How many times have you found yourself on a healthy eating blog and find that the recipes are half full of ingredients you’ve never heard before? It seems nowadays the only way to eat healthily is to first go on a fruitless hunt for exotic flours and seeds or pay an arm and a leg to have the healthy grocery store prepare nutritious meals for you.
In reality, you don’t have to break the budget and lose your mind, just to eat healthily. With a little change of perspective, you may find, eating healthier on a budget isn’t all that hard after all.
Keeping It Simple
Living on a budget means holding yourself within certain limits at the grocery store. In order to do that, plan meals that are simple. Find recipes that call for ingredients that are easiest to find at the store, and trash the recipes that send you down a rabbit hole of questions about ingredients.
Here are some examples of healthy meals that can be done on a budget.
- Turkey chili
- Roasted chicken with asparagus and sweet potatoes
- Black bean and cheese quesadilla
- Salmon with wild rice and green beans
- Beer can chicken with roasted vegetables
Ingredients for Cheap Healthy Eating
Stay away from high priced products, especially when there are more affordable ones just down the aisle. When you’re shopping, look for items that are on sale, which won’t affect your recipe as much. For instance, if walnuts are half the price of pecans - go with walnuts in your salad instead. If turnips are cheaper than parsnips, go with the turnips. If white mushrooms are on sale, go with the white instead of the baby-bellas.
Dining Out on a Budget
The thought of dining out in a healthy manner may send your wallet into anxiety sweats. Don’t worry, there’s a way to do it without breaking the bank. Here are some healthy eating tips while dining out.
Tip #1 - Have a snack an hour before you go out, and split a meal with your dining partner at the restaurant.
Tip #2 - Avoid the carb-heavy dishes. It’s tempting to veer towards the less expensive pasta dishes on the menu, but that may have your healthy eating plan fly out the window. Instead, look for a lean meat and whole grain option on the menu.
Tip #3 - Avoid the trendy restaurants that charge more for ambiance than what the flavor of the food deserves. Restaurants that have been around forever, and have a reputation for delicious, well-prepared food, are bound to have healthy choices available to you at prices you can feel good about.
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