Over the last few years nobody can blame the authorities for not attempting to get most of the population back on a healthier track. After all, this is completely in their interests as well (BBC, 2016).

Some have succeeded with this, while others have faltered. Those that fall into the secondary category are sometimes quick to blame the cost of healthy eating and in a lot of ways, they completely have a point (Harvard, 2013)

There are some workarounds that you can implement in a bid to make your lifestyle healthier on a budget though, and through the course of today’s article we will explain some of the proven ways you can do this.

Start by planning your meals

If you don’t know what you are eating for the rest of the week, you are on a hiding to nothing.

On your way home from work you will dip into the local fast food chain, or even pop by the supermarket to stock up on yet more supplies.

If you plan your meals in advance, it doesn’t have to be like this. Sure, it might sound boring on the face of it, but if you have a good idea of what you are going to be consuming every day of the week you are not going to be tempted to deviate from your plan and ultimately, spend more money. There are all sorts of guides that can help you out here (The Kitchn, 2017), so you don’t have to head into things blindly.

Never shop when you are hungry

There are two strands to this next point. The first is that shopping while you are hungry is likely to result in you buying types of food that just aren’t healthy. In other words, as you bid to fend off your hunger, you are more likely to turn to sugary snacks and everything else that tends to be a weakness.

The second element to this point is that you will buy more. This might be more fresh food, but that’s irrelevant. After all, you are trying to save money and stay healthy.

As such, venture to the store straight after you have eaten. You’ll find that you’ll have far fewer urges, and you are more likely to stick to your original shopping list.

Don’t automatically think of the supermarket

For many of us, the supermarket is the go-to place for food. There’s nothing that competes with it.

Nowadays, this isn’t necessarily the case. If you are looking for convenience then sure, the supermarket probably tops everything. After all, it’s the place where most of your foods are going to be.

However, in terms of saving money on healthy alternatives, don’t be afraid of trying other options. This applies to all types of foods as well; for example, even in the case of chocolate candy bars it is sometimes better to buy online (Candy Warehouse, 2020). If we turn to our healthy options again, the local fruit and vegetable markets can rarely be beaten on price and best of all, it’s all fresh produce.

Cook huge portions

If staying healthy is your aim, the thought of cooking huge portions might seemingly go against this.

We’re by no means suggesting that you should consume all of this food, but instead save it for future days. Far too many people complain that eating healthy is expensive, before proceeding to throw away unused food at the end of the week.

Instead, cook large portions, and split it up for multiple meals for the week. You’ll soon find that your fridge goes much further than it ever did – and all of this is happening while you are eating a completely balanced diet.

References

BBC (2016), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37451773

Harvard (2013), https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/

The Kitchn (2017), https://www.thekitchn.com/the-beginners-guide-to-meal-planning-what-to-know-how-to-succeed-and-what-to-skip-242413

Candy Warehouse (2020), https://www.candywarehouse.com/types-candy/candy-bars