How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. But it does mean eating a majority of vegetables, fruit, lean meats and whole grains. Of course, these foods are more expensive than their processed counterparts, but just think of the money you will save from hospital bills down the road! Eating processed foods may be cheap, but it leads to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, to name a few. Here are a few tips to help you eat healthy, and still manage to spend less.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freezer
• Produce stand
• Farmers Market
• Whole sale store, CostCo, Smart and Final, Sam's Club

1. If you have a local farmers market or produce stand, stock up weekly on vegetables and fruits that are in season. Prices are usually much better at these markets than the grocery stores.

2. Frozen fruits and vegetables are generally much cheaper than their fresh counter-parts, and they contain the same amount of nutrients, if not more. Frozen fruits and vegetables are generally frozen right from harvest, so they are sometimes higher in vitamins and minerals than the "fresh" produce which has been sitting for days.

3. Buy in bulk. Wholesale stores are a great way to buy bulk in cereals, meat, canned items, etc. You will save a large amount of money in the long run by buying long-keep items in bulk.
   Remember, "fresh" seafood and meats at the deli are not any fresher than the same frozen items. All the meat counter offers is thawed out varieties of what you see in the frozen aisle. So, save some money and just go straight to the frozen section for your meats and seafood. You will not sacrifice quality, in fact frozen is often better than "fresh' because it is actually frozen immediately after catching, thus preserving all the essential vitamins and minerals.

4. For beans, rice and whole grains, try buying bulk dry goods and cooking them in large amounts. Divide what you just cooked into small zip locks and freeze. You have just made microwave able dinners for yourself and saved money and time by buying and cooking in bulk.

Tips & Warnings

• One of the top powerhouse breakfast for your body is oatmeal. You can buy the fast cook kind ( NOT the flavored, high sugar packages), add a few frozen blueberries, and have a tasty, cheap breakfast that will keep you going for hours.
• Buy whole wheat breads at a wholesale store and freeze one. When you are ready to use it, thaw it out in the refrigerator. Keep the loaf in the refrigerator to extend it's life.