Fresh vegetables are the backbone of a healthy meal.
Although preparing healthy food on a budget requires more time than microwaving frozen meals, it pays off in helping you eat healthier meals. Convenience foods are full of fat, salt and other unhealthy elements. Luckily, the components of healthy eating, including grains, legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as you may have feared, especially if you know shop correctly. And the money you spend on your health will save you in the long run.
Instructions
1. Purchase a good knife and a cutting board, if you do not already have them. Whole foods are much less expensive than those that have already been chopped, sliced or otherwise processed for you. A sharp knife and large cutting board make these tasks less burdensome.
2. Purchase grains and starches in bulk to use as the bases for your meals. White rice, brown rice, lentils, potatoes, pasta and quinoa are just a few popular starches. Get large bags at your grocery store or purchase these items from bulk food bins at health food stores.
3. Read your grocery store ad and give priority to purchasing sale items that week. Most ads list the regular price as well as the sale price, so you can look for items that are at least 25 percent discounted.
4. Purchase fresh fruit to eat as snacks throughout the day because fruits are much healthier than chips, crackers and other snack foods. Choose fruits that are in season to get the most for your money. For example, buy peaches and berries in the summer, apples in the fall and citrus fruits in the winter. Bananas are inexpensive all year.
5. Choose seasonal vegetables to use as a main part of your meals. Leafy greens and vegetables in the broccoli family are in season in the spring and fall, while tomatoes, peppers and summer squash are widely available during the summer. Purchase mostly frozen vegetables during the winter. Try to avoid canned vegetables, and purchase varieties with no salt added if you need to use some.
6. Choose meals that require mostly starches and vegetables, with only a little meat for flavoring. Stews and soups, stir-fry dishes, pasta dishes and casseroles are all good ideas for stretching the budget. Try to avoid serving a large piece of meat as the main part of the meal.
7. Substitute beans or vegetables for meat whenever possible to save money. Dry beans are very inexpensive, and although you have to plan ahead when using them because they need to soak before cooking, they do not require much active preparation time.
8. Cook large batches of recipes that freeze well. Soups and casseroles are two examples. Having frozen meals keeps you from spending extra money on convenience foods, which are typically not very healthy.
9. Make peanut butter sandwiches instead of meat sandwiches for lunches. Cold cuts tend to be very expensive per pound, and you can stretch your budget much farther by using peanut butter instead. If you must use meat, cook and slice your own to save money.
Tags: cutting board, frozen meals, grocery store, items that, main part, peanut butter