Eating Healthy on a Budget

Written by Heather Foley

Do you want to eat healthier?  Of course you do, that’s why your reading this!  Sometimes we think healthy eating isn’t worth it because of the money we’re worried we’re going to drop, but it isn’t that bad, really.  You don’t have to blow your whole paycheck on locally reared, artisanal, hand-fed chickens, there are all sorts of ways to eat healthy without breaking the bank.

Buy in bulk, but buy smart.  Brown rice, oats, and quinoa are great healthy staples with long shelf lives, but are you really going to go through an industrial size drum of broccoli before it turns to mush?  Prolly not.

Meal prep.  For those unsure what “meal prep” is, it’s just cooking/preparing your meals for the week ahead of time, usually all at once.  The most common question I get asked about meal prep is “isn’t it expensive?” and although it may seem expensive, you’re not dropping cash on a morning bagel or ordering lunch every day, so it usually ends up being less expensive.

Buy frozen.  Frozen food has come a long way, baby.  Frozen food is a lifesaver, and I’m not talking about Lean Cuisines, those are crap.  Frozen fruits, veggies, even meat, chicken, and seafood are usually much cheaper than their “fresh” counterparts, and you’re not sacrificing nutrition or taste.

Be flexible.  Your average grocery store has about a dozen varieties of apples, buy what’s on sale.  Same goes for protein and veggies, build your meal plan around what’s on sale.

Know your cheap “super foods.”  Almonds, eggs, tuna, kale, these bad boys are cheap even when they’re not on sale, so put them front and center in your diet, I mean lifestyle, whatever.

Drink more water.  You really don’t NEED to drink anything else other than water, so drink more of it!  Leaving sodas and juices off your shopping list will save you a couple coins.

Do you have any tips for healthy eating on the cheap?  Or maybe a great budget-friendly recipe?  Post it on Instagram and tag us!