Whoever thought that eating a box of Twinkies® could be less expensive than eating a bowl of Brussels sprouts? This whole notion of eating ‘organic’ has really hit the country like a tidal wave over the past five years. More and more families want to make sure that their foods aren’t genetically manufactured out of a laboratory. Parents more than ever want to make sure their kids don’t have foods with lots of toxins or synthetic hormones. What we’ve also realized is that these foods are incredibly expensive which is why the running joke is that Whole Foods will take your whole paycheck. Here are five simple ways you can still eat healthy if you are trying to watch your budget.
- Begin The Day With A Protein Shake– They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you’ve looked recently at the cost of a pint of strawberries and blackberries, you’ll quickly realize that you can’t do it on a budget. Instead, try a large protein shake which will really fill you up or overload on cooking up a plate full of egg whites out of the carton.
- Eat Less Meat– Most people would like to enjoy a really fine cut of beef or even thinly sliced chicken breasts, but it’s not cheap to feed yourself or a family on high quality meats. Instead, look at good protein replacement fillers such as beans, quinoa, nuts, eggs, or other substitutes.
- Join A Co-Op Or Hit A Farmers Market– I’ve discussed the merits of co-ops in other posts, but this is an excellent way to get what’s locally grown in season and set yourself on a family weekly budget. You might have to adjust your family’s eating pallet to try different types of food, but it will impact your bottom line.
- Buy Frozen Over Fresh If You Don’t Plan Well– The worst money mistake in the world is to hit the grocery store and buy a ton of fresh produce only to watch it rot away in your refrigerator. Be sure you look closely at the calendar to see what nights you will be able to cook and which nights you’ll be on the road. If you are a poor planner, just buy frozen and then use it when you need it.
- Drink Water, Lots Of It– Water is still the most inexpensive beverage that exists (unless you are buying that Fiji stuff!!), and inarguably the one list item that all diets include. You can know for certain that if everyone in your household drinks water even for a week there will be substantial health benefits over the canned drinks and sugary fruit juices.
Food has certainly become more front and center in our lives. With the amazingly hectic schedules we all carry between work, children, and doing household chores, eating healthy can unfortunately take a back seat. Try these five ‘your smart money moves’ to eating better at home and putting some dollars in your pocket.
Written by:
Ted Jenkin
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