It’s true you aren’t going to find the types of foods you should be eating on your medical weight loss diet on the dollar menu, but that doesn’t mean eating healthy will be expensive. When done right, a healthy diet can work on absolutely any budget. However, when it comes to eating healthy you are going to have to change the places you are looking for food—especially if you are trying not to let your new healthy habits break the bank.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but healthy produce does. While it isn’t exactly practical to grow all of your own food—it can take months to generate results, and even that usually isn’t enough to eat for more than a day—your next best bet for produce is to get it from as close to the original source as possible.

To get the healthiest bang for your buck, head to the farmers’ market. There you will meet the people who actually grew the food you’re buying. There is no massive fuel cost for shipping the food by plane, train and automobile. There is no shelving cost for arranging the produce at the store. There is usually no added cost for preservation, as much of the food you’ll find at the market is organic or close to it.

Here are a few reasons you’ll save money buying food at the farmers’ market:

• Whole foods: These are often cheaper than highly processed foods and include fruits, vegetables and meats that are still in their natural form—not chopped up, dried out or sealed in an airtight box or bag.
• Seasonal savings: When you head to the market you will find produce that is in season now. When an item is in season there is more of it, which makes it cheaper. As an added bonus, fruits and veggies taste their best when in season.

Check out the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market on Sundays from 9am to 1pm along Civic Center Drive between Third Street and Santa Monica.

When you buy foods at the farmers market you are building an arsenal of healthy foods at home. This makes it easier for you to head home and cook, which will also save you a great deal of money. By not eating out (even at fast food restaurants) and focusing on home-cooked meals, you can take pressure off your budget and remove some unnecessary calories from your diet.