Many people think that eating healthy is expensive. If you adopt the following ways in your lifestyle, you will be able to eat healthy while sticking to a budget!
Did you know that obesity is America’s most pressing concern today? More than two-thirds of Americans are obese. Unfortunately, the cases of obesity are subject to a constant increase. The hectic lifestyle and busy schedules are the major contributors to the ever-increasing number of obese individuals in the country.
Are you concerned about you as well your family’s health? It is time that you give up unhealthy eating habits and adopt a healthier diet. Yes, healthy eating can be expensive, but it does not mean you cannot eat healthy within a budget.
Determined to eat healthily while sticking to a budget? Well, it is definitely a possibility. Here are the top five ways you maintain your health in a budget!
Planning Your Meals is Essential
When it comes to eating healthy, but in a budget, planning plays a significant role. Your healthy lifestyle starts from grocery stores when you put down unhealthy junk food and pick up its healthy substitute. Therefore, whenever you are hitting the grocery store, make sure you properly plan out your visit to the grocery store.
Choose one day every week to plan out your meals for the coming week. When you plan your meals beforehand, you can easily make a grocery list. If you visit the grocery store with a list in your hand, the chances of deviating from the list are tough. A list helps you buy only the stuff you need; in result, you can save yourself from spending on things that you do not really need.
Make it your habit to plan your meals for the week before visiting a grocery store. Go through all the shelves and cupboards in your kitchen and tick anything that you already have. It will, in return, help you cut down the grocery list and save money.
Cook Large Portions at Home
If you are planning to eat healthily and are concerned about your budget, the first thing you need to do is stop eating out. The food that you eat out is not very healthy and is way more expensive than cooking at home. By adopting a habit of cooking and eating at home, you will be able to eat healthy at all time and even save the money you spend when eating out.
By cooking at home, you can feed a family of four with the money you spend on a single meal while eating out. It is what you call saving money on healthy eating. When you cook at home, you can cook in large portions. Yes, cooking large portions is costly, but when you cook large portions, you can freeze the leftovers and use it later in other recipes.
You need to understand that eating out is far more expensive than cooking at home. You can use inexpensive ingredients for cooking large portions at home that you can use later. Not only will it help you save money, but it will also help you save time.
Choosing the Right Shopping Time and Brands
The time you choose to go for grocery shopping really affects the cost. If there are some products that you frequently use, you must stock these products on sale. You can stock up well on sales so that they last longer.
It is advised that you check the expiration dates of the products you are buying in bulk. Make sure that the expiration date is not too soon. There is no use of stocking up stuff that you have to throw away after some time. Make it a habit to check the expiration date before you buy a product so that you use it all before it becomes of no use.
Buying the top-brands cost more than the generic brands. Majority of the stores have generic brands for almost all products. Think generic brands do not offer good quality products? All manufacturers in the United States of America have to follow certain standards to ensure the production of safe food. The generic brands are less expensive and offer the same quality as the other national brands.
Growing Your Own Produce
Another smart way you can save money while eating healthily is by growing your own produce. Growing your own produce is a smart option if you have the room for it. Buying seeds is much cheaper than buying fully grown vegetables and fruits.
You need to understand that growing produce in your home takes efforts and time. Patience is the key, but the end result is very beneficial. When you grow the vegetables yourself, you have a chance to consume food that has no additives, preservatives, or chemicals. It also guarantees continuous supply if you make the efforts. Not only is home-grown produce healthier and cheap, but it also tastes better.
Eliminate and Replacing Expensive Products
Have you ever calculated how much you spend on crackers, soda, cookies, and other prepackaged meals? No? Well, you should try working out how much you spend on these products, and you will be surprised. Not only is junk food unhealthy, but it can be very costly. Eliminate junk food from your grocery list and make your kitchen cabinets junk-food-free!
Eating meat is healthy, but it can be expensive. Fresh meat and fish are expensive cuts of meat. There are other types of meat cuts that are cheaper. Moreover, you can replace meat with other proteins. Legumes, canned fish, and eggs are rich sources of proteins.
Eating healthily is everyone’s due right. You can adopt a healthy diet even in a tight budget. Incorporate these ways in your lifestyle and enjoy eating healthily while sticking to your budget!