Healthy Eating on a Budget
By Nmami Agarwal 11-May 2021 Reading Time: 5 Mins
Consuming healthy, organic and natural foods is quite a necessity for good health and overall well-being. But many times, we have a financial crunch or we are living on a tight budget which makes it difficult to consume wholesome foods and as a result, we often shift to processed food items. Yes, we know that healthy foods and healthy eating are expensive but there are various ways to stick to it even on a tight budget. Here we bring you a list of tips you can abide by to eat healthily on a budget.
- Plan your list in advance: When it is about saving money while shopping at the grocery store, planning is key that saves you from stocking up unnecessary items. Make sure that you make a grocery list prior to heading out shopping. Also, check out your kitchen cabinets and fridge to scan what you already have in your pantry so that you don’t end up spending an extra amount on the items which you already have.
- Use the leftovers: Food wastage is a big problem these days. From cutting the ends to discard the peel- we all make various mistakes while cooking which leads to wastage of food. Using all the chunks of different veggies and fruits in the diet makes your meal more nutritious and saves the food from getting wasted. The basic aim of zero wastage cooking is to diminish the waste of food that will ultimately lead to eating on a budget. To do healthy eating under a budget you can utilize the peels in the salad dressings and sauces, add the leaves in the salads, stocks or use stems or stalks into stews, soups, salsa and sauces.
- Go for seasonal produce: Seasonal produce is quite reasonable. It also comes with the perk of freshness! Food items that are not in the season are transported from other areas and that is why it costs higher than their actual price. So, always stick to local and seasonal produce if you want more nutritious and affordable food items.
- Grow internally: A lot of people are now growing their own produce and it is one of the best ways to get cheaper and fresh produce. Seeds are inexpensive and they will give you a continuous supply without even costing a lot. All you need is some time, effort and patience and you can enjoy the benefits of affordable and fresh home-grown produce.
- Always cook at home: Well, we cannot deny that cooking at home comes with its own list of various benefits other than eating out. It is more clean, hygienic and cheaper than a meal served at a restaurant. Always plan your meals in advance so that you won’t end up cooking out. Make sure that you keep a tab on the ingredients and foods available in your kitchen to cut the cost of unnecessary grocery shopping.
Footnote
Gone are the days when you have to break your bank to consume healthy and nourishing food items. Follow the above-written pointers to eat well without investing a lot of money.
Also, cut out the consumption of junkies from your diet and do cook food at home to eat healthily and to reduce the risk of various health glitches.