Sample: How Can you Maintain a Healthy Diet on a Budget?

How many times have you heard that eating healthy is a costly business? Sure, it can be tough being on a tight budget and managing a healthy diet, but there are many ways to manage a well-balanced diet without spending a fortune.

Here are some ingenious ways to eat healthy at an affordable price!

Plan your meals

Busy lifestyle and take-out culture are the main culprits that force us to spend a fortune on food. These factors instil laziness as the delicacies we so crave lay only a fingertip away when we are hungry. However, they also bring along big bills and unhealthy eating habits. 

The golden rule of eating healthy is planning and preparing your daily meals. It is an economical and wholesome way of eating healthy. If you find it demanding to do it daily, plan for the entire week and stick to that plan. Cook extra portions and store them in the deep freezer to heat up later. Pack your lunch and carry it to the office rather than eating out. If you are hungry, check your refrigerator and cabinets to see what’s available before going ahead and ordering a meal. The hidden corners of cabinets and back of the freezer hold such tasty treasures, you will be surprised!

Another important thing is to consume seasonal fruits and vegetables. Seasonal veggies are always cheaper, fresher, and filled with nutrients required by our body. Besides, across the year, many different delicious fruits and vegetables provide an all-round nutritional punch boosting immunity, increasing resistance, and keeping you healthy in the long run.

Modify your grocery-list

There is a wide misconception that only organic food items that come labelled with expensive tags are healthy. Surely, organic foods are considered an ideal standard of nutrition. However, nothing can beat the nutritional power of the local produce including whole grains and fresh vegetables coming from farmers’ markets with generic brand tags. Shopping locally is an excellent way of saving money while consuming healthy food.

Another golden tip is to never (never!) go grocery shopping on a hungry stomach. Why do you ask? Well, it is simple. When you shop for groceries on an empty stomach, studies show that there are higher chances that you will indulge in treats and junk food while diverting from your original grocery list. So have a salad before you go shopping. It is healthy, tasty, and it will save you money!

Speaking of savings, wherever you go grocery shopping, try to buy whole foods rather than processed and canned foods. The preservatives used in those foods are detrimental. Purchasing whole foods is as economical as healthy. 

Spending your hard-earned money on alternative sources of proteins rather than expensive fresh cut meats and fishes is also a smart way of saving money while eating healthy. If you have a sweet spot for meats, buy cold cuts instead of fresh meat, they tend to be cheaper yet nutritious.

Get into the kitchen 

When you cook at home, you eat fresh, healthy, and save a lot of money! Besides, leftovers make an excellent nutritious breakfast for the next day. A good meal cooked from scratch also provides a great deal of satisfaction bringing about positivity and enhancing the health quotient. Therefore, never underestimate good home-prepared meals. They are delicious, nutritious, and a lot easier on the pocket than any take-out can ever be!

Grow a kitchen garden

Lastly, make a plan to grow your kitchen garden. Homegrown micro herbs can add a great deal of nutritious value to your daily meal along with freshness and flavour. Spices like rosemary, oregano and basil amongst others can be easily grown at home and used fresh while preparing meals. Several veggies like lettuce, fenugreek, spinach, garlic, ginger, and coriander are easy to grow and care for. Chillies, tomatoes and eggplants too can be a part of your beautiful kitchen garden if you commit to it. Gardening is a marvellous way of saving money, eating healthy and spreading positivity. 

One of the most important things we all forget is that our kitchen is the best medicine cabinet. The cure to many ailments and the solution to many problems originate in the kitchen. So make it a happy place by innovating and growing it. Buy local, make your own meals, utilise all your leftovers and grow your greens. It is really not a costly affair!