Eating healthy is really easier said than done. A lot of this has to do with most of our habits, but a lot has to do with finances, options, and food cost. Sometimes it’s just not that easy to eat a totally organic meal – every meal.
Here are 7 tips I’ve put into practice that have helped us eat healthier, without breaking the bank.
Cut out the junk
Sounds simple, but it’s not if you’re in the habit of buying junk, sugary cookies, pastries, unhealthy prepackaged foods, soda, etc.
After a while, our bodies become dependent upon these things, thus making it even harder to cut them out of our diet.
Start small and work your way towards eliminating it all. Resolve to only treat yourself and your family once a week or bi-weekly.
Plan
Plan your meals and snacks. I grocery shop for two weeks at a time. I buy according to what we will need. In between shopping trips, I pick up more of the things we go through quicker or that don’t last as long like produce.
Before even making my list I outline our meals and snacks for the next two weeks.
Prepare
Prepare as many meals ahead of time. My family likes ground beef sautéed with onions over rice. Beef can freeze well, so I cook up about 5lbs at a time and freeze it. I do the same with spaghetti sauce ( beef, pasta sauce, and seasoning). I also use my slow cooker a lot! Check out this list of 60 family-friendly slow cooker meals. You can prepare a lot of them ahead of time in a freezer bag, then just pull it out the morning of, toss in your slow cooker and done!
These are other meals I love to make in batches. They are easy and we all love them.
Shop alternatives
Fresh fruit and fresh veggies are always the best options. But sometimes the budget doesn’t allow, or you don’t want to buy too much just to have it go to waste!
Lots of canned or even frozen alternatives aren’t that bad anymore. There are a lot of healthy options in these categories. Plus – they last longer! Just be sure to read the back label to make sure there aren’t any excessive ingredients, additives, or junk in them. You’ll be surprised how simply packaged a lot of these are!
Don’t eat out
Eating out costs a lot! Our family of 5 spends at least 30$ when we go through a fast-food drive-through. Dining out is even more! And don’t get me started on pizza delivery! With the money you’ll save by not eating out, you’ll be able to put it towards your grocery budget!
Buy extra (aka bulk) when possible
Local stores are always throwing sales on different products. Keep an eye out on the items your family eats, and grab an extra one on that trip. We eat a lot of rice here so we stock up on it when it goes on sale. Rice is not that expensive, but it’s an even better steal when on sale. Also, my husband loves to snack on canned fruits (we’ve found some that are just the fruit and water! no additives!). Those go on sale a lot too so we grab a few more if possible.
Stick to the same recipes
I know we all like to feel like we’re eating gourmet unique meals every night. But really -what’s the harm in rotating the same handful of recipes over a two-week period? I usually select 3, maybe 4, dinners and rotate them throughout the two weeks. Lunch is usually just 2 options, alternating days. Breakfast is basically the same every morning – oatmeal. My family likes it because we choose meals that we all love. We also feel great and look forward to it because we’re saving money by stretching out ingredients that make our bodies feel good!
I know these tips aren’t out of this world, but they are great reminders that you can eat healthy without breaking the bank. It may take a few trial and errors to get into the groove of it, but if you keep these tips in mind- you’ll rock it!
What are some of YOUR tips for eating healthy without breaking the bank?
