10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthier on a Tight Budget
Eating in a way that supports good health doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, healthy food is often less expensive than unhealthy food. Even if you’re on a budget, you can still follow an extremely healthy diet. There’s no reason to resort to unhealthy food just because you’re not flush with cash.
Use these techniques to eat well without spending a lot of money:
Have a positive opinion of frugality. Many people resent being frugal or are embarrassed by it. Believing that frugality is a good thing makes sticking to a tight budget much easier.
● It’s just food. There’s no reason to overspend on something that only stays with you for 24 hours anyway.
Be serious about your health. Healthy food can be delicious. Make your health a true priority and eating healthier becomes a real possibility.
Make a healthy food list. When you’re on a budget, the right foods for your list are both healthy and inexpensive. They must also be foods that you love to eat.
● There’s no reason to purchase foods that you won’t eat, no matter how cheap and nutritious they might be.
● Allow the entire family to help make the list and include their preferences too.
Generic foods. Generic foods can be just as healthy and tasty as the name brands. Store brands are much less expensive, too. A can of green beans is still just green beans, regardless of which company is putting it in the can.
Coupons. It can be a little annoying to be waiting behind that person with all the coupons, but don’t let that stop you from using coupons yourself. You can spend the money you save on something else.
Look for sales. Walk around the store and look for sales. Check out the store’s website before you leave the house. There’s always something on sale. Maybe one of those things will happen to be something tasty and nutritious.
Fruits and vegetables. There are a few fruits and vegetables that can be expensive, but most are quite economical. Most vegetables are low in calories and quite filling. Fruit can be a nice substitute for dessert.
Waste less. Americans throw out a lot of food. There are a lot of numbers thrown around from 1 pound of food per day to 106 pounds per year. Regardless of the correct number, it’s higher than it should be or needs to be. Remember - you pay for that food, even if it ends up in the trash!
● A good way to save money is to only buy what you need and to eat everything you prepare.
Add nutrition to the meals you already love to eat. Does your family love pizza? Instead of ordering a large, you could order a medium and make a salad.
● Prepare brown rice instead of white.
● Use a sweetener other than cane sugar.
● Make a baked potato instead of French fries.
Drink more water. Water is the least expensive beverage around. It’s also one of the healthiest. Drinking more water will boost your health and save you money at the same time.
Consume healthy bulk foods. A bulk food in this context is something that is inexpensive and can serve as a major source of calories. For example, rice, oats, and beans are bulk foods. Bulk foods are very inexpensive and can be nutritious, too.
Remember, a couple of potatoes cost less than a bag of chips, and they’re healthier, too. The next time you do your grocery shopping, see how little you can spend while feeding your family nutritious food. Make a game out of it.
The kids might complain at first, but they’ll happily eat when they get hungry, and they’ll get used to the new norm. You can enhance your family’s health while saving money.
With Love,
Self Care Is Healthy!