Healthy Eating on a Small Budget
Whether you are a student, have a big family, or simply like to eat, you may have the issue that the bigger part of your income is used to buy food. Still, you cannot stick to eating healthily anyway. The problem is not in you being busy or not having enough money to buy better products, you only need to optimize your shopping, cooking, and eating habits to eat healthily on a small budget.
Review the ideas to help you achieve the aim without hurdles.
Do Smart Shopping
Start with smart shopping. This means you will buy only what you need and what will bring you the best benefits in the end.
First of all, plan carefully what you will eat the following week. Then create a shopping list according to your meal plan and your food budget. Go shopping at the supermarket that has the best ongoing bargains. Use coupons and student discounts. Don’t buy things if you don’t need them.
If you do everything correctly, you will be able to get the use of your shopping sessions both for your health and your wallet.
Avoid Processed Food
When shopping for food, try to avoid ‘lazy’ options, meaning buying processed food. It may cut down your cooking time and leave your hands clean without peeling, scratching, shredding, chopping, and more. But the processed food has its disadvantages as well.
The more the supermarket does with your food, the higher the price will be. In addition, any kind of processing shortens the life of products. Peeled potato, chopped salad, or shredded cheese must be used here and now unless you want to throw out the leftovers along with the money you paid for them.
So, aim to buy whole food to decrease waste of products and money. Besides, it works for the chicken, too. Buying the whole chicken for a lower price than breasts only, you will have two breasts, two wings, two legs, and carcasses for soup. The set is not bad. Consider it when shopping next time.
Opt for Cheap Products
If you want to eat healthily, it doesn’t mean you have to waste a fortune. You don’t precisely need artichoke, exquisite seafood, or tropical fruits for your next cooking session. You can opt for cheap and nutritious food instead. Learn the ideas to help you out:
- Whole grains are not expensive at all but very nutritious.
- Fill half of your plate with seasonal veggies. It will cut down your expenses and add to your healthy diet.
- Opt for cheaper but neat meat pieces.
- Eat cheaper meat alternatives from time to time, including beans, soya, tofu, etc.
- Choose local and supermarket brands. They will cost less but provide the same high quality.
Buying cheap food doesn’t include losing in quality or diversity. It makes you think about what you buy and choose wisely to gather the most benefits.
Visit Local Markets
Supermarkets aren’t the only places where you can get budget-friendly and qualitative products. In fact, if you look for seasonal fruits and veggies, dairy, and even meat, local farmer’s markets are the best option.
By visiting local markets, you may be sure that you buy organic food with a bigger amount of vitamins and nutrients preserved. You will have a chance to save a little as well. Not talking about some unique choices only farmer’s market can propose you, such as homemade cheese or sausage, for example.
Use Apps to Help You
You may be surprised, but you already have your cheap-food assistant at hand, your smartphone. Make a break somewhere between searching for reliable college essay writing services and equip your phone with appropriate apps.
Start with a meal planner so that you can manage the way you consume food. Add a shopping list app not to buy unnecessary products. You can also get an additional shopping app to help you compare prices and notify about bargains. Opt for a calories calculator so that you can control your daily food intake. Consider recipes book as well, which will help you use leftovers and spare products with no waste.
Cook Ahead
Cooking in advance will also help you waste less on food but stick to a healthy diet. Spend weekends cooking for the week ahead and preparing products for different dishes. As a result, you will save time, energy and have food ready when you are too busy. This means you will have no need to order take-out or eat ramen in the middle of the week. When your fridge and freezer are stuffed with healthy dishes to heat up and eat, you will be a happy person in the end.
Reduce Waste
Try to reduce food waste as much as you can. Consider the tips to throw out less:
- If you buy food in bulk, freeze it to prolong the life.
- Choose recipes with similar products so that you don’t have any spare products.
- Use dinner leftovers for breakfast or lunch the following day.
- Remember that freezer is your best friend if you cannot eat the whole dish.
- Buy specialized packages and glass containers to store food longer in the fridge.
- Plan your meals thoroughly not to leave anything unused.
If you manage your cooking and eating accordingly, you will end up with zero waste in the kitchen, so that you will add to your budget and health eventually.
The Final Words
Healthy eating requires determination and proper management of eating habits. But it certainly doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on some superfood. Shop wisely, buy whole food instead of processed, opt for cheap but qualitative brands, buy from local farmers, use apps to optimize shopping, cooking, and eating processes, cook in advance, and reduce products waste by optimizing your cooking and eating habits. In the end, you will manage to eat healthily and waste less time and money with no hassle.
