Eat Cheaply

We all know that dieting can not only help you keep track of your health but it also works for your spending. Healthy eating is important as it increases your body’s productivity gives it more energy and not only makes you a stronger individual but it also lowers your chances of falling ill. But how do we combine healthy eating habits to make it affordable too? Does it come that simultaneously? All health books agree that healthy eating is not the way to eat cheaply. There are those foods that your body is in constant need of, always. Those should come first as a must-have in your diet.

They include carbohydrates, proteins, grains and water. Most people tend to leave out the water or substitute it with fruits. Nothing comes across cheaper and healthier than water. Unless you live in Iceland, having a breakfast that includes eggs gives you the boost of proteins and vitamins you need in your body for the whole day. Eggs are quite affordable. You may choose to eat peanut butter, as it is cheap but rich in phosphorus, vitamin E and folic acid even though it contains such high calories and fat.

There are a number of cheap, rich foods like rice, beans, potatoes, bread and pasta, that are normally quite a treat. You may opt to change your eating habits, eat cheaply recipes or get a cookbook that has cheap foods to enable you discover the different ways of food preparation to make sure that you and everyone else gets to enjoy the food.

Let’s face it; you would rather have white rice than eat brown rice.Its taste can leave your tongue ‘bewildered’ especially if it is your first time. To achieve the best results you need to serve your brown rice with lots of sauces and get to camouflage its taste, and everyone will get accustomed to it as it is more filling and nutritious, not forgetting the fact that it is cheaper since it requires minimum processing compared to white rice.

When buying grains and vegetables, buy them in plenty and store them well and refrigerate if necessary, especially the vegetables that you can choose to freeze. Don’t forget to include some meat too. It pays to plan ahead and make a list. This makes you buy little or no foodstuff on impulse. We all get the urge to buy junk food especially if we pass by a fast food outlet and notice that delicious aroma.

That is no way to eat cheaply. Discipline is also advised although the indulgence is minimized once you shop less often for food. You may opt to cook just about enough for everyone, but don’t send anyone to bed who is not yet satisfied. Another way to eat cheaply is to have leftovers. They can be eaten in the morning or taken as packed lunch the following day saving you the hustle of cooking another meal, or wasting the leftovers.

If you have some gardening skills, why not spare some time and have a kitchen garden especially one that has your vegetables and you will discover how much you save when you do. It will minimize the number of times that you rush to the grocery store and also is a healthy exercise.

Alternating your meats with as much vegetables during mealtimes is also a great exercise and a way to eat cheaply that goes a long way in getting everyone the necessary minerals that are abundant in the greens. Steer clear of boxed cereal. If you intend to eat cheaply, how about having whole grain bread in the morning, or if you are the adventurous type, bake your own bread. Fish is always the cheaper option compared to chicken but you may opt to serve them for breakfast as alternatives to the ham between your slices. They make great sandwiches and can be eaten for lunch too.

Eat cheaply by serving fruits for breakfast instead of the boxed juices which also go a long way in saving up on your meal. Also don’t buy flavors and bottled spices. Opt to buy whole garlic, ginger, onions and peppers. For dates, apricots, cherries and coconuts, shop for the dried ones and these will go a long way when stored well in making you spend less than their expensive prepackaged equivalents.

The pricey occasional TV dinner is expensive and can be avoided if you know you have a fully stocked house that can run for a week without you visiting the food store. It may soon become a thing of the past as home made food gets to be enjoyed by everyone including those preparing it, because not only does it make for a wonderful social pass time but it also enables you to eat cheaply.