Eating healthy is very important if you want to lead a healthy life. But, that can be next to impossible when you’re low on budget. But, that doesn’t have to be the case because it is doable to maintain healthy eating on a budget. Once when you eliminate processed foods and invest in eating for your health, you might be surprised by your grocery bill.
1. Plan your meals in advance: take 15-20 minutes to set a menu for the next week can result in huge savings. Try making meals from foods that are on sale at your market. Be sure to buy things that are only on sale when they fit into your menu. It doesn’t matter if you get five pounds of apples at a great deal if you have no plans for those apples.
2. Make a shopping list: when you’ve made the
meal plan, make a detailed shopping list. Divide it into the
supermarkets sections because its easier. It cuts down on shopping time
and makes eating healthy on a budget easier, and it helps eliminate
impulse buys.
3. Don’t shop on an empty stomach: When you shop
on an empty stomach, you tend to buy things you shouldn’t. You can end
up with overpriced ingredients that you will never use.
4. Buy in season: when the food is in season,
it’s a lot cheaper and tastes better. It encourages you to try fruits
and vegetables you not normally go for.
5. Eat locally: buying from local farmers can
help your environment and your health. If farmers markets are your
thing, you can get some great deals on the in-season produce.
6. Buy frozen organic fruits and veggies: there
are times the produce isles looks pretty slim pickings. This is when
frozen foods can come in handy. But, be sure to buy the organic frozen
foods.
7. Look online for frequently purchased items:
If there are some samples item that you use frequently, look at prices
online before buying in the store. Some retailers like Amazon carry the
same item for cheaper and allows you to purchase it larger sizes.
8. Don’t commit to a particular store: The brand
and the store loyalty go out the window when you’re on a budget. The
goal is to find the best food for the lowest price.
9. Be creative with meals: When you go to buy chicken, often purchasing the entire chicken can be cheaper than just buying sections. You can get many different meals out of an entire chicken, plus you can make homemade chicken broth. Don’t stick to cuts like boneless, skinless, breasts, because those are pricey.
10. Buy in bulk: Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club can offer great deals for the membership fee.
Eating healthy on a budget:
– No expensive drinks: drinks like sports drinks, sodas, and juices aren’t necessary. These contain harmful ingredients, and none is cheap. Stick to the basics like water, tea and milk.
– Grow food: you can grow fruits and vegetables to cut down on spending and have the ability to eat healthier.
– Eat meat in moderation: You need to consider become a part-time vegetarian or vegan because this can reduce your meat budget with little effort. When you eat meat, reduce the amount you use.
– Cook more than you need: Leftovers are a good thing. You don’t have to buy continually food to make; you can just eat leftovers.
– Freeze foods: when you freeze food in individual portions it ensures food doesn’t go to waste. So, if you have a 24 pack of chicken wings, you probably aren’t going to use all of them, so freeze them for later.
– Remix leftovers: They are a great way to eat healthy on a budget. You can mix your leftovers instead of eating the same thing all the time.
– Eat desserts you make yourself: Eating desserts is great now and then. But the one’s you make are better for you than premade desserts. You will spend less buying baking ingredients than you would on prepackaged chips, cookies and cakes.
Sources:
http://www.oprah.com/food/Healthy-Shopping-List-Good-and-Cheap/2
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-on-budget.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/cheap-healthy-15-nutritious-foods-about-2-dollars