The notion that eating healthy is too expensive may be to blame when it comes to the food choices of college students, but a few simple tips can help to cut grocery costs for the health-conscious.

“Honestly,” said Rochelle Nesbit, senior in dietetics. “To be more healthful, it costs more.”

A lot of college students fall into the cheap carb craze — microwave noodles for every meal during the week and cheap beer on the weekends — instead of following the Food Guide Pyramid.

“College students tend to eat a lot of processed food,” said Amber Hamman, a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee, 3800 W. Lincoln Way. “Processed foods like chips and cookies contain trans fats that should be limited.”

Healthy food may be expensive, but there are ways to cut costs.

A good cheap food choice is frozen vegetables, because they can be purchased in bulk and they can be kept longer. They also contain the same nutrient value as fresh vegetables, Hamman said.

Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet, but many students don’t buy produce because it spoils quickly, and they waste money if they have to throw it out.

Hamman said fresh fruit should be bought only in small amounts — only what can be eaten in a few days — so it doesn’t have to be thrown out.

On-campus students have access to relatively inexpensive produce. In many vending machines or on-campus convenience stores, an apple, orange or banana costs about 75 cents.

Cutting back on meat consumption can also cut grocery costs because proteins like beans are more affordable, Nesbit said. She said students should concentrate on eating a wide variety of foods, while focusing on eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats and nuts.

“You don’t need as much meat as you think,” Nesbit said. “You can find protein in other sources, such as nuts and beans.”

Many healthy foods can be found for lower prices without a brand name. Dan Citti, junior in mechanical engineering, buys generic foods to save money.

“I am mainly looking to save money when I buy groceries,” he said.

Coupons also help decrease food costs. Local store fliers are printed each week with information on savings.

Students should be careful, however, because a lot of the coupons are for name-brand products, and it may be cheaper to buy the generic brand.