Eating Healthy on a Budget
Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things we can do for our body, but it isn’t always affordable. Depending on the availability of ingredients, it may be unrealistic to enjoy the nourishing and varied foods we need. So, what can you do to stretch your budget without resorting to prepackaged dinners or overly processed foods?
Plan Ahead
The first step to saving money on any groceries, healthy or not, is to plan ahead. You can do this weekly or monthly, though we wouldn’t suggest going further ahead to prevent food waste. Meal prepping allows you to weave in healthy and interesting meals throughout the week so that you don’t get bored of the same things.
Knowing your parameters, resources, and cost-cutting options is a good place to start.
More importantly, planning meals around coupons can reduce the price even further. If you find a good sale on chicken breasts, frozen vegetables, and rice, that can be the basis for several healthy meals throughout the week. A grocery list can even be supplemented by a planned budget, allowing you to know how much money you have to work with that week. Knowing your parameters, resources, and cost-cutting options is a good place to start.
Do Your Research
While you’re planning out your meals, it’s beneficial to research the products and recipes you’ll be using. In some cases, it may be more affordable to buy frozen fruits or vegetables since they’re longer lasting than fresh ingredients and can work as healthy side dishes in a pinch. Similarly, if you’re planning to make a recipe, you can see if there are healthier ways to make that dish within your budget.
Just take a little extra time to think about the products you’ll be buying while you’re drawing up your shopping list.
It may also be important to learn different designations that can be placed on food labels at the store. Each label means something different, so knowing what they mean (if they mean anything at all) can help you decide if they’re worth the extra cost. Just take a little extra time to think about the products you’ll be buying while you’re drawing up your shopping list.
Get the Most Out of Each Ingredient
We touched on this earlier, but to really stretch your budget for healthy eating, you need to also stretch the ingredients. Now, if there’s a great deal on bulk chicken, you don’t need to have chicken with every meal. That’s a great way to get tired of it really quick. However, you can plan ahead and think of multiple ways to use the same ingredients.
Reusing ingredients all comes down to your creativity and willingness to get the most out of what you have.
Let’s say you buy a whole chicken. You can separate the pieces into breasts, tenders, thighs, wings, and drumsticks, with each portion becoming its own meal. Then, you still have the carcass to make chicken stock for soups or sauces. Even leftovers can be useful to create new and fun meals, like taking leftover mashed potatoes and making gnocchi or leftover beef brisket and making Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. It all comes down to your creativity and willingness to get the most out of your ingredients.
Buy Whole Foods
You’d be surprised at how much you can save by buying whole, unprocessed foods. They tend to be cheaper than their counterparts since you’re effectively paying for the convenience. Blocks of cheese tend to cheaper than bags of shredded cheese. The same is true of whole mushrooms (instead of sliced), whole heads of lettuce (compared to prepackaged bagged salads), or whole grains (instead of processed grains like white rice). It may take an extra step to break down whole ingredients, but you’ll likely be save money and get more product in the long run.
Grow a Garden
While it may not completely cover all of your grocery shopping needs, a garden can supplement your groceries with free, healthy foods. Veggies like beans, potatoes, radishes, and lettuce are all fairly easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and they are delicious and versatile as well. Once you have the hang of it, you can expand into other vegetables or even fruits depending on your climate, skill, and desire.
No matter how you choose to express your green thumb, you’ll be giving yourself healthier ingredients.
If you live in an area where space is an issue, you could try a windowsill garden for smaller vegetables or herbs. Alternatively, you could work with your neighbors to organize a community garden, where everyone pitches in and enjoys the fresh produce. No matter how you choose to express your green thumb, you’ll be giving yourself healthier ingredients.
● ● ●
It’s a shame that so many healthy options in the grocery store have become so expensive. It pushes people toward eating unhealthy foods out of convenience or financial reasons. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be overly expensive though. With the right mindset and a little extra effort, you can have a budget-friendly diet that’s better for you in the long run.
Featured Blogs
- Learning to Ski
- The Stories Behind Classic Christmas Carols
- 4 More Tips to Make Christmas Tree Hunt Less Stressful
- Why Do We Celebrate That? Other Festive Holidays
- A Senior Guide to Boston
- A Senior Guide to Edinburgh
- How Does Medicare Cover Osteoporosis?
- What are Ulcers?
- Medicare's Coverage of Parkinson's Disease
- What is a Cognitive Screening?
- Spooky Spots for Halloween 2023
- 4 Ways to Keep Trick-or-Treating Safe
- 10 Classic Horror Books for Halloween
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2024
- 10 Safety Rules for Seniors Who Enjoy Hunting
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- A Senior Guide to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- A Senior Guide to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- All About Enrolling in Social Security
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Madrid
- Does Medicare Cover Open-Heart Surgery?
- Exercise Tips for Summer
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lisbon
- Hosting a Safe Summer Barbecue
- Senior Summer Barbecue Tips
- Does Medicare Cover Biopsies?
- 5 Foods to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Finger Lakes
- Does Medicare Cover Endoscopies?
- Ways Seniors Can Recover from a Workout
- Is Chocolate Healthy for You?
- Understanding Adult ADHD
- How Does Medicare Cover Hypertension?
- The Symptoms and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
- How to Determine What Temperature to Use When Cooking
- Eating Healthy on a Budget
- Keeping Fit on Vacation
- Is Your Tonsillectomy Covered by Medicare?
- Tips for the Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Kitchen First Aid Tips
- What Does FDA-Approved Mean?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Guide to New York City
- How to Caramelize Onions
- Why Do We Celebrate That? April Fools’ Day
- Medicare and Powers of Attorney
- The Essential Role of Eggs in Cooking
- What are Different Types of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine? - Tips for Remembering to Take Your Medicine
- What is Medicare Part E?
- Building Your Basic At-Home Senior Gym
- How to Make Stovetop Popcorn
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to New Orleans
- How to Navigate & Read Academic Articles
- Phytonutrients: What Plant Color Says About Nutrition
- How to Prevent or Reduce Inflammation
- Osteoporosis: Risk Factors, Signs, and Treatment
- How to Make Homemade Pretzels
- Researching Your Ancestry and Family Tree
- How Medicare and Social Security Work Together
- What is Nordic Walking?
- Food Questions You've Been Embarrassed to Ask
- How Medicare Changed for 2023 and Beyond
- Tips for Using a Microwave
- How to Clean Your Ears Safely
- Skiing as a Healthy Hobby for Seniors
- 3 More Great Places to Celebrate New Year's Eve
- Why Do We Celebrate That? More New Year's Eve Traditions
- Panettone, the Italian Christmas Dessert
- A Simple Homemade Gingerbread Recipe
- How to Make Christmas Decorating Jollier
- The Science of Winter Weight Gain
- Seasonal Picks: 3 Foods You Should Try This Winter
- 5 Tips to Make Getting Your Christmas Tree Stress-Free
- Show-Stopping Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Boeuf Bourguignon
- Holiday Travel Tips to Reduce Stress
- Does Medicare Cover Pain Management?
- Is Hunting a Healthy Senior Hobby?
- Ways You Can Get More Politically Involved
- What are Medicare's Lifetime Reserve Days?
- Spooky Spots for Seniors Halloween 2022
- How to Make Soul Cakes for Halloween
- Jack O' Lantern Carving Tips for Halloween
- Easy Ways to Peel a Potato
- 2023 Social Security COLA Largest in Decades
- Exercise Tips for Autumn
- How to Make Candy Apples at Home
- Why are Medicare Insurance Sales Calls Recorded?
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2023
- CMS Updates Medicare Enrollment Rules for 2023
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to London
- Does Medicare Cover Insomnia Treatment?
- Healthy and Easy Homemade Dog Treats
- The FDA Finalizes Ruling to Increase Access to Hearing Aids
- What the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Means for Medicare
- Tips to Make Flying and Airports Less Stressful
- CMS Projects Lower 2023 Part D Average Costs
- The 15 Golden Rules of Airplane Etiquette
- How Often Should You Shower?
- What are Medicare Pilot Programs?
- How to Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware
- Confronting a Loved One About Hurtful Behavior
- What Does Creditable Coverage Mean for Medicare?
- Using Za'atar in Your Cooking
- Dealing with Canceled Flights
- Protecting Your Vacation from Flight Disruptions
- Do Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Medicare Coverage?
- Which is Better: A Bath or Shower?
- Are Weight Loss Medications Healthy?
- Healthy Strategies for Anger Management
- The Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- The Difference Between Common Cooking Papers and Foils
- What are Medicare I-SNPs?
- Identifying Toxic Relationships in Your Life
- Healthy Ways to Spice Up Your Water
- All About Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans
- Medicareful Travels: A Senior Guide to All-Inclusive Resorts
- Does Medicare Cover Occupational Therapy?
- Lower 2023 Medicare Part B Premium Could Be on the Way
- Which is Better: Natural or Artificial Sweeteners?
- Tips for Vacationing with Pets
- Is It Better to Work Out Harder or Longer?
- Tips for Traveling with Your Pet
- Are Medicare Part B Giveback Plans Worth It?
- Introducing the Medicareful Living Family Cookbook!
- Medicare Coverage for Treatment of PTSD
- The Causes and Treatments of Nasal Congestion
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Spring Rolls
- Medicare Freezes Late Enrollment Penalties for Qualifying Enrollees
- What is a 5-Star Medicare Plan?
- What is PTSD?
- What is Inflammation?
- What is Medicare's Secondary Payer Program?
- What You Should Know When Buying Cast Iron Cookware
- What Does MACRA Mean for You?
- What to Do If You Receive a Terminal Diagnosis
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Homemade Lobster Ravioli
- Reading and Understanding Your Blood Pressure
- How to Be a Snowbird in Retirement (18 Questions to Ask!)