Eating Healthy on a Budget

Let's face it, eating healthy can be expensive, and even more so if you're trying to go the organic route. Here are some tips that can help keep you on track with your lifestyle and your budget.

1. Plan your meals. 

In other words, budget your food like you would your household expenses. This keeps you on track diet wise and avoids waste as much as possible. According to an April 2018 study by the University of Vermont, Americans waste close to a pound of food per day. Higher quality diets result in even more waste. So, your fruits and vegetables, buy those every few days to keep it fresh. The last thing you need is a compost bin or a science project in your refrigerator.

2. Stick to the list

An easy way to do this is to shop online. Yes, you can go to the store but we all know how easy it is to end up with extra items in your cart. Just because there's a two-for-one on snack cakes doesn't mean it's a good buy. Remember, budget your food. As for buying in bulk, only if it makes sense...and it's on the list or something you use often.  

3. Shop Online and take advantage of those sales

Fill your virtual shopping cart from literally anywhere. This allows you to not be tempted as well as you can easily watch your spending. We all have our favorites, and when they're on sale then by all means stock up. You can check back here for deals we are running throughout the month.

4. Home Cook'n is best

If you want to save money then first and foremost, stop eating out.  Second, you'll know exactly how your food is prepared, you're in full control of the portion size, and nothing brings the family together like a home cooked meal. As for the healthy side of the equation, study after study has shown that people who cook at home score better on the Healthy Eating Index with fewer calorie consumption. See American Journal of Preventative Medicine article. So, pack your lunch and get to cooking. It's healthier and cheaper.

5. Grow your own

There's no doubt about it, vegetables from the garden taste so much better than store bought it's not even funny. If you have the space and feel you're up for it then perhaps gardening is the way to go. From raised garden beds to container gardens, there's hundreds of ways to go about it. Pinterest as you probably already know has practically an endless amount of pins showcasing how to go about doing just that.  

These are just a few things you can do to hopefully help ease some of those thoughts of "screw it, I'll stick to the cheap 'n sweet aisles".