We all know we should eat healthy, but who has the time? Or the money?

Laura Bruzas has spent years fitting healthy eating into her budget--and her busy schedule. She's compiled that knowledge into a bi-monthly newsletter, Healthy Dining Chicago.

Her first tip? Start shopping smart before you enter the store. "Go into your cupboards, then make a shopping list based on what you already have," she says. "On average, a family of four throws away $590 a year in spoiled or uneaten food because they're not storing it properly--or they're just not using it."

Even after you've made your list, it's still important to avoid shopping on autopilot. "Go in with your senses on," Bruzas says. "Smell things, look at things, observe and really be knowing. It will give you a sense of how fresh things are."

Also, consider a rewards-based credit card that boosts your bank account while you shop. Bruzas gets back about $75 a month when buying her favorite foods.

Think you don't have the time to whip those new groceries into amazing dishes? Bruzas has an answer: Six Healthy Dishes in 90 Minutes, a cooking class she teaches several times each month. "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces--just good food with fresh ingredients," she says.

For eat-out options, Bruzas lists Hannah's Bretzel and Gallery 37 Cafe as healthy local alternatives. But where you eat doesn't matter so much as what you eat. "Prevention really is worth a pound of cure," Bruzas says.

To subscribe to Bruzas's newsletter, or to request a free copy, visit Healthy Dining Chicago. To read more of Bruzas's strategies on eating healthy for less, check out her book of tips and recipes, Eat Well for Less: 50 Simple Ways to Cut Your Food Bill in Half.

Other tips or questions on healthy living? Post them below.