cheaper.

If the produce you want isn’t in-season, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can cost less. They are just as nutritious as fresh because they are packaged at their peak of freshness.

If you’re feeling especially frugal – and you have a green