10 Tips On How To Eat Healthy On A Tight Budget
You want to be healthy but you’re also broke. As soon as you take a look at your wallet or are reminded about your finances you feel like the goal of eating healthily is futile. It doesn’t have to be like that! Healthy food doesn’t equal extra bank notes, no matter what certain celebrity chefs might tell you. Here is how to eat healthy on a tight budget using the following 10 tips.
1) Always Cook!
Cook, cook and cook. Not everyone is a culinary genius and sometimes, or most of times, is very tempting to stop at your nearest takeaway. Regardless, cooking is always more cheaper as a lunch at your favourite restaurant can have the same costs as a home meal cooked for a group of people.
2) Buy From Online Retailers
There are plenty of online retailers offering healthy foods up to 50% cheaper than in your nearest store, take Thrive Market for example. You can also visit websites such as compare the market to select a basket of products and then choose the cheapest supplier.
3) Write And Stick To A Grocery List
Don’t just improvise: start the habit of writing grocery list and sticking to them on a weekly basis. To make things easier you can always use the ingredients you already have at home and make a list with any missing items.
4) Buy In Bulk
Brown rice, millet, oats, beans, dried fruit lentils and grains all come in bulk and it will surprise you how much of a savers they are. And, if you store them in proper containers, they can last almost forever.
5) Say Good-bye To Your Guilty Pleasures
When we’re hungry we have cravings, craving for guilty pleasures that can harm our wallets. Avoid going shopping on impulse. Try to stick to your grocery list as much as possible. And, if you know you get hungry often, add a regular snack to your list that will cover those difficult hours. This is one of the most important tips when it comes to how to eat healthy!
6) Opt For Frozen Veg
If you go to a super market often, you will notice that vegetables and fresh fruits are usually in season and a few months per year, which sometimes makes them expensive. Frozen products are just as nutritious, sold in large bags and available all season.
7) Buy Whole Foods
Basically foods in their less processed form. When you buy a block of cheese instead of your average slices, you can save a few pennies or event a pound. The same goes for rice and oats instead of cereals.
8) Buy Cheaper Cuts Of Meat
A lower cost doesn’t necessarily missing out a great taste. So don’t hesitate to buy a cheaper cut of meat like braising steak, shin or shoulder.
9) Replace Meals With Other Proteins
If you’re ready to give up meat for good or reduce its consumption, the best thing to do is buying protein-rich foods. Take legumes, eggs, canned fish of hemp for example. They are inexpensive, nutritious and easy to cook.
10) Make The Best Out Of The Happy Hour
The ‘Happy hour’, aka reduced to clear shelves, is the perfect opportunity to find juicy bargains. You will find that most supermarkets discount fresh items towards the end of the day. Make sure not to miss them out!
