Ready to begin eating healthfully on a budget, but not sure where to begin? Here’s a straightforward approach to get you started.
Commit to assembling and cooking from scratch.
If you like to cook, this is your chance to dust off your recipe books. If you don’t enjoy cooking, look for recipes where you can assemble the ingredients such as salads, wraps and sandwiches.
Make a list.
Start your grocery list by planning meals for the week. Focus on an easy breakfast you will enjoy weeklong and meals for dinner. Include at least two vegetarian options to capitalize on cost-effective plant proteins. Adjust serving sizes and make enough leftovers to pack for lunch. Check on what you already have, write down what you need and go shopping!
Shop with intention.
- Look for sales, check for online and newspaper coupons.
- Buy staples like beans, nuts, grains, flour and dried fruit from the bulk bins whenever possible.
- Consider using frozen. Frozen vegetables and fruits contain as many nutrients as their fresh counterparts because they are frozen at their peak. Buy on sale and try mixing frozen and fresh into recipes to maintain texture.
- Get flexible with your meat choices. Buying meat with bones can save you money and make better quality meat more affordable. It also leaves you with the bones needed to make delicious broth!
Have an “I don’t want to cook tonight” contingency plan.
Meal preparation fatigue is universal, but don’t let this throw you off your budget. Have frozen leftovers to pull out and heat, or a simple dish like rice, lentils, carrots and seasoning that you can put together in 5 minutes.
By adopting these first steps you will soon be on your way to saving money and feeling your best!
— By Margaret Capron, Bastyr dietetic intern, and Amy Frasieur, MS, RD, core faculty in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University.