With all the fad diets, it seems like you have to spend a fortune in order to eat healthily. Good news: you don’t. Have to spend a fortune, that is. You can eat a healthy, balanced diet on a budget.
Here’s how:
- Meal Plan: Planning your meals and grocery shopping once a week enables you to think about what you will consume throughout the week. It takes the guesswork out of dinner time and helps you avoid impulse eating and buying.
- Balance: The key to a healthy diet is balance and portion control. Fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and protein are essential to your diet. If you make an intentional effort to include them when meal planning, it helps you maintain balance in your diet.
- Make a List and Stick to It: After planning your meals for the week, make a grocery list…and stick to it when you’re at the store. Avoid going to the store hungry so you aren’t tempted as you walk down the aisles. If you only have healthy food as options in your house, then it is much easier to stick to a healthy diet.
- Cook at Home: When you prepare your own meals, you not only know exactly what you’re eating and can control your portions, but you also save a lot of money.
- Eat Leftovers: Save money by eating leftovers from larger meals you prepare. And, you get an additional healthy meal in the process.
- Peruse the Weekly Ads: When you’re meal planning, take the time to skim through the weekly ads and incorporate the healthy foods that are on sale into your weekly meals. Stocking up on the staples when they are on sale that won’t go bad can also help save you money in the long run.
Healthy eating doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank. By making some intentional plans and decisions, you can maintain healthy eating patterns on a budget.