Budget Healthy Eating

Everyone assumes that eating healthy is expensive, but in reality there are certain strategies that you can use that won’t break your wallet! Here are my favorite tips to avoid spending a lot on food that is good for you.

1. Plan your meals-  This is my favorite on the list! Proper planning prevents poor performance, so make sure you have a plan for each week and do whatever you need to stick to this “plan.” I batch cook every Sunday evening so that I am prepped with good food choices for my busy week.
2. Buy frozen veggies or fruits- My wife uses this approach for herself. Frozen veggies and fruits will stay fresh much longer than refrigerator options, will cost half as much, and there is less prep time as well.
3. Don’t eat out- For someone like myself this is the number 1 way to save money. If I ate out several times a week, my monthly grocery bill would sky rocket! Not to mention eating out is usually not as healthy. Don’t be a slave to this idea though, and plan accordingly so you can splurge once a week like I do.
4. Look for sales- Some company’s like Whole Foods have weekly sales you can follow on an app from your phone. Not only can you save a little bit of money, but they are often healthy choices that will make you choose from a larger variety of foods that you normally do.
5. Carbohydrates- I know I have said a million times in different articles that eating a high fat diet is what is best on current research, but you also need some carbs in your diet. When you do eat carbs, make sure you choose healthy choices like legumes, potatoes, quinoa, and whole grains. These are inexpensive food choices, and provide a lot of nutrients.
6. Eat leftovers- In my house this is a big one and we are all guilty at times. If you do go out to eat, ALWAYS bring the leftovers home. They might not sound good the next day, but they will be later in the week and someone else in your house might like to eat them.
7. Keep your fridge organized- Most of us live a busy life, but you would be surprised how much food goes bad before we eat it. Natural food won’t have the shelf life like unnatural choices so I advise you to go through your fridge twice a week and access what will go bad soon and what has several days left.
8. Never buy bottled water- Not only can buying bottled bottle water be expensive, it is also bad for the environment. Rarely will most of us go anywhere on a daily basis where you can’t find filtered water. All you need is 1 bottle to take with you everywhere and just refill as need be.
9. Eat less- Most of us consume way too many daily calories and by watching what and how much you eat you won’t  just save more on your grocery bills, but might actually lose some weight (which most people need to do!)
10. Eat before you go- This one will get me every time (goes back to number 1.) The biggest mistake you can make is going to the grocery store hungry. I can almost guarantee you that you will spend more, but also will buy less healthy food choices as well.