How To Eat Healthy On A Budget

A healthy, balanced diet is typically composed of fruits, vegetables and starchy foods, such as pasta, rice, and wholegrain bread. It can also include protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, lentils and some dairy foods. Unfortunately, increasing food prices make it hard for many people to eat healthy, as the cost of healthy, well prepared food tends to be much higher than over-processed junk food.

If you’re feeling the crunch between a shrinking paycheck and a growing grocery bill, check out the following tips on how to eat healthy on a budget.

Plant your own food. Growing your own garden is often cheaper than buying frozen, preservative-filled produce, tastes better, and gives you more control over what you put on to keep bugs off.

Prepare your own food. Eating in costs much less than meals in restaurants, and it isn’t that hard to do. Upon waking, or before going to bed, cook all your meals for the day. You might be surprised to find that this can take only 30-40 minutes, and will save you from the stress of thinking about what you’re going to eat for the rest of the day. Purchase whole oats instead of buying cereals, and make homemade protein bars, tomato sauce, and pizza. Keep everything as basic as possible so that it doesn’t become an overwhelming task.

Stop buying fast food. Instead, bring your own food with you. For example, pack a bag lunch for school or work, a protein shake for the gym and a bag of nuts for when you want to go to the movies or find yourself stuck in traffic on the way home from work. Your wallet and your waistline will thank you!

Eat before leaving home. If you’re going out with friends and family, have a small salad or bowl of soup before you head out the door. You’ll be less hungry when you arrive at the restaurant, and therefore less likely to load up on huge portions, greasy appetizers or all the bread you can eat.

Try to avoid impulse buying. Plan your meals for a week and make a list of the healthy foods you need to buy before you head to the grocery store. Eat a filling meal so that you aren’t hungry when you get there. If you feel your tummy grumbling as you walk down the aisle, you’re much more likely to pick up junk food that you neither need, nor can afford.

Buy produce when it’s in season. Fruits that are grown locally, in season, taste better and are generally cheaper to buy. For example, try root vegetables in the winter, apples and squash in the fall, and broccoli and berries in the summer.

Eliminate soda, sports drinks and juice from your diet. These three products are not only expensive, but they aren’t that good for you either. Even the juices that claim to offer “100% juice” are often made from concentrate – and will charge you more for this claim! Instead, drink water or make your own homemade juices – from in season produce, of course.