Many people believe that you have to spend a lot of money to eat healthy. However, this does not have to be the case.
On the contrary, the cost of not-so-healthy fast food, ready-made meals, and snacks can pile up fairly quickly and become very expensive over time.
From my personal experience, I’ve also found that eating healthily can actually save money in the long run, especially if you stick to some basic principles when shopping, selecting and preparing food.
Here are 14 simple tips that can help you save money and eat healthily.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often fresher, tastier and cheaper than foods that are produced out of season.
This is because these seasonal ingredients are harvested when they are fully ripe and not transported nearly as far, minimizing the time from farm to grocery shelf.
There are many online guides that describe exactly which fruits and vegetables are in season in your area. You can also get a good idea of what food is in season by visiting your local farmers market to see what is available.
Many grocery stores offer products in both generic and branded varieties.
Choosing generic brands instead of brands is an easy way to save money without compromising on quality.
Generic branded foods are usually comparable to branded versions in terms of safety, quality, and nutritional value.
However, it is always a good idea to compare the list of ingredients and nutritional information of your favorite branded products with those of generic versions before buying them.
Plan your meals in advance to save time and money.
Try creating a weekly meal plan, making a shopping list, and setting a specific time to prepare your meals for the next week.
One of my favorite ways to plan meals is to find a few recipes that use similar ingredients that are switched between during the week.
I like to concentrate on a few ingredients with a shorter shelf life, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and switch between different whole grains, legumes, spices and spices at every meal.
This can help streamline your shopping list while adding plenty of variety to your diet as you enjoy ingredients in new and interesting ways every day.
Cooking your own food at home rather than eating out at restaurants or buying prepackaged meals is one of the easiest and most effective ways to eat healthily on a budget.
In fact, a single meal in a restaurant usually costs a lot more than buying the ingredients you need to prepare your own meal at home.
With additional fees like delivery charges, service fees, and tips, the cost of dining out at the restaurant or ordering take-away can add up quickly.
When you prepare your food yourself, you also have full control over what you put on your plate. This makes it easier to include more fresh, whole foods in your diet.
It also helps reduce your intake of added sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients.
Vegetable proteins like beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and tempeh are often much cheaper than animal proteins like meat, fish, and poultry.
Plus, these foods are high in protein, fiber, and a variety of other essential vitamins and minerals. They can be easily integrated into recipes such as casseroles, soups, salads and stir-fries.
Remember, consuming more plant-based proteins doesn’t mean you need to become a full vegan or eliminate animal products from your diet altogether.
Now, if you’re eating meat and looking to get more plant-based protein, consider adding plant-based proteins to your diet only a few times a week. This will save you money and reduce your meat consumption.
Such a flexitarian diet mainly promotes plant-based nutrition, but also allows you to consume animal-based foods here and there.
Most grocery stores have weekly deals and discounts that are usually either advertised online or distributed in newsletters.
Before shopping, check to see if coupons are available for your favorite products to save money.
You can also look for offers from online retailers like Thrive Market, Fresh Direct, or Amazon Fresh, which can be useful if you have limited access to a traditional grocery store.
Personally, I like to stock up on shelf-stable essentials when they are on sale. These include rice, beans, spices, frozen foods, and canned vegetables.
If you are having a hard time using all of your fresh fruits and vegetables before they go bad, consider buying some frozen foods. It’s an excellent alternative.
Frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same valuable nutrients as fresh varieties, but have a much longer shelf life to reduce food waste (1).
I like having lots of frozen fruit on hand to add to smoothies or to mix with my yogurt and oatmeal. Frozen vegetables are also great additions to stir-fry meals or can be baked, sautéed, or roasted as a simple side dish.
Many parts of meat and products are usually thrown away when preparing healthy meals at home.
However, there are many interesting and creative ways you can use your leftover food instead of just throwing it away. This can help save extra money on grocery shopping.
Save stalks and stalks of vegetables to make soup broth, freeze leftover herbs, or dice stale bread and bake them in the oven to make your own homemade croutons.
Do you need more ideas? This article will teach you how to easily use your leftover food.
Proper storage of food can extend its shelf life so that your meals last longer to reduce food waste and lower your shopping bills.
Try lining your grocery drawers with paper towels to take in extra moisture and keep your fruits and vegetables from going bad.
You should also keep shelf-stable ingredients like pasta, rice, and cereal in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place to maximize their shelf life.
You should also keep dairy products in the main part of your fridge instead of the door, and freeze raw meat or poultry if you don’t plan to use them within a few days.
For example, experts recommend keeping fresh poultry or ground beef in the refrigerator at 40 ° F (4 ° C) or below for no more than 2 days. Make sure you keep raw meat separate from other foods (2).
You can buy certain foods in bulk at a lower price, which makes it even easier to eat healthily on a budget.
Storage options like grains, nuts, seeds, and dried legumes are particularly good foods to stock up on and buy in bulk.
Be careful not to buy bulk foods that have a shorter shelf life, including:
- fresh produce
- Prepared meals
- Eggs
- flesh
- Dairy products
Fresh herbs are perfect for adding flavor to your favorite healthy home dishes, but they can also be quite expensive.
Fortunately, growing your own herbs at home can be an easy, fun, and money-saving hobby.
It’s easy too, even if you don’t have a green thumb – all you need is some soil, seeds and a sunny spot by the window or in your yard. There are many options for indoor horticulture.
If you’re like me and live in an apartment with limited sunlight, consider trying an indoor hydroponic garden. These are equipped with LED lights to make growing herbs foolproof at home.
Incorporating money-saving habits into your shopping routine is a great way to cut costs while eating healthy at the same time.
- Write a list beforehand. First of all, write down what you need before you go to the store. When you’re there, stick to the items on your list.
- Shop on the edge of the grocery store. This can make it easier to skip products like processed foods and snacks, which are usually more expensive and less nutritious.
- Shop when you are calm, on a full stomach. You should also avoid going to the store when you are hungry or stressed out as it could fuel your food cravings and lead to unhealthy shopping choices.
Instead of throwing your leftovers away, try saving them for a simple meal the next day.
Not only will this save you time, but it can also save you money taking your leftovers to work or school instead of buying lunch.
I like to double my portion sizes when I cook dinner and then save half for lunch the next day.
In the past few years, many online grocery services have popped up delivering discounted groceries straight to your door.
Some services like Imperfect Foods or Misfits Market offer products with minor cosmetic defects at a lower price.
Not only will these services help you get more fruits and vegetables into your diet, but they can also help you save money and make it easier to stick to your meal plan when you only buy what you need.
This can also be a useful option if you don’t live near a grocery store or have limited access to fresh food in your community.
While many people believe that eating healthy can be expensive, it is not necessarily the case.
In fact, eating a healthy, balanced diet can actually save you money in the long run.
Try practicing some of the tips outlined above that can make it easier than ever to eat healthily without breaking the bank.
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/healthy-eating-doesnt-have-to-be-expensive-10-cost-cutting-tips/
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