HEALTHY EATING ON A BUDGET

Written by guest author N.P.Burggraaff

Some readers have emailed the website saying that eating healthy is expensive and this makes it difficult for them to keep up a healthy lifestyle. Even though nutritious food can be very expensive, it is definitely possible stay healthy when you are on a budget.

Breakfast

Let's start at the beginning of your day; breakfast. Everyone nowadays knows that it is important to eat a good breakfast and some say that it is the most important meal of the day!

A great way to start the day is with a cup of oatmeal and a protein source. Oatmeal is very inexpensive wherever you buy it. If it's on sale, you can even buy it in bulk. So what do you eat with your oatmeal? You could of course opt for almond milk but that's a bit expensive. You could also just mix it with water and add some fruit.

For your protein you can have an egg or egg whites. Too much work to boil or scramble your eggs? Why don't you put it in the microwave? You can watch tutorials on youtube to learn how to cook your eggs that way. Another protein source you can have in the morning is protein powder. Protein powder might be a bit pricey but it will certainly last you for a long time. It also mixes great with oatmeal. Buy whatever is on promotion and buy in bulk.

Protein

Typically protein is the most expensive. Always check want what is on promotion that week in your local supermarket and buy in bulk. A good source of protein that is not very expensive is canned tuna. Be sure to buy the tuna in water and not the ones that are drenched in oil. Another tip is to buy eggs in bulk as this is usually very affordable. Sometimes people who have a chicken stock sell eggs at their house or farm. Buying from there is much cheaper than supermarket eggs and you will also have super fresh eggs.

Vegetables

Depending on where you live, vegetables are typically not that expensive. Buy what's in season and also check out frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are equally as healthy as fresh vegetables. Sometimes fresh vegetables lose some of their nutritional values after they've been reaped. Frozen vegetables on the other hand are frozen immediately after being reaped, therefore all their original nutritional values are preserved.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are always the least expensive. What I can tell you though is that brown rice is brown rice. No need to buy A brands when there's a B brand. The same goes for canned tomatoes and vegetables. Make sure to check the labels for hidden additives.

Food storage

Lastly, invest in a good storage system. Adjust yourself to save everything you don't need. When you make a salad, make enough for just that salad. Store the other half of a tomato, lemon, onion or whatever it is you don't end up using and you'll have double the food that you would have otherwise had.

You can use zip log bags for about everything. Made too much rice? Put it in a ziploc or tupperware and you will have some food for the next day! Bananas on sale? Place them in a ziploc bag and freeze them for when you want to make a smoothie. Storing food will save you a ton of money!

In conclusion

Healthy food can be expensive but when you follow the below points, you can definitely eat healthy on a budget:

- eat healthy oats for breakfast and replace milk with water

- buy proteins in bulk when on sale

- eat seasonal vegetables

- invest in a good storage system.

Exercise

If you cannot afford a gym membership, download the home exercise guide here and learn how to train for free.