How to Find Free and Low-Cost Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are essential parts of a healthy, balanced diet. But rising supermarket prices can make produce feel like a luxury. 

The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition to save money on groceries. From pick-your-own farms to strategic shopping, there are plenty of ways to find affordable produce. Here’s your guide on where to look for low-cost or free fruits and vegetables. 

What’s the most economical way to buy produce?

Local farms (especially pick-your-own, also known as “u-pick”), roadside stands, farmers markets, and community supported agriculture (CSA) organizations are among the most economical places to buy produce. Here are more details about how to find low-cost produce in your area.

Local farms

Whether you live in a rural, suburban, or urban area, a farm near you may offer fresh fruits and veggies at lower prices than supermarkets. 

Urban farms are typically compact, community-driven plots that include vertical gardens. You’ll usually find them tucked into vacant lots, rooftops, and even former industrial sites. For instance, New York City’s Javits Center has a rooftop farm and honeybee hives. Urban farms have grown as communities seek sustainable ways to provide fresh produce to local residents. 

U-pick farms

U-pick farms may be one of the most cost-effective options for food acquisition. At these farms, you collect the produce yourself and pay a reduced cost. Farmers save on labor and shipping costs, so they pass the savings on to you. 

U-pick opportunities vary by region and season, but common fruits such as blueberries and strawberries are available to be hand-picked in many areas. Some areas have regional items like chestnuts and persimmons for picking. 

Roadside stands

Sometimes operating on honor systems in rural and suburban areas, roadside stands sell local, in-season produce directly from nearby farms with minimal markup. Some also offer eggs and dairy products.

Farmers markets that accept food assistance program benefits

Farmers markets may provide the best value for people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps. These benefits are usually delivered via an EBT card. And by using a program like Double Up Food Bucks, which matches SNAP benefits, you can get two times as much produce at farmers markets and grocery stores when you use your EBT card. This directory can help you find a farmers market near you that accepts SNAP benefits.

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• How to eat healthy on a budget: Buying frozen or canned foods and choosing conventional over organic can help you increase the nutrient-dense foods in your diet for less. 

• Certain vegetables don’t spoil quickly. Fresh vegetables such as carrots, beets, and squash have the longest shelf lives — and choosing them can help you avoid food waste. 

• Nourishing snacks help stretch your food budget. Protein-rich and fiber-filled foods that help you feel fuller for longer can save you money. These snacks are loaded with nutrients.

People who receive benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) can get additional food using coupons from the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). In addition to your WIC benefits, you can use the FMNP coupons to buy qualifying foods from approved farmers, farmers markets, and roadside stands. 

Adults ages 60 and older with low incomes may qualify for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), a national program that provides access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs. Eligible participants may receive these benefits from local government entities including a state, a U.S. territory, or a federally recognized Indian tribe.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) organizations

Community supported agriculture (CSA) organizations offer the opportunity to buy shares of a farming operation’s harvest. Shareholders receive a regular allotment of fresh produce, typically on a weekly or every-other-week basis. 

However, investors must pay for a partial or whole share — typically $400 to $700, depending on the area — at the beginning of the growing season to help the farmer(s) fund seed and other inputs. To make buying shares more affordable or manageable, some CSAs:

• Charge on a sliding scale based on income

• Accept SNAP benefits

• Have prices based on harvest seasons

• Allow investors to make installment payments

Depending on your food budget, a CSA may be a more affordable way to buy fresh, local produce.

How to find low-cost fruits and vegetables

You can also find low-cost produce by shopping smart at your regular places. Here’s a closer look at how to find affordable fruits and vegetables near you.

Comparison shopping at farmers markets, co-ops, and other grocery sellers

Farmers markets and food cooperatives (co-ops) sometimes have conventional or organic produce at better prices than supermarkets and other traditional grocery sellers. Co-ops are able to offer lower-cost fruits and vegetables because they're owned by employees and/or members who form a buying club. Though they work differently from co-ops, military commissaries also offer discounted food to eligible consumers.

Seasonal and bulk purchasing

Fruits and vegetables tend to cost less when they’re in their peak growing season. This means immediate savings at the checkout counter. And, if you buy in bulk, you can enjoy these items for a lower cost later in the year by freezing, canning, or dehydrating them. This seasonal produce guide from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can help you know what to buy and when.

Looking for discounted produce items

There are many other ways to find cut-rate prices on fruits and vegetables:

• End-of-day discounts at farmers markets: Many vendors mark down remaining items in the final hour of daily selling. This reduces how much product they have to transport or store at the end of the day.

• Supermarket weekly savings: These are deals on produce that typically start on a Tuesday or Wednesday, last for a week, and may involve buy-one-get-one offers.

• Reduced-price apps: Apps like Flashfood list local grocery store deals up to 50% off to help prevent food waste.  

• Grocery store clearance sections: Grocery stores may have a section for discounted produce that’s approaching (or a little past) peak ripeness. This area also may stock fruits and vegetables that are discolored or misshapen, which doesn’t matter when you’re canning, freezing, juicing, or making sauces.

• Discount grocery and dollar stores: Stores that market themselves as places to find savings, such as dollar stores, may also stock fresh produce. Their prices can be lower than those at other stores — but not always.

Shopping at cultural and international markets

These stores often specialize in specific produce items and frequently buy directly from suppliers at lower prices. For example, Mexican, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets frequently offer better prices and larger selections for items such as cilantro, bok choy, and eggplant. 

Buying whole, canned, or frozen

Whole fruits and vegetables do not necessarily cost less than their processed counterparts that are frozen, canned, dried, or in juice form. But they generally cost less than precut or bagged versions, because you aren’t charged for the convenience of prepared food. 

Canned and frozen produce can be less expensive than produce not currently in season, as it was harvested seasonally. Generic and store-brand versions of these items may also provide deeper savings. If you can use dried or juiced produce, this may also save you money.

Is frozen produce less healthy than fresh fruits and vegetables?

No, frozen fruits and vegetables are not less healthy than their fresh counterparts. The nutrient content of frozen produce is the same as, or sometimes higher, than the nutrient content of fresh produce. 

Produce is typically frozen right after harvesting, which preserves the nutrient profile. And for some fruits and vegetables, freezing them makes the nutrients more readily available for your body to absorb.

Where can I find the lowest-cost produce?

The lowest-cost produce is often what you find or grow on your own. Here’s more about visiting food pantries, foraging, and gardening for free or near-free produce. 

Community gardens

Community gardens are a popular option for people who want to tend their own crops but can’t or don’t want to grow at home. Plots at community gardens are usually free or low cost. Community gardens may offer seeds, tools, and gardening education. Some may also have communal areas with herbs and fruit trees anyone can harvest.

Outdoor gardening

Growing your own produce at home may be a way to spend less on your fruits and vegetables. But the savings might not happen right away. Home gardens require upfront costs like seeds and gardening supplies as well as ongoing sweat equity. Depending on the garden’s size and style, you can spend less than $100 or up to thousands of dollars to get started.

Indoor growing options

Growing indoors can have lower start-up costs and fewer challenges than maintaining an outdoor garden. And you don’t need much space. Microgreens, sprouts, and herbs are easy to grow and give the highest yield per square foot of growing area. Microgreens can be grown on a windowsill for pennies per serving. 

Herbs, lettuces, and tomatoes can thrive when grown from indoor containers. Tomatoes and pole beans are space-efficient options that grow upward instead of outward.

Food banks and pantries

If you qualify, you can get free produce from food banks and food pantries.

Foraging and gleaning 

The National Gleaning Project maintains a map of gleaning organizations that collect and store excess fruits and vegetables from farms for free redistribution to community members.

Mapping resources such as Falling Fruit can help you find public fruit trees and free vegetables in urban areas. Some municipalities also have interactive maps showing residents how to find free produce. Though, it’s helpful to know the foraging rules in your area.

Depending on where you live, common edible fruits and plants found along trails, parks, and other public spaces may include:

• Berries — including blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, and elderberries — which can be the most costly type of fruit to purchase, according to the USDA

• Crab apples

• Wild plums

• Dandelions

• Stinging nettles

Avoid areas you suspect may have been treated with pesticides, high-traffic roadsides, and industrial sites. Use field or local extension guides when foraging because some items can be harmful if gathered or handled incorrectly.

Budget-friendly fruits and vegetables

Do you know which produce items are the most affordable when compared by equivalent 1-cup servings? The USDA has an interactive comparison tool for dozens of fruits and vegetables. The charts below show the Top 5 most affordable and mostly costly fruits and vegetables in 2022.

Top 5 Most Affordable Fruits, 2022

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service fruit and vegetable prices data

Top 5 Most Costly Fruits, 2022

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service fruit and vegetable prices data

Top 5 Most Affordable Vegetables, 2022

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service fruit and vegetable prices data

Top 5 Most Costly Vegetables, 2022

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service fruit and vegetable prices data

How to keep your produce fresh for as long as possible

Proper storage can make your produce last longer and extend your savings into future seasons. Here are some of the best ways to keep produce fresh for as long as possible: 

• Choosing long-lasting vegetables and fruits: Apples, oranges, carrots, onions, and celery won’t spoil as quickly as more fragile foods like raspberries and mesclun lettuce leaves.

• Refrigerating: Use the crisper drawer’s high-humidity setting for leafy greens and low-humidity setting for fruits.

• Canning: Water-bath canning is ideal for making jams and pickles as well as preserving high-acid fruits like tomatoes. A pressure canner (different from a pressure cooker) is necessary for low-acid vegetables, beans, and meats.

• Freezing: This works well with a variety of produce, including spinach, berries, herbs, peppers, corn, and broccoli. Watery produce, like watermelon and cucumber, doesn’t freeze as well. 

• Dehydrating: This preservation method is ideal for fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

• Fermenting: With the help of fermentation, you can turn cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchi and make cucumbers into pickles.

• Storing items in the root cellar (cold storage): You can use cold storage for potatoes, winter squash, onions, apples, and root vegetables.

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Written by:

Lorraine Roberte

Lorraine has been writing in-depth insurance and personal finance content for 3 years. She has written hundreds of articles on these topics, with her work appearing on such sites as the Balance, the Simple Dollar, ConsumerAffairs, and I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George, MPH, is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

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