Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, you can be as fit as a fiddle and cover all your monthly expenses! We’ve listed simple tips on how to eat healthy on a budget that will bring an unshakable will to turn your life around.
Eating home-grown goods and munching on organic superfoods blended with fancy supplements sounds like something not everyone can afford. Well, it’s also not something you should focus on, as it may not even bring any real benefits to your health. Instead, try simple and effective steps that will improve your habits and help you eat healthy while saving money.
Investing in your health is one of the smartest things you can do for yourself and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Simple, seemingly small things, such as meal planning, can create a real change.
1. Plan Your Meals in Advance
Meal planning can sound boring. Who wants to spend their Sunday afternoon thinking about their next Friday’s breakfast? Well, you will. Because meal planning can be fun!
Make a list of ingredients you’ll need for the week, buy in bulk, and make sure you can reuse some foods. For example, if your Monday dinner is chicken breast with steamed rice, you can make some pasta with the chicken breast leftovers the following day.
What’s even more fun is saving money. Planning your meals means you will know what you’re eating all week and won’t have to order any unexpected takeaways.
Going to a grocery store with a shopping list will also stop you from getting things you never planned on buying and help you save money. This is especially relevant when going food-shopping hungry (don’t do that).
Just be creative and realistic – don’t try to make meal plans for the person you want to be. If you love fried chicken, make sure it’s in the meal plan as well as some healthier alternatives.
2. Shop Smart at the Grocery Store
Be smart when shopping for healthy products. Do you really want to pay double the price just for the brand? Most shops have their own food lines that are often cheaper than some well-known food brands. If you check the labels you’ll see that the ingredients are often exactly the same, even if the price is not.
If you want to try more expensive organic products, you can get them cheaper when they’re approaching their expiration date. Most grocery stores sell items at a discounted price when they have a shorter shelf-life or faulty packaging.
In most cases, these items are perfectly fine to use. You can save a fair sum by checking these discounted food aisles you always walked past.
Another genius idea we’re giving out for free – do some research before going to a store. Visit their website online or check their app to see relevant deals and prepare to buy in bulk if you find something worth storing. Stock up with healthy foods and you’ll be ready to prepare inexpensive meals at home whenever you’re hungry.
Also, you don’t have to shop at expensive stores just to get healthy food. Check out your local market to get seasonal vegetables. In most cases, these groceries will be even healthier as small farmers may use fewer pesticides or other chemicals to grow their vegetables or produce meat.
3. Choose Affordable and Nutritious Foods
Those shiny packages may be tempting but eating a highly-processed protein bar will hardly be more healthy than snacking on whole nuts. Focus on cost-effective foods that are both nutritious and price-friendly.
Processed foods often have various additives that may not be healthy. The simplest way to find out what you’re putting in your mouth is by reading the label. If the list is so long you can’t see the end of it and you can’t understand half of the words, then you’re certainly better off without that in your mouth.
Choose simple natural foods without an endless list of additives. Nuts, vegetables, and fruit will always be healthier than nut bars or fruit lollies with added sugar.
4. Cook at Home More Often
Home cooking is a fun and effective way that allows eating healthy and tasty food without going bankrupt. You’ll find loads of recipes on social media. Simply search for things like healthy meals, 30-minute meals, one-pot dishes, or similar.
When cooking at home, you can experiment and use your favorite ingredients. You can also make fun meals like smiley pancakes or nasty Halloween cupcakes. Get creative! Prepare meals and take them to work so you don’t have to spend money on fast food.
Also, cooking at home makes it much easier to sustain a healthy diet. For example, if your goal is to reduce fat intake, you can boil an egg instead of frying it. Simple!
5. Utilize Leftovers Creatively
Food waste is a massive problem. While so many people are struggling to put a plate on their table, others are chucking out perfectly fine ingredients without even thinking about it. Being mindful of food waste will help you save money creatively and also prepare nutritious meals.
Did you know that you can freeze most foods? For example, freezing bread can be a perfect way to save it from going bad. If you buy more than you can eat, wrap it up and put it in the freezer. This way you can just take out a slice whenever you need it.
Another great idea that combines utilizing leftovers and meal prepping is reusing the same food in different meals. For example, if you’re making a stew on Monday and still have some left, the leftovers can become a perfectly fine pasta sauce on Wednesday!
6. Take Advantage of Community Resources
Getting involved in community life can get your belly full of warm homemade and nutritious food. Town fairs, festive markets, and other community initiatives often involve good neighborly company and local foods. That’s a perfect way to meet people and build relationships over a meal.
Cooking classes are another great opportunity to take part in a communal activity while learning new skills. This is especially helpful for those who want to learn more about a healthy diet and don’t have much experience with it. You may even find free cooking classes.
7. Grow Your Own Food (If Possible)
Home-grown vegetables taste ten times better. That’s a fact! They’re fresh, available at a hand-reach, and saving money. What can be better?
While growing your own veggies and herbs might sound like rocket science, it really isn’t. You can grow veg on your window sill or a balcony.
Just buy some seeds and plant them in soil, water regularly and make sure they get enough sun. Give them some love and they’ll supply you with the most delicious and nutritious greens.
8. Stay Hydrated with Water
Just like your plants, you need water and sun. Staying hydrated is the number one rule for being healthy. Make sure you always drink enough fresh water and your body will thank you. Make it a habit to take a water bottle with you – you can refill it for free at the nearest water station.
And when we say water, we mean water. Sodas and other sugary drinks are not water. They have none to very little nutritional value and may just make you more thirsty. Remember – drinking water is good for your skin and your wallet!
Final Thoughts
You just learned how to eat healthy on a budget. Do you already feel more energy flowing through your body? Probably not just yet, but applying these tips regularly will certainly make you feel more energized! And will also help you save money.
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