Eating Healthy on a Budget

Many times I hear people say they don't have enough money to buy organic or shop at Whole Foods to get the good, healthy foods. You don't have to be rich to eat healthy. Here are five tips to help you out:

1) Avoid pre-packaged or pre-cut items. Washed and precut produce is always more expensive than buying the entire fruit or vegetable.

2) Shop seasonal. Buy what's in season. It's normally more abundant and therefore less expensive than out-of-season produce. 

3) Shop at your farmers’ markets. I especially recommend shopping at the last hour of the market day when farmers will be more likely to negotiate their prices (rather than having to pack their produce up and take it back home with them). Also, these items should last longer and be more nutritious as they were probably picked in the last 24-48 hours.

4) Buy in bulk. Buy both in large quantities and from the bulk bins as well as when something you want is on sale. Pay attention to the unit price to help you make decisions. I buy chicken thighs which are less expensive than breast meat, in family-size packages, and freeze what I don't plan to eat in the next few days. Other items that freeze well are nuts, ginger, cheese, root vegetables and my own pre-made meals, soups and smoothies from cooking in bulk to save time and use up bulk quantities of food quickly. Look for items like grains, beans, nuts and spices in the bulk bins. Buying in bulk also cuts down on packaging waste. 

5) Buy cheap proteins. Save the steak and salmon for special occasions. Here is a guide on the 10 cheapest proteins.

6) Waste less. 

a) Plan meals in advance. How often have you bought a bunch of produce, only to have it go bad before you had a chance to use it? I've found that planing meals in advance, helps me buy only what I will need for the week and then by following my meal schedule, it helps regulate when I use something. If you don't plan to use an avocado until 5 days later, buy one that is still unripe. Place it in a paper bag closer to the time of use if it still isn't ripe.

b) Consume highly perishable foods first. It's best to eat your produce in the order of most likely to spoil. For example, thinner skinned produce like berries will perish quicker than thick skinned oranges.

c) Maximize usage. Wilted carrots and celery can be revived by placing them in ice cold water for a few hours. You may wish to peel carrots first to remove any surface contamination. If you have a lemon tree or your lemons are about to go bad, you can squeeze the juice into ice cube trays and save them for later use. Bananas that have ripened past when you want to eat them are great for use in banana bread or smoothies. Eat more of the produce. Try sauteing the greens on beets instead of tossing them and cut up broccoli and cauliflower stalks to add in with the flowery heads. Make smoothies using all parts of the fruits and veggies like the leaves, and stems. Cook a whole chicken and save the bones and parts for a nutritious soup.

d) Store it correctly. Some produce shouldn't be kept next to others (like apples next to spinach) because  they give off ethylene gas, a ripening agent. There are some bags that absorb ethylene or you can keep those items that give off this gas in the crisper away from others. Herbs can be stored in a recycled glass jar filled with fresh water and a plastic bag over them in the fridge. Store fruits and vegetables in airtight containers once they've been cut into. Learn more here and here.

e) Keep your produce whole. Even tearing out the stem of an apple will cause it to have an open wound where bacteria can start growing and breaking it down. Inspect and toss moldy items which will cause those next to them to decay quicker. 

7) Go frozen. Everything doesn't have to be fresh. Frozen produce is normally less expensive than fresh. Freezing usually preserves more nutrients because they are frozen right after picking and thus aren't able to lose their vitamins and minerals that start to diminish in transit to the grocery store. I buy frozen fish, prawns and vegetables like green beans and broccoli which still taste good after being thawed. You can also throw frozen vegetables, which are normally already cut into bite size pieces, right into the cooking pan for quick meals, saving you time.

8) Grow your own food. This is harder to do if you don't have a backyard. If you have the space to grow your own organic foods, you can pick them as you need. For smaller spaces, you may be able to grow some items like tomatoes in pots vertically on a balcony or an indoor herb garden. Check out this book to learn more about container gardening.  

9) Make your own dressings and dips. Many salad dressings and dips also have added sugars and preservatives in them. You can buy dry garbanzo beans in the bulk bins to make your own hummus. Be sure to soak the beans overnight ahead of time to help reduce their sugar content. Salads are delicious with a base mixture of lemon, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper. You can add in avocado for a creamier dressing.

10) Prepare your meals. Don't eat out. You can better control what goes into your food when you prepare it. 

11) Eat smaller portions. Chances are you are eating more than you really need. A portion should be the size of your two cupped hands into a bowl shape. When eating out, ask for half of your food to go, right away, so you won't be tempted to eat all of it at once.

12) Drink more water. Don't buy beverages. All you need is filtered tap water. Most beverages contain a lot of sugar anyway. You can bring a re-usable bottle around with you filled with water from home. Water will also keep you hydrated and help you feel more full so you eat less.