Healthy Eating on a Low Budget [Definitive Guide]

Healthy food is affordable. Eating healthy while saving money is NOT impossible. A healthy diet is not about exotic-sounding, difficult-to-obtain or difficult-to-cook ingredients. You can eat in such a way that you can improve your health AND save money.

Let us show you how.

Plan your meals well in advance

First, it is important to plan your expenses in such a way that your expenses don’t shoot up uncontrollably. Make a shopping list and use it instead of walking up and down the aisles aimlessly. It will curb random and impulse purchases. It is also advised that you shop only when you’re full. The calm and sated feeling of the mind that comes after eating a full and proper meal is helpful for making rational decisions.

Read labels

Do this to keep your spending under control and pick the healthiest of food at the same time. For example, you can buy skimmed milk, one-percent milk, two-percent milk, whole milk, full-cream or ultra-fat milk at more-or-less similar prices. But the leaner varieties of milk have less saturated fat. Similarly, when buying products like yoghurt, or juices, remember to check the amount of sugar and fat or the presence of fruit pulp.

Avoid processed food

Processed food contains all kinds of nasty additives you don’t even know of. Yet the price of processed food is much higher than wholesome food, just because of all the processing and packaging. And fresh food in its natural state is always more healthy and has more nutrients!

Welcome plant-sources of protein

Meat is undoubtedly a good source of protein. But many of us are so hooked on to its great taste that we overlook other sources. Plant-based protein sources are cheaper and have wider applications in cooking. It is a really good idea to get some of your protein on some days from tofu, quinoa, lentils, beans, grains, etc.

Canned and frozen food have their advantages

The practice of canning and preserving fruit and vegetables has been around for a long time. It is a good way to lock-in nutrients into foodstuffs and make them last unbelievably long. It is a skill worth handing down from generation to generation. When buying canned food, care should be taken to read labels to make sure that they don’t contain too much of sodium or salt.

Freezing is another lifesaver hack. When you find that some of your dearly-bought beautiful veggies are in danger of spoiling, just because you haven’t gotten to eating them yet; do not throw them away. Instead, steam them partially and then deep-freeze. They’ll keep for much longer this way instead of getting wasted. Fruits can be sauced and frozen as well.

Repurpose and reuse

Utilize and enjoy the delicious, sinful leftovers of the Thanksgiving Turkey. Let your creativity run wild and turn leftovers food into tasty new meals. For example, leftover rice after stir-frying can be enjoyed at breakfast. Adding a little cinnamon, nuts and dry or fresh fruit can result in something unforgettable. Meat is also an ideal candidate for reuse. Leftover chicken is great for sandwiches, tacos, soup… the list goes on. Steaks, pork, almost every kind of meat can be repurposed deliciously!

Buy undressed and whole meat portions

Meat that has been skinned, trimmed, portioned, filleted, etc typically costs a lot more. So instead of buying deboned or dressed buy the whole fish, chicken or side of red meat, as the case may be. Use the bones and trimmings to make tasty stocks, sauces and broths. The best thing is that these stocks and broths can be frozen for up to a week if you don’t have an immediate use for them. You can freeze broth if you don’t have a need for it within a week.

Grab offers, coupons and discounts

When clubbed with a little meal planning, this goes a very long way in saving some major cash. Keeping an eye out on local sales and weekly or monthly specials is not difficult as most product and service providers do it for free.

Buy in bulk

Most stores and delivery-chains offer good deals on bulk purchases. All that is needed is some space in your fridge or pantry. Canned and frozen options always work out well for bulk deals as they keep really long.

Eat only what you cook yourself

Cooking and eating at home is the most effort, time and resource-saving pursuit in life. Ok, err… it is the most health-saving pursuit. Period.

Eating out requires extra money for the convenience of someone else preparing, plating and presenting the food. Food of this kind is made in bulk and is low in nutrients. It makes financial sense to invest all this extra payment in the relatively expensive and healthier ingredients in grocery stores. Quality organic produce keeps for much longer and can be stretched out for long periods of time.

Some vegetables should be bought for their versatility

Some veggies not only last longer but can be used in a number of ways in cooking. Sweet potatoes are great for breakfast as pancakes, fries, etc. They are also quite filling, long-lasting and packed with nutrients.

Buy seasonal produce

Seasonal fruits and veggies are always cheaper as there is plenty to go around to meet demand. So it makes sense to buy a seasonal mix for its higher probability of freshness at at lower price. Seasonal purchases offer the most economy of budget.

Buy local and utilize a fresh-fruit-and-vegetable delivery service

Just like buying seasonal helps to get the best prices, buying local offers more freshness. If you don’t have the time to scout out your local farmer’s markets or ask around for the best quality at the lowest price, we can help. Jim’s Home Fresh Deliveries is committed to supporting the local Australian community of farmers and small businesses, while making unmatched quality, taste and freshness available to everyone. Our prices are very reasonable and we have a top-notch delivery service that is very friendly and reliable. We have your best health and interests at heart. Shopping online at Jim’s is one of the most time and money-saving hacks you can employ to maximise your health on a shoestring budget. So go ahead, try us out today! Wherever you are in Melbourne or Regional Victoria, we will serve to impress.

Conclusion

Healthy eating on a low budget is all about being creative and resourceful. The money you have is enough. Do not hold yourself back from exploring options to save money and still attain good health

Jim’s home fresh delivery company is in Melbourne Australia, we deliver the groceries product like Fruit and veg delivery in Melbourne and a lot more to the customers at their doorstep. we deliver fresh fruit and veg at the exact time of slot when cu