Here is a simple guide on how to eat healthy on a budget. This step by step process can teach busy adults how to improve their diet without increased expenses. One grocery store visit and a thorough audit of your kitchen cupboard will provide all of the tools necessary to obtain healthier meals with less money.
Introduction
Eating healthy on a budget does not have to hinder the amount of satisfaction you get from each meal. There is a difference between eating a fifty-cent container of Ramen noodles and a full plate of food that also falls within your means financially. Advance planning and making the right decisions are key ingredients in learning how to eat healthy on a budget.
Video on Finding Cheap, Healthy Food
This CNN video will take you along on a shopping trip with two ladies who demonstrate how to find nutritious food without breaking the bank. Watch to learn where to find healthy bargains right in your neighborhood supermarket.
Step 1: Plan your meals
- 1. Make a list of 15 items that you would enjoy eating. The list should include five ideas each for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are likely dozens of alternative recipes for those items on your list that are not healthy as they come. You can switch white bread for rye or wheat and swap frozen yogurt with ice cream, for example.
Find out what can be improved in your list of favorite foods or meals by doing the following......
- 2. On a separate sheet of paper, list the nutritional information of each item on your food list. Use additional sheets of paper if necessary. Pay attention to the fat content, calories, sodium, sugar, carbohydrates and any other item that is important to monitor for your individual healthy status.
- 3. Make a list of alternative ingredients for the food items on your list.
Step 2: Collect Recipes
1. Purchase a cookbook that includes healthier versions of the favorite food items on your list. There are hundreds of cookbook products available that can be adjusted to fit your diet. Cookbooks that have the following keywords in the title are a good place to start:
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2. You can save money on cookbooks by printing out recipes from a home computer or local library. Search for specific terms such as "Low-Calorie Spaghetti" or "Vegan Lasagna" instead of just "Spaghetti" and "Lasagna". Ask family and friends for recipes for your favorite foods.
Step 3: Learn to Cook
1. Visit your local grocery store and gather all of the ingredients necessary to make the items on your list based on collected recipes. Purchase healthier alternatives to ingredients that do not help your diet. Try to get these items on sale, and use coupons to save money. Select generic brands as much as possible, especially for simple items such as rice, seasoning, cooking oil and beans.
2. Follow the directions on your recipes to cook large meals that can serve 2-3 people. Eat a portion of the meal for lunch or dinner and save the remaining portion for the following days. This will eliminate the need to purchase additional meals for lunch at work or dinner when you come home. Do the same for breakfast, such as making a dozen or so whole grain pancakes at once and freezing them to eat throughout the week. Use fruit toppings instead of syrup with these pancakes. http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/pollan.htm
Step 4: Stock up on Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and veggies are some of the least expensive items that you can buy. They also have nutrients and antioxidants, which help in your quest to eat healthy. Eat fruit salads for breakfast, and learn how to make vegetable stir-fry and other meals that do not require meat. Add the vegetables to brown rice or whole grain pasta to create simple meals that are cheap and healthy.
