Learn 12 Useful Tips for Eating healthy on a budget.
When my husband and I started living together, our nutritional habits weren’t as healthy as present-day.
Back then, I was the “burn it all” Masterchef, and he wasn’t much better than me.
So, we ended up eating a lot of street food and ordering takeaway almost every day.
At that time, we lived in China, where that lifestyle was not that expensive to sustain until I ended up in an emergency room in a Chengdu hospital. Then the bill was quite big.
Shortly after, my husband and I decided to make some changes in our lives, including home cooking and going organic.
Why did I decide to eat clean?
Living in China was already a challenge, but working there and being sick scared me deathly, so I figured out that if I had to spend my money wisely, I’d rather spend it on food and not on doctors.
As we saw that our health status improved notably, we decided to maintain these habits over time.
So, today I want to share some tips on how to eat healthy on a budget. Yes, you heard well! You don’t need to break the bank to start taking care of your well-being and eat delicious and clean. Let’s dive in!
Tips for eating healthy on a budget
1- Home cooking
Deciding to cook at home has been one of the best decisions I have made regarding my health. Not only do I have more control over what I spend on food, but I also know what ingredients are in each recipe.
At first, it was a bit challenging, but now I really enjoy it. As a result, I am always experimenting and looking for alternatives to make my meals healthier and tastier. Both my husband and I have felt a significant improvement in our general health and well-being.
And to be honest, now we prefer to have dinner at home than eating in restaurants. The food is fresher, tastier, and more varied. And we eat it knowing that we are providing our bodies with nutrients that will support our overall health.
2- Weekend meal prep
Right after coming back from the grocery store, I start my Weekend meal prep routine. This saves me so much time and money!
Before doing this, I don’t know how much food I threw in the garbage. I used to find a lot of rot veggies and fruits around because I often ended up forgetting about what I bought. What a waste!
So, here it is what I do most of the time to make sure I use everything I bring home.
- Firstly, I clean my fruits and veggies, dry them very well, cut them, and store them in airtight containers. That way, they are ready to use anytime.
Check in this video the homemade mix I use to remove pesticide residues⬇︎
- After that, I precook a big batch of beans, lentils, or chickpeas and store them in different containers. I use them to mix with salads and prepare soups, chilies, or side dishes.
- Also, I cook some quinoa. Quinoa is delicious to prepare salads, tabbouleh, hamburgers, and eat with meat, chicken, or fish as a side dish.
- I prepare a big pot with soup. So, every time I feel like having a cozy meal, I have some frozen soup on hand that I just need to warm up.
- I bake a whole chicken. I divide it into portions. That way, I always have some ready to make sandwiches, or breakfast toast, mix it with salads, curries, or eat it wrapped in lettuce. And, of course, I keep the bones to prepare some broth.
This activity is time-consuming. Sometimes it takes two days to prepare everything. But it definitely helps me save money and don’t waste any food. And if you decide to do it, it will spare you from spending hours in the kitchen or improvising during busy working weeks.
When I don’t have much time during the weekend, I just cook a big batch of these foods every time I prepare them. And I make sure to freeze some for later.
3- Plan your meals in advance
Eating healthy on a budget requires a little planning.
Writing down the week’s menu in advance helps me keep my meals varied and have more control over the money I spend.
And I also have a better idea of what I need to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Before going to the store, take a look at your freezer and cupboards to check which ingredients you are missing to prepare your recipes.
4- Make a shopping list
When it comes to saving money on groceries, this is the best strategy.
With the week’s menu in hand and after checking around in your kitchen, write down what exactly you need from the grocery store.
And once in the store, stick to that list. Avoid wandering around, and skip the temptations aisles that might invite you to spend more than you really need.
5- Stay away from food labeled as healthy, especially the healthy pre-packaged treats
These types of food generally come with a higher price. However, are they really healthy?
Which are the “healthy” food you purchase more often?
For me, it was nut milk loaded with additives, protein bars with a bunch of organic sugar, and vegetable oils. My husband’s favorite was the “healthy” breakfast cereal boxes packed with weird ingredients and, of course, sugars. I also used to buy gluten-free and dairy-free products that had some quite hurtful ingredients for the health i.g. carrageenan and preservatives.
Most of these foods can be prepared at home using clean ingredients and saving a great deal of your budget.
Check here how I prepare my own:
6- Buy in Bulk
I recently discovered an organic store where I can buy things like grains, seeds, nuts, and spices in bulk. Surprisingly, considering the variety and quality of these products, the price per gram is much lower than when buying packaged.
So, I bring my own containers and fill them with quinoa, lentils, beans, nutritional yeast, grated coconut, nuts of all kinds, and all the stuff I like.
These containers of food can last up to a month and more. So, buying in bulk in this store has helped me save a lot of money on groceries.
Besides, I like making my own coconut and nut butter and vegetable milk with the organic, fresh ingredients I get from this store. This is another way to save money since these products can be quite pricey. So, the cost is significantly reduced when I prepare them at home.
7- Use it all before buying.
My main strategies are to cook at home, not waste food, and extend my groceries’ shelf life by precooking and freezing them. But using it all before buying new is one step that has made a real difference to my budget, saving me more than a couple of pennies.
It basically consists of emptying your freezer and pantries, “eating it all” before going to the groceries. Sometimes I can go a whole week without spending money. Of course, you need to be creative but above all, have fun experimenting with the ingredients you have on hand.
8- Prepare some 100% vegan meals
Without a doubt, meat and fish, along with cheeses, are the most expensive foods in your shopping cart. Especially if you are looking for grass-fed, organic, and high-quality ones.
Although these products are worth buying, don’t go overboard to minimize your expenses.
Yes, I know you have been told that our body needs protein. But many plant protein sources provide the nutrients you need, help you save your money, and give your kidneys a break.
My favorites are quinoa, beans, chickpeas, lentils, and Nutritional Yeast.
You can prepare some delicious hamburgers, meatballs, and spaghetti sauce with these plant-based proteins and have a hearty and nutritious meal.
9- Look for the less fancy cuts of meat
Me: Oh yeah, that steak looks so good!!! And it’s just … 20 DOLLARS!!!???? 😱
I do buy it sporadically, but now we are talking about saving money, no?
So, some cuts of meat look less fancy than steaks, but in the end, it is meat too.
If you cook them in a slow cooker with some flavorful spices and prepare some asparagus or sautés veggies as a side dish, I can assure you will have a delicious, fancy, and not so expensive dinner with your loved ones.
10- Buy seasonal
This tip here is huge on eating healthy on a budget.
Seasonal food is fresher, cheaper, and more nutritious. And what is more important, you will avoid buying stuff that is already rotting from the grocery store. I hate when I arrive home, happy with my groceries, and I discover that I have a whole container of moldy raspberries or strawberries.
11- Frozen fruits and veggies are also good
Especially during winter! Besides being cheaper, you will avoid a disaster like the moldy strawberries I told you about.
Frozen fruits and veggies are also nutritious. Usually, frozen produce is selected at its summit in terms of freshness and then immediately frozen to preserve all the nutrients.
12- Prioritize the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen to optimize eating healthy on a budget
There are some vegetables that you definitely want to buy organic when you are trying to eat healthier. Especially since they are full of synthetic pesticides that can cause persistent discomfort and damage to your health. The list known as The dirty dozen includes:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Peas
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Hot peppers
You saw that there are actually 13. And every year, this list is updated, so it is a good idea to stay informed about which vegetables put our well-being the most at risk.
The clean 15
But you don’t have to go crazy and start buying everything organic because, without a doubt, organic produces are more expensive. These veggies are safe to consume, even when produced conventionally.
- Avocado
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Onion
- Papayas
- Sweet peas frozen
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Cabbage
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
You should know that although these veggies do not absorb as many pesticides, examples such as sweet corn and papayas are generally GMO.
Read here to Understand the Labels on the Food you Buy.
Conclusions
There are many strategies for eating healthy on a budget! It doesn’t need to be expensive at all. On the contrary, home cooking is cheaper than eating out, and investing in quality food will assure you a future illness-free. So, give it a try! Your health will sincerely thank you for that.
These are some tips I’ve been using for a while, and they work great for me. I hope they will be useful to you as well.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other strategies you would like to share with me.
I desire that you live young and healthy as long as possible.
See you next time!
