Buying and Eating Healthy Can Be Cheap and Easy Too
What if I told you that you can expand the quality and longevity of your life just by making some small adjustments to your everyday food rituals? Then, what if I said you could also extend the longevity of your paychecks by making those same adjustments? The truth is, buying and eating healthy can actually be much cheaper than buying fast, processed and packaged! Now I know what you’re thinking:
“It can’t be true.”
“There’s just no way!”
“What about McDonald’s $1 menu and those 2-for-1 frozen dinners?!”
I promise, when you put your mind to eating healthier, wholesome and home-cooked meals, it won’t only be good for your body, but it can also be good for your dollars too. Here are some tips and tricks to set your health goals up for success at the grocery store and in the kitchen, while also setting your wallet up for some sweet savings:
1. Plan Ahead And Stick To The Plan
Any change in the daily routine is going to require a little patience and grace until it becomes second nature. That’s where planning comes in. Before you go grocery shopping, start by taking a look at what you already have in the cupboards to avoid buying more of what you don’t need right now. Then sit down with a notebook or journal and think through the week ahead: how many meals will you need, how many people will be eating them, and is there anything in the fridge or pantry that might need to be eaten soon because it will go bad or is set to expire? Now make a list of some healthy meal ideas based on these findings, and keep in mind that preparing larger quantities of each is also a great way to have some tasty lunches to cover the following day or two.
Finally, make your shopping list, grab your reusable bags, and hit the road!
PRO TIP: Be sure to have a bite to eat before venturing into that big store filled with tempting food, and try to allot some time in your day when you’re not stressed, if you can. These two things will make it less likely for you to binge-buy out of hunger or frustration.
2. Buy Raw, Bulk And In-Season
Buying in bulk is cheaper than buying boxed, packaged or bottled versions. For example, it’s much less expensive to buy bulk rice than a box of branded or seasoned rice, and you’ll get a lot more for your money too. The same can be said for other grains and oats, which means you can buy larger quantities for less, and as long as you store them in airtight containers when you get home, they should last quite a while. I also suggest buying raw options of items like potatoes, hard squash, nuts and seeds, since it’s much healthier and less expensive than buying them already cooked, fried or seasoned. These items don’t go bad quickly either, so you can purchase them in bulk for added savings as well. If you’re looking for bread, try buying the healthier whole wheat option, but be sure to get it when it’s on sale, and just keep it frozen until you need it. Finally, shopping for produce when it’s naturally in-season in your geographic part of the world will ensure you get lots of quality fruit and veggie vitamins, nutrients and fiber without having to break the bank to do it. Do a little research to see if there might be a seasonal farmer’s market near your neighborhood, workplace or school; farmer’s markets often sell organic, farm-fresh produce at lower prices than grocery stores. They also tend to sell what they grow most easily, which (you guessed it!) is usually what happens to be in-season. This is a great way to eat healthier, save money, AND support local family farms all in one trip!
PRO TIP: Plain pasta shapes (think those classic, straight spaghetti noodles) are less expensive than the more elaborate shapes, and just as delicious.
3. Mix, Flavor And Pack It Yourself
Maybe you thought those frozen dinners, pizzas and fast food options are the fastest, cheapest and easiest ways to go, but let’s break it down: they’re almost always less filling, and usually offer smaller portions that are mostly chock-full of added sugars, sodium, and preservatives. Ever wonder why you tend to feel hungry faster, or even tired after you eat them? Lower quality ingredients and “fillers” like sugar and sodium can make your body feel bloated, and require it to work a lot harder to process through the junk to find usable nutrients. When you think of it like that, you’re not really saving any money when you buy them either because it takes a lot more bags of potato chips to feel full than it does one baked potato loaded with healthy toppings. Why not task yourself with finding some new recipes to make your own versions of the foods you enjoy, instead of only buying the packaged, bottled or fast food versions. Next, consider buying unflavored hot cereals; they’re almost always the cheaper pick on the shelf, and it’s healthier to flavor them up yourself with toppings like fresh fruit, honey, and nut butters. The same goes for salad dressings; a bottle of basic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper can dress a salad up nicely for much fewer pennies (and sodium) than a bottled dressing. It may take a little practice, and some simple cooking skills if you’re not already a regular in the kitchen, but rest assured, you will save so much more money when you shop simple, and let the added flavoring and seasoning be something you do yourself.
4. Fire Up The Kitchen, Then Freeze!
Which brings us to…cooking more at home, AND another myth I’d like to debunk. A lot of people say they don’t have time to cook at home, or that it’s just easier and cheaper to grab food on the go than to plan and prepare ahead of time. While I can certainly remember a time I might have said the same things myself, I also know that when we make the conscious and radical choice to live healthier, fuller and more abundant lives, it just naturally follows that we reap incredible and lasting rewards for our efforts. That’s not to say I’m dooming you to hours slaving away over a hot stove in the service of your health goals however! I’m only saying that while any adjustments to your habits and routine may take time and practice to master, there are also some very simple and tangible places to start. For example, setting a few minutes each week to sit down with a notebook or journal to think through the week ahead, and plan for at least some of those meals to be prepared at home is a great habit to work on. Cooking larger quantities of your healthy recipes, and saving the extras for future lunches, dinners or even breakfasts is another one. You can even portion your leftovers out and freeze them as their own little “frozen dinner” meals for another night!
PRO TIP: The freezer can be your friend in health. Buy frozen produce to keep on-hand and help stretch the time between your shopping days, and also remember to freeze any fresh produce you might have that looks like it might go bad soon. It’ll last longer this way, and help you get the most bang for your shopping bucks too.
5. Track And Learn As You Go
Once you get the hang of shopping with some of these healthy, budget-friendly tips in mind, be sure to record your findings as you go. You might keep a journal of what you pay for the items you buy most often at the store, so you can keep track of how much you spend on which things, and plan for alternatives if needed. Take inventory of the items that tend to expire in your kitchen, and buy less of them to avoid unnecessary waste and make the most of your dollars (and good sense). I also recommend avoiding name brands when you can, and trying the store brand options instead; the taste is usually so similar you won’t notice the difference, and they’re most often the best deal. Tracking your budget, shopping lists, pantry inventory and weekly schedule needs is a great wellness ritual to have in your pocket, and a very real-time way to watch yourself grow and get savvier too.
PRO TIP: Maybe you’d like to try growing some of your own veggies and herbs! They’ll not only save you money, but you can also freeze, trade or gift any over-abundance to friends too! I know I’d never said no to some free zucchini, tomatoes or fresh oregano.
It may take time, but I encourage you to start with just one new healthy thing this week, and commit to doing it every week for a month or two. I have a pretty good feeling it’ll make you feel better and more empowered about incorporating even more healthy habits into your life, and in fact… I’d bet money on it.
In the meantime, here are some helpful reminders and extra motivation to fuel your fires, and keep those health goals charging forth with gusto.