Your Guide to Eating Healthy on a Budget

Over the last few years, it feels as though the cost of living is spiraling out of control. During these times, it can be easy to buy cheap processed meals to cut down on your shopping costs. But is there a way to eat healthily while still looking after your budget? Here we’re going to look at some sure-fire methods. All you need is a little planning and creativity, and you can fill your body with nutrients without emptying your wallet. Let’s see how you can start saving.

Understanding the Basics

Before delving into our specific tips, it’s important to know what a healthy diet should consist of. You can still give yourself a treat every now and again, but here are the nutrient-dense foods you should be adding to your diet.

Fruits and Vegetables – You want around half of your plate to be full of fruits or vegetables at each meal. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, while also containing fiber and antioxidants. They also help to fill you up more than processed food.

Whole Grains – Whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, and oats. These not only provide essential nutrients but are generally higher in fiber than refined grains.

Lean Proteins – Lean proteins give you a huge source of tissue-building protein while being low in fats. Meat options include chicken, turkey, and fish. Great non-meat proteins include beans, lentils, tofu, and eggs.

Healthy Fats – We need fat, but it needs to be healthy fats and at the right amount. Nuts and seeds are perfect for this while also providing you with protein, vitamins, and minerals. Cooking with olive oil is a great idea and avocados are high in healthy fats as well.

Dairy or Alternatives – For calcium and vitamin D, you can include milk, yogurt, and cheese into your diet. There also pant-based alternatives that can give you the same benefits if they have been fortified.

Budget-Friendly Tips for Healthy Eating

Now that we know how what food you should be including in a healthy diet, let’s look at the tips of how to incorporate them on a budget.

1. Plan Your Meals

Creating a weekly meal plan can do wonders when it comes to saving money. It allows you to shop for exactly what you need. It also takes the guesswork out of what you’re planning to eat and avoids any emergency visits to the store. Making a list catered around planned meals will avoid any impulse buys. It also stops you from having food in the cupboard that will never be eaten or go to waste.

2. Cook in Bulk

Cooking in large batches will not only save you time but also money. The types of meals that are great for this are soups, stews, and casseroles. However, anything that can be frozen is a good candidate for being made in bulk. It allows you to benefit from economies of scale, which means you pay less per item when you buy in bigger proportions. Cooking in bulk has the added benefits of preventing food waste and having something delicious to eat when you don’t have time to cook.

3. Embrace Plant-Based Proteins

All food has recently increased in cost but getting high-quality meat on a budget has become very difficult. An alternative way to get your protein is by using plant-based proteins such as beans lentils, and chickpeas. There are many dishes such as pasta and curry that can be enjoyed without expensive meat. 

 4. Shop Smart

When on a budget, you want to be more strategic with your purchases. The most sensible way to do this is by buying store brand products. They are often very similar quality, if not better, than what you get from famous brands. If in doubt, it’s worth giving them a try and you can always revert back to a favorite.

Along with this, you should also compare prices per unit to ensure you’re getting the best overall value. And don’t just get something that’s on a deal just because it has and attractive price, make sure you need it. However, it’s also important to appreciate that sometimes you need to spend money to have money. Buying something in bulk may be more expensive in the moment, but it will save you money and repeated trips to the store in the long-run.

5. Minimize Food Waste

An eye-opening statistic is that approximately one-third of all produced food goes to waste each year. You need to ensure this percentage in your own kitchen is as low as possible. When on a budget, it can be heartbreaking to throw things away. As we said above, planning your meals is a great way to avoid this. However, you should also keep an eye on your perishables. Do you have items in the cupboard or fridge that can be stored in the freezer for another time? Making stews is an easy way to use up leftovers and you should also make smaller portions. Limiting portions reduces the scraps that are put in the bin and avoids the temptation to overeat. You can always enjoy a desert afterwards of you’re still hungry.

6. Prioritize Seasonal Produce

This can depend on your area, but seasonal produce can often be cheaper than those out of season. That’s because less effort needs to go into growing it, and it will be more abundant. Farmers markets are a great place to find fresh and flavorful seasonal produce.

7. Make Your Own Food

Whatever you enjoy eating, ask yourself the question of could I make a cheaper version? Good examples of this include salad dressings, sauces, and snacks. You can often make these for a fraction of the cost, especially if you make them in bulk. Not only will this be cheaper, but you will also avoid the preservatives and additives that are often added to these foods. This will help your healthy diet and stop you from spending money you don’t need to.

8. Limit Processed Foods

Processed foods such as sugary snacks and pre-packaged means are often high in calories and low in nutrients. Look for healthier alternatives such as snacking on fruit and cooking in bulk for easy meals. By minimizing eating these products, you’ll be improving both your health and your bank balance.

A Budget-Friendly Diet Comes with Great Planning

What most of these tips have in common is that they involve planning ahead. If you put some time into thinking about what you’re going to eat, then you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of staying healthy while saving money. It’s important to remember that small changes can add up to significant savings over the course of a month. And with some creativity and discipline, you can still enjoy delicious meals but without breaking the bank.