13 Awesome Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget – it Can be Done!
Truthfully, it’s not easy to find tips on eating healthy on a budget, every day. But, the health benefits of eating good foods aren’t easy to ignore. Learn from this list of how to eat healthy on a budget!
Hi, I’m Rebecca, and I’ve got some great ideas on how you can eat healthy while on a budget!
Did you know that about 75% of the US population believes they eat healthy, but they don’t? The common reason is that healthy foods can be pricey. So people opt for alternatives that look ideal but aren’t beneficial to the body.
However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t munch on some good food since you have a tight budget.
Below are some eye-opening tips that can set you in the right direction. Soon all your meals will be nutritious and beneficial, because you can eat healthy on a budget!
13 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget
1. Meal Prep
As you ponder more about how to save money and eat healthy, learn to meal prep. One reason you end up spending more on good food is eating at a restaurant. However, the cost of inexpensive meals can be reduced if you prepare meals at home.
Typically, you can choose to meal prep during the weekend. Make both lunch and supper for the entire week, portion out, and keep in the refrigerator. Cooking multiple meals at home lowers pressure on your budget while ensuring you eat healthily.
It will not only save you money but also provide the convenience of having ready-to-eat, nutritious meals at your fingertips, making it a practical and efficient solution for maintaining a healthy lifestyle on a budget.
2. Buy in Bulk
Usually, buying a few ingredients at a time to prepare one meal ends up being costly. You can bring the cost down by buying ingredients in bulk. It works well, especially when you intend to meal prep food for an entire week.
Buying in bulk makes it easier to get variety on a budget. That way, you end up with healthy foods to eat every day despite your budget.
Additionally, having a well-stocked pantry with bulk ingredients allows you to experiment with different recipes and cooking styles, enhancing the overall culinary experience while remaining cost-effective.
3. Stick to the Budget
Are you willing to eat healthy but must work with less money? You can keep partaking in nutritious meals and not overstretching your finances by having a budget.
First, write down how much you have to spend on food. After that, you can plan out your meals. Sticking to the budget helps you eat cheap and healthy.
Moreover, strategic meal planning within your budget allows you to prioritize essential nutrients and make informed choices, ensuring a balanced and affordable approach to maintaining a healthy and balanced diet throughout.
4. Take Advantage of Sales
What does it mean to eat healthy? As you ponder more about that, take advantage of sales. Is your local fresh food mart having a sale on Saturday? Clear up some space in the freezer and get ready to stock up.
Next, check what key items you need that are costly but are on sale. You can get a good amount and freeze it to use later. The good news is you can freeze fruits and vegetables without compromising on quality.
By strategically capitalizing on sales and freezing items, you not only save money on food waste but also ensure a steady supply of fresh, budget-friendly ingredients, making healthy eating a sustainable and accessible choice.
You should also learn how to coupon as part of your journey to eat healthy on a budget.
5. Choose Seasonal Produce
Every season, specific fruits and vegetables are available in bulk, right? Usually, the prices for these products are low, which means you can buy them cheaply.
Commonly, cheap produce means you can eat healthy but still not overstretch your budget. Timing seasons are among the top ways to eat healthy while spending less and sticking to your budget.
Planning your meals around seasonal produce not only ensures freshness and flavor but also allows you to enjoy a variety of nutrient-rich options without breaking the bank, making healthy eating a sustainable and cost-effective lifestyle choice.
6. Write a List Before Heading to the Store
Have you ever noticed you tend to impulse buy when you don’t have a grocery list app full of items written down? While learning to eat healthy, always head to the store with a grocery list at hand that goes along with your budget.
Once you get there, spend as little time as possible browsing other items. Get only what you need and head out. These stores’ arrangements lure buyers to check out other items and buy impulsively.
Suddenly, you find yourself with a trolley full of products you don’t need. If you can, try to avoid all other sections and head to the fresh produce aisle only. You’re less likely to be side-tracked when you do so.
Get this free printable grocery list along with ideas on how to stick to a weekly $42 grocery budget!
7. Go for Local Produce
Check if local farmers in your area come together to sell produce in a market setup. At such events, you can never lack something healthy to eat, even with a budget.
Plus, local produce is affordable since the cost of transport is minimal. Most local farmers use personal vehicles to transport the produce from the farm, and it’s always fresh.
You can prepare healthy meals for a date after meeting on the best online dating sites, or go on a date to your local farmers market!
8. Grow a Veggie Patch
When you have a small space in the backyard, you can grow a vegetable patch. Some crops easy to grow at home include onions, lettuce, spinach, carrots canned beans, onions, and peas.
The best way to eat healthy on a budget is by growing your frozen fruits whole grains and vegetables at home or in a rental lot. That food you harvest is easy to freeze and use later.
Additionally, you can sell any excess produce to your neighbors, family, and friends. You end up saving on buying fresh produce and making some money at the same time.
9. No More Junk Food
When you want some eat healthy motivation, start by saying no to junk food. Once you no longer turn to fried and processed foods for meals, you can eat healthy.
Start by getting rid of all take-out menus. Follow this by searching for healthy meal recipes to cook at home. Stop ordering in and learn to prepare good food so you can attain your weight goal.
Besides, eating less junk improves your health dramatically. Not only do you lose weight, but you eat nutritious meals that supply your body with vital minerals and vitamins. You can think better and have clear skin, among other healthy benefits.
10. Store Leftovers
It’s not uncommon to have leftovers after every meal, right. Instead of throwing leftover food away, store it in the refrigerator for another day.
You end up saving money and staying in your budget when you don’t have to spend buying more healthy produce to eat.
Also, there are many healthy leftover recipes you can have fun experimenting with at home. You can keep leftovers for up to 4 days and eat healthy.
11. Opt for Pulses
Lentils, beans, green grams, and other pulses are pretty affordable and healthy. Buy them in bulk and keep them in your pantry. Pulses have a long shelf life, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad.
Also, they have lots of beneficial fibers but fewer calories. You can prepare different dishes with pulses and eat healthy.
Incorporating pulses into your diet not only provides a budget-friendly source of nutrition but also offers versatility in cooking, allowing you to create a variety of delicious and nutritious meals while maintaining a healthy calorie intake.
12. Buy a Full Chicken
A walk through the meat section can be an eye-opener. Buying a whole chicken is cheaper than going for pieces. A whole chicken has numerous parts you can store.
Generally, most stores can slice it up into pieces for free. That way, you only remove the pieces you want to cook and freeze the rest.
While the stores have smaller parts like drumsticks, breasts, and wings partitioned and packed together. These are more expensive than buying one whole chicken.
13. Go for Store Brands
Some stores package produce and sell at the shelf alongside other well-known brands. Typically, the store brand items are cheaper but of similar quality to the other items in the store.
Once you start buying store brands, you end up spending less to eat healthy meals at home. Additionally, some provide customers with special discounts and healthy recipes.
Embracing store-brand options not only contributes to cost-effective grocery shopping but also opens the door to potential discounts and access to exclusive healthy recipes, making it easier to maintain a nutritious diet on a budget.
Now You Can Eat Healthy on a Budget!
Why is it important to eat healthy? Eating healthy helps you live longer and improve your quality of life. However, not all healthy meals are affordable.
But that shouldn’t discourage you from eating healthy. You can follow the 13 tips above and find ways to eat good food every day.
Do you have any questions about this topic? Please leave us a comment below.
About the Author
Rebecca Shinn is a freelance writer and dating and relationship expert with a psychology degree. Her field of expertise is relationship, dating, and marriage. The important part of Rebecca’s practice is to help couples with communication skills, problem-solving skills, stress management, or financial skills.
Rebecca started writing 2 years ago to inspire and help people to have a better dating life, healthy relationships, or find a way to keep a marriage strong for long years.
With all said above, Rebecca is proud to be a mother and a wife so she doesn’t only use her knowledge for helping others but keeping her family strong and happy.
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