Eating Healthy On A Budget – Keep It Simple!

Eating healthy on a budget could be quite difficult if you really don’t know how to eat healthy in the first place.  You go in to the grocery store without a clue on how to truly eat healthy and then you randomly start grabbing different types of produce and vegetables. Then you hope that this will be the week that you both save some money and are healthy at the same time.  But you ultimately realize that you’re not Meal Planning On a Budget and fail.  Well let me start off and tell you that these are the five ingredients you should be thinking of every time you go grocery shopping and a have a goal of eating healthy on a budget.  They are:

1. Fruits
2. Vegetables
3. Whole Grains – your whole grain breads, pastas etc
4. Lean Proteins – your chicken, fish etc
5. Healthy Fats – almonds, nuts, olive oil

If you stick to these five ingredients you don’t need to count calories, or points, or follow any other diet plan you are on.  You go on a diet and you go off a diet.  Its that simple.  But it should be about living a healthy lifestyle.  Doing something that you can sustain for a lifetime.   Keeping your diet simple.  I personally stick to these five ingredients because they are both very healthy, easy to follow and allow me to have a plan in place so I can have success when it comes to saving money and eating healthy on a budget.

Eating Healthy On A Budget – Some Great Tips

Eating healthy to lose weight is everyones goal.  Thinking about eating healthy on a budget has made me come up with some great tips.

• • Shopping for fruits and vegetables that are in season can save you a lot of money.  If you go to the grocery store and shop for apples in the Fall then you can save a lot of money.  But shopping for strawberries in the middle of the winter can be very costly.  So stick to the produce that is in season.  Learn to taste many different types of fruits and vegetables.  Find out what’s on sale and the cheapest then go for it! Eating healthy on a budget does require some simple thinking.
  • If you have a local farmers market in your area you can save a ton of money here and therefore makes eating healthy on a budget quit simple.  Almost everything at the local farmers market is much cheaper because you don’t have to pay for all the other associated costs that come into play at the local grocery store.  My wife is a big fan of this.  The best part is the local farmers usually have the freshest produce around.  This is a win win for everyone and an easy way for eating healthy on a budget!!
  • Go to the grocery store with the list and stick with it.  Do NOT go there and figure out what to get as you walk around.  You will be doomed.  You will definitely buy things that aren’t necessary and a lot of the times you end up throwing it out.  This should be rule # 1 on eating healthy on a budget. You must plan ahead.  Think about your meals for the week and make a list.  Ever hear of the 5 P’s? Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.  Live by it.  If you do, eating healthy on a budget will seem like a breeze.

Eating Healthy On A Budget

• Multiple recipes.  When you are making your list think of recipes that you allow you to use something twice.  For example, buying red peppers can allow you to make both stuffed peppers and even make red peppers as a side vegetable on one of your other dishes.  This goes back to planning ahead.  Eating healthy on a budget could be very easy but you must think in advance.
• Go with the store brand.  Why do we all need to get the best name brand out there. A lot of the time if you compare the store brand i.e. Shoprite and the name brand the store brand is much cheaper.  If you take the time to look at the ingredients you will notice that they are very similar.  Don’t get caught up in shopping for name brands.  Eating healthy on a budget requires you to think smarter.
• Ever consider a meal replacement shake? Most of us buy lunch or breakfast out a few days a week.  You go to the local deli and get an egg sandwich with a coffee and it cost you about $5.  Or a lunch sandwich for even more than $5.  Are these meals really healthy for your body? Most times no.  Well I have discovered a super healthy meal replacement shake called Shakeology for $4 a serving.  It contains over 70 vitamins and minerals from around the world. My wife and I have found that by drinking Shakeology we have actually saved money in the long run because we no longer get caught up buying food out.  We replace this with one meal a day.  Remember your focus is eating healthy on a budget not spending random money a few times a week by going out.
• Check your refrigerator and pantry.  You probably have enough food in your fridge and pantry that can last you an entire month.  Don’t go buying new food until you eat everything that’s in your pantry and fridge! Also, don’t let those leftovers you took home from dinner out the other night go to waste and end up in the garbage.  Eat them before they start growing some nasty mold.  You can save a ton of money in any given month here.
• Shop on the outside aisles of the grocery story.  If you stick to the outside aisles you are not only staying in the healthiest sections of the grocery store but you are also avoiding the temptation of grabbing something that is not good for you on the inner aisles that will cost you money.  Think about it.  The deeper you go to the inside aisles the more unhealthy the food is.  So stick to the outside!

Eating Healthy On A Budget – Planning Ahead

In the end eating healthy on a budget really comes down to planning ahead.  Eating well on a budget shouldn’t be difficult. Think about what you want to eat for the week, make your list and then stick to it.   Shop for store brands, stick to the outside aisles and focus on the five key groups I discussed above.  If you go off those five groups you are probably buying something that is not healthy for you and will only cost you money.  Eating healthy on a budget really isn’t that difficult.  We make it difficult on ourselves.  Remember Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Eating Healthy on a Budget – Good luck!

Feel free to email me so I can help you with any of your fitness and nutrition needs.  My goal is to see you succeed.  Remember its about taking action not inaction that will allow you to succeed.  Make eating healthy on a budget a fun way to help you lose weight! Good Luck!

Your Coach,

DAVE