Eating Healthy the Cheap Way
A challenge that many persons face is creating a lifestyle where they can afford to eat healthy without having to break their piggy bank. It seems like in this day and time the cost of having a healthy lifestyle is pretty costly and because of this many cannot afford this lifestyle but rather have to depend on how far their pocketbooks or wallets will take them.
But we cannot afford to eat foods that are of low or poor quality because somewhere down the road we will have many health issues and we can’t afford that either. I must agree however that many health concerns have to do with poor eating habits, for example eating heavy late at night, filling up on junk foods, or living a fast-food life.
See food diet
Then there are those who are on a see-food diet, follow me and see where I am going, what I mean by that is they see it crave it and eat it no matter, why because to them life was met to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest and they are right, but not at the expense of your health because sooner or later this lifestyle of poor eating will catch up with them and they will surely sad to say pay a big price which many are now paying and regretting terribly.
What solution is there?
I am glad that you asked, I myself have been faced with this same question when going to the supermarket and seeing those outrageous prices.
Put a plan in place
All is not lost so do not throw your hands up in despair, there is a solution to this by putting a plan in place.
1. If you have space in your yard, you can start a garden of your own, or create space if you prefer. I know it might hurt you to remove a part of those nice flowers which grace your landscape, but think of how you can save that extra dollar to go towards something else by installing a vegetable garden or you can plant your veggies and herbs in containers. Here are some examples. Edible garden design, Indoor edible plants, How to grow an organic garden, Home garden success made easy, Urban garden support, Vegetable garden, Raise beds, Container Gardening.
2. What about buying food in bulk? sure you may have to dig a little deeper but it will save you in the long run.
3. Going to your farmer’s market, you are sure to find deals there.
4. Do not cook too much, cook enough for that day.
5. If you cook too much, bag and put the remainder in the fridge to reuse.
6. Use coupons.
7. Eat out less.
8. Cut out or cut down on junk foods.
9. Carry your lunch.
10. Take advantage of sales.
11. Stick to your grocery list don’t buy on impulse.
12. Buy generic.
The final word
I am sure there are more which can be added to this list, remember the goal is to save where you can and at the same time eating healthy. So pull out that pen and notepad and let’s start planning your budget.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Hi i enjoyed your article with great hints on how to eat better within a budget. I believe that growing our own food is where it is at and here is a hint that can be added to your list, every plant we grow gives us the potential to grown 100s more plants – so save seeds and grow again next season, mother nature is so generous.
Hello Tracy it is so good to meet you, I am glad that I can help. Thanks for commenting and for that tip. All the best to you and have a good day.
Hey man. Looking at your least, I can definitely say that you make things a bit easier for people who would want to have or even try a healthy meal budget since getting healthy is all the fad these days and I’m glad people are starting to be more concerned of their health. That being said, everything you mentioned on your list is spot on and I must say that the use of coupons is very underrated right now in our world and can save a ton for people if they add those things up. Generic food can also get a bad rap since they dont have any brands but people would learn how to appreciate them better only if they tried. Nice article! Hoping you can write more 🙂
Hello Nico it is so good that you have commented, In this day and time in which we live it is good to have or to put a plan in place not only so that we could stretch that dollar but be able to eat the healthy stuff. Eating healthy is so important therefore we ought to do our best when it comes to good health. I am glad that I could help, all the best to you my friend and have a good day.
Hi Norman, you’re site has really come a long way! Thanks for this article. Eating healthy is something I struggle with, not because I don’t enjoy healthy food, but because it requires more planning and preparation. I actually enjoy cooking, but if I find my self short on time or low on energy, it’s easy to fall into the fast food. Since I have bipolar disorder, I have to be really careful about what I eat because diet has a big effect on my mood. Thanks for the tips,
Hello Layne it is so good to meet you, and I am glad that I could help, thanks for those kind words, all the best to you my friend and also thanks for commenting. Have a good day.
This is something i have been thinking about for a longer time. I do get sick when thinking about all the chemicals we ingest together with food – I think we cannot even imagine the way the food is being processed before getting on our tables. So I pay a lot of attention to ingredients and origin of each product. Your own garden for sure is the best option as then you can be sure what you eat. And this is where the healthy meal starts.
“We are what we eat”. So eat healthy to be healthy 🙂
Hello Arta it is so good to meet you, thanks for commenting, all the best to you and have a good night.
These are all great suggestions for saving. I think the biggest ticket, is eating at home. My son recently decided to quit eating out so much and eat at home when ever he could. He was amazed at how much money he was saving. I think just doing that alone, gets you to eating more healthy because most eating out is fast food, and that is just not good for you.
Hello my dare lady, always good to see you, thanks for commenting and you are right with what you say. All the best to you and have a good day.
Hi! Good honest article. Came across it and it reminds me of how much I miss having a garden! live in an apartment and have very limited scope to grow anything. Cherry tomatoes in the window do quite well. I prefer to use the local farmers many have a small plot where they grow their own and sell the surplus.
Hello Pete it is so good to meet you, thanks for commenting, all the best to you and have a good day.
Hi there Norman,
I just love visiting this site as it is very informative and above all helpful. Eating healthily doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact is cheaper than junk food as very often junk food is not that filling due to a lack of dietary fiber.
What is your thoughts on supplementing with organic vitamins?
Hello Derek my good friend, thanks for your kind words it is always good to see you. I believe that supplementing with organic is good. Synthetic vitamins is said to be manufactured with chemicals and do not come from their natural source, while with organic you are getting natural. Hope this helps, all the best to you and have a good day.
Great post on an important topic that everyone should be thinking about these days. Healthy eating is definitely a personal challenge for most people. One thing I would add to your pretty exhaustive list is buy organic! I think that is an important item to add to your list. Thoughts?
Hello Robert it is so good to meet you, I am glad that I could help and thanks for your advice, have a good day.
I wanted to hear more about when you said do not cook too much just cook enough for one day. When I cooked back in college I would try to make as much as possible. It was not often I really had time to cook. So when I did I wanted to cook as much as possible so that I would have food made for future meals in the coming days. Is this more of just a conveniance thing versus a saving money like you are stressing type deal?
Hello Brad it is good to meet you and thanks for sharing, what I mean by not over cooking is persons at times cook more than they can eat and they tend to throw the rest away which is wasting money. If you cook and then place in the fridge for the next day then that is find.
Remember the goal of the healthy meal budget is to try and fine ways to eat health while ensure that your hard earn dollar goes a long way. Have a nice day.
After reading your article I realize I’m on the “see food diet”. I have a hard time planning out my meals. The only thing I probably consistently eat is Kale salad. I would like to try a container garden this year to see how well it grows. I find it so hard to stick to my budget and list when i go into the grocery store. Do you normally stick to your list?
Hello again my dare lady it is good to see you again and yes it can be a challenge sometimes but by practicing it will become a lifestyle, it will become second nature. Hope this helps, all the best to you.