5 Smart Strategies to Eat Healthy On a Budget
Let’s get into the best tips on eating healthy on a budget!
The cost of groceries is only increasing and while you may not be able to do everything, there are tiny tweaks you can make to ease up your grocery bill.
This isn’t your stop buying the thing you want type of conversation, this is the be a smart shopper conversation.
You have to be organized and know what you want! That way you don’t give the store a chance to tell you what you want.
This post is all about how to eat healthy on a budget!
1. Plan, plan, plan
You have to be organized and have a plan. Before you head to the grocery store, plan out your meals. Think about the meals you want to cook. You can be basic af or go all out. Then, write it in this Meal Planner so you have a clear vision of your meals for the week. Keep this somewhere in your kitchen.
Next, create your Healthy Grocery List. This is the foundational grocery list that is going to help you stay on top of your goals. It clearly breaks down your protein, vegetables, carbohydrates and even fun snacks!
After you combine the Meal Planner and Healthy Grocery List it’s time to head to the grocery store. The easiest way to minimize distractions in the grocery store is by shopping the perimeter of the store.
This is generally where all of your produce, dairy and meats can be found. By doing this you’ve almost completed all of your grocery shopping.
2. Bulk Shop
Head over to your local Costco or Sam’s Club. I can’t even tell you how beneficial it is to bulk shop to ensure that you’re getting the right types of food on a budget.
Think of your protein - chicken breast, ground turkey, beef and seafood.
There are tons of healthy and clean meals ready to go.
For example, if you know you eat a lot of chicken you can get like 4 pounds of chicken breast that saves you so much money compared to your normal grocery store.
Some of the meals you don’t even have to cook yourself. You can just warm up or put in the airfryer. Wow! Talk about convenience!
You can always find great deals on fruits and vegetables. If you meal prep for the week a big bag of broccoli or green beans makes it easier and you’ll probably even have leftovers for other meals.
The big bag of apples always comes in handy when you need a healthy snack to help tie you over until your next meal.
3. Meal Prep
Prepping your meal is the biggest budget hack. So you get home from the store and you’re ready to take those ingredients and prepare your meals. Yes, excellent idea!
Be sure to get your Meal Prep Containers so that you have somewhere to store your meals.
Pick one that’s the easiest for you to either not eat or order take out. That’s the meal that you’ll focus on meal prepping.
For example, if you find yourself forgetting to eat lunch or maybe you’re at Chick-Fil-A one too many times a week, that’s okay. Insert meal prep!
Choose something that is easy for you to prepare.
For example, grab your chicken breast, brown rice and frozen mixed veggies with teriyaki sauce and there you have it. Introducing your not so basic chicken, rice and veggies. It’s giving better than your favorite Chinese Restaurant takeout at home and you saved money AND it’s healthy.
Prepping your meals ahead of time eliminates food waste and ensures that you use the food you have.
4. Shop Those Sales
Another sneaky way to eat healthy on a budget is by shopping those sales. This applies to any grocery store but the biggest savings might be found at Costco and Sam’s Club.
Sometimes there will be sales on items like vitamins, supplements!
Those are larger ticket items that add up quickly. You would be surprised at how much money you can save by waiting for your favorite supplements to go on sale.
Shopping on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut out everything. Be a smart shopper, shop the sales and it will make room for other things in your budget.
For example, if you shop on the Target Shopping App, there’s always deals of groceries that can help you stick to your budget. You can great deal on brands like Simple Mills, Good & Gather, Poppi and so much more
5. Shop Your Home First
Before you leave your home, take inventory of everything you have. Check the fridge. Check the pantry. Check the cabinets. Look high and low.
More times than not you might think to add that item to your grocery list when you have it at home.
If you don’t need to buy it, don’t get it yet. If you’re contemplating buying an item, ask yourself how necessary the item is.
Do you absolutely need it this week? Can it wait until next week? How can you make that item (s) stretch? What alternatives can you use for that item?
Ask yourself these questions BEFORE you go to the grocery store.
This post was all about how to eat healthy on a budget!
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