Eating healthy can seem so expensive. When I stopped using my meal plan in college I had to figure out how to eat healthy within my limited budget, which at the time was around $200 to $250 dollars a month.
When I tell you I was not trying to spend a ton of money, I REALLY wasn’t. So for all of you out there trying to figure out how you can spend less and still have nutritious and healthy meals, well I have 5 super easy tips and tricks for you all today.
[1] How to Eat Healthy on a Budget:
Adopt Meal Planning – Planning out your meals each week
Each week, I would sit down and find quick and healthy recipes on Pinterest. Scrolling through the feeds really helps with finding inspiration on what type of meals you can mass create.
I typically look at meals that have a grain, a vegetable, and a lean protein. That way you can quickly mix it up and also buy in bulk. When creating your meal plan try not to worry too much about complex recipes and complex flavorings. As you start to build your meal plan and get more comfortable you will be able to switch things up and change the flavor profile around.
[2] How To Eat Healthy on a Budget:
Use the IBOTTA App to get deals, discounts, and actual cashback
Even though your budget is small doesn’t mean your wallet has to be. I think the best way to stay within your budget and also feel extrinsic reward from doing. I used 2 methods one was the rewards from my local grocery stores and the second was the Ibotta app.
For starters, you get a $20 dollar welcome bonus when you sign up. Which is dope all in itself. So I used this app to not only get money towards my grocery bills but to also save money on different ticket items at the grocery store, as well.
Coupons and cash back deals are super important when it comes to motivating yourself to stick with your budget but to also lowering your expensive.
[3] How To Eat Healthy on a Budget:
Utilize Frozen Proteins and Produce
The biggest game-changer that I use to this day is buying frozen produce and frozen proteins. It is so easy to just defrost them and cook them when you need to. My favorite is buying frozen grilled chicken. If you are anything like me, sometimes lunch is the hardest thing to make. To a certain extent, it’s almost super easy to skip lunch and just wait for dinner. Which, let’s be honest, is not always the best thing. Frozen foods are cheaper and most (when they don’t have the extra sodium)
[4] How To Eat Healthy on a Budget:
Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry
When you shop when you are hungry you are less likely to think about what you will need from your grocery list and more about what can satisfy your hunger now. It’s super easy to go grab more highly processed food because of the perceived time it will take to squash your hunger.
If you do end up shopping hungry, my tactic that I use ALL the time which can help you is just making a list and try to make the grocery visit as SHORT as possible.
[5] How To Eat Healthy on a Budget:
Buy Whole Foods
This comes up a lot when people talk about grocery shopping. While this may not be accessible for everyone the reasoning behind this tip should be general knowledge. Buying whole foods is less expensive that buying produce that has already been pre-prepared. That could look like already chopped carrots or the zucchini spirals that are already packaged in plastic. Those will inherently be more expensive because of the extra amount of labor that went into the vegetable for your “convenience”.
Your best bet is to get frozen or just buy whole foods when you are balling on a budget and want to eat healthily!
I hope that these tips helped you discover some easy ways to implement eating healthy on a budget.
Signing off,
Domonique
One Comment
BAYAS0383
Thank you!!1