Unfortunately, the rising food prices make it hard to eat healthy. Your paycheck is most likely not rising as fast. And if you're a single mom or student it makes it even harder. Here's 10 great tips that I've implemented to help myself and you eat healthy on a budget.
1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.
*Proteins. Ground beef, frozen chicken breast, tuna cans, calves’ liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, eggs, milk, whey, …
*Carbs. Pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, beans, apples, bananas, raisins, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, …
*Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, flax seeds, real butter, mixed nuts, …
2. Buy Cheap Proteins. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build and maintain muscle. Eating whole protein with each meal also helps fat loss as protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods.
Keep the steaks & salmon for special occasions. Buy eggs, milk, whey, mackerel, tuna, calves liver, frozen chicken breast and cottage cheese.
3. Buy Frozen Fruits & Veggies. Unfreeze berries in microwave and eat warm with cottage cheese. Frozen spinach is great. Also try frozen beans & broccoli. Here's your benefits:
*Save Money. Often half the price of fresh. Almost infinite shelf life when kept in freezer. And you can buy in bulk to get more discount.
*Save Time. Frozen fruits & veggies are pre-washed and pre-cut, which saves preparation time. Time is money.
*Nutrient Dense. If frozen right when picked, frozen fruits & veggies can contain more nutrients than fresh ones.
4. Buy Generic Food. And store brands. Raw foods like rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, frozen fruits/veggies, … taste like brand name foods once you get used to them. But they’ll save you money on packaging & advertising.
5. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they’re on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale.
6. Buy In Season Fruits & Veggies. Food grown in season tastes better and is cheaper. Root vegetables in the Winter. Apples & squash in the Fall. Broccoli & berries in the Summer.
7. Buy Calorie Dense Foods. Whole milk, potatoes, rice, pasta and oats are filling, healthy and easy to stockpile. They’ll help you get your daily caloric needs in fast and cheap.
8. Drink Tap Water. Get a brita pitcher and filter your tap water. It’s cheaper than bottled water, soda or orange juice. One $8 filter cleans 40 gallons water and makes it taste a lot better.
9. Avoid Impulse Buying. “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. The best way to avoid impulse buying is to prepare yourself before you do the grocery.
*Makes a List and Stick to It. Plan your meals ahead, including portion size. List all foods you need for the next 7 to 14 days. Go the grocery store, get what’s on your list and get out.
*Eat Before You Go Shopping. This prevents buying foods not on your list because you’re hungry. Eat a solid meal before doing the grocery.
*Shop Alone. Prevents impulse buying from wife/husband and/or kids. Leave them home. Take them to more fun places when you get back.
10. Buy From Local Farmers. Or farmer’s markets. They aren’t always cheaper, but you get tastier & better quality food and they often give you free stuff when you buy a lot. Find local farmers in your area. This is one of the most important things that we should all be doing...buying locally! Supporting our local farms :-).
I know how hard it is to eat this way and stay on your weekly and monthly budget for food. I'm a single mom with two growing boys (who eat a lot) and it's not easy to make this happen every week. But I do my best and I hope that these 10 tip will help you be able to save some $$ and make eating healthy a priority in your life.
Peace out,
Jenz
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