Healthy Eating On A Budget!!

     Ready for some helpful tips on how you can eat like a rockstar without hemorrhaging money like one trying to support a bad drug habit?  I promise its possible, all you need is a budget and a plan!  Try these tips out and you may surprise yourself, its easier than you might think.

1. Grocery Lists: meet your new best friend. I know it can be so tempting when you walk into the store and there are some fun new snacks or fresh backed cookies. Although these fun new items sound healthy, they can ring up your shopping bill. So, make a list and if you have budged for a fun healthy treat then choose one (but plan and put it on your list in advance).  Winging it won't cut it. 

2. Buy Whole Foods: Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time. 

• Proteins: Ground beef, frozen chicken breast, tuna cans, calves’ liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, eggs, milk, whey, … 
• Carbs: Pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, beans, apples, bananas, raisins, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, … 
• Fats: Olive oil, fish oil, flax seeds, real butter, mixed nuts, … 

3. Proteins = happy budget balancers:  Foods such as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese and chicken are going to be your more budget friendly AND healthy proteins. Buy the Cheap Proteins. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build and maintain muscle. Eating whole protein with each meal also helps fat loss as protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods.

4. Choose your fruits and veggies that are in season. If they are not, go with the frozen ones. I love buying frozen fruit!!

5. Buy Generic Food. And store brands. Raw foods like rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, frozen fruits/veggies, … taste like brand name foods once you get used to them. But they’ll save you money on packaging & advertising.

6. Avoid buying those little extras while you're out and about. You know the ones i am talking about!! That scone or “whole grain” looking muffin you are tempted to buy while you are at Starbucks getting your coffee. All these miscellaneous items add up!

7. Pack your snacks and meals! This will almost always be much cheaper and healthier. You wont be tempted and you will save $$$ in the long run.

8. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they’re on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale.  There's also nothing wrong with buying that family sized package of chicken breasts regardless of if they expire two days or two weeks from when you buy them either.  (Check out my entry about portioning and meal prep for more into those as well.)

9. Get The Customer Card. Many grocery stores hold sales for customer card holders only. Some cards save AND give you money, like gift certificates once you’ve spent a fixed amount. Signing up takes 5 mins and is free.

10. Grow Your Own Food. Cheaper than frozen, tastes better and you control what you put on them to keep bugs off. Plant your own trees that grow berries, walnuts & apples. Buy chickens for free eggs & meat. More ideas: 

• Square-Foot Gardening. Build a raised bed and divide it into sections of 1 square foot. Check Mel Bartholomew’s site & book for how to’s. 
• Container Gardening. Grow vegetables in containers on your balcony or doorstep. Check this & this guides. 
• Rent Garden Plots. If you don’t have a yard, some cities rent garden plots. Just google rent garden plots in your state/province