EATING HEALTHY ON A BUDGET
Eating healthy does not mean that you need to break the bank, so we’re sharing some of our top tips to help you save on your groceries and make your resolutions to eat healthier more fun!
- Don’t Shop Hungry: We don’t know about you, but when we go to the grocery store with a growling tummy, we have already set ourselves up for failure. A hungry bear will eat anything that looks good—like sugary cereals and bags of potato chips that are high in sodium and fat. Grocery shopping on an empty stomach is the number one thing we make sure not to do when trying to eat healthier on a budget.
- Meal Planning and Prep: Knowing what you are going to cook and how much of it you will need is key for saving money on food, which means you’ll need to take time to plan and prep a meal plan each week. For example, if you’re planning to take a salad to work with you each day for lunch, write down the ingredients you will need. After buying them, take some time to chop your veggies and cook your protein ahead of time for quicker assembly. Stick to your grocery list to help avoid buying grocery items that you will not end up using. You can cook in bulk to eat the same thing all week or use your leftovers to get creative with other dishes throughout the week.
- Treat Yourself to One Night Out—ONLY: Let’s say you eat out every night for an entire week and spend an average of $10.00 on each meal, that equates to $70.00 for the week. Dollars add up when you eat out; in fact, the average American household spends about $3,000 a year dining out. And the truth is, if you set your mind to it, chances are you can make the same meal you purchase from a restaurant at home—for a third of the price! But people eat out for various reasons like socializing with friends or trying new restaurants. These are both great reasons to eat out in our book, but limiting your night out to once a week can help save you money and stay on top of your budget.