In today's world, it is an unfortunate fact that healthy, high-nutrient, low-calorie foods are now more expensive than nutrient-free, calorie-dense foods. This is difficult when buying and cooking healthy foods for yourself and your family, especially if your food budget is limited or if you have people in your household with varying dietary requirements, such as vegan, keto, banting, gluten-free, sugar-free, and grain-free.
So here are five suggestions to help you eat healthier on a budget:
Step 1: Plan Ahead
Start slowly, plan out what you are going to eat for a week, and make sure you stick to it!
The first thing anyone does when they are hungry is to open the fridge, that could be a huge temptation especially when you want to eat healthier. So you need to plan ahead, shop smart, and make the most out of the foods you buy.
Clear out your fridge, freezer, and grocery cupboards from any unhealthy, old and unused food items, or donate them to your favorite charity. Be ruthless, Your health is at stake here!
Next, you can gather your favorite healthy breakfasts, lunch and dinner recipes, and list grocery items needed for each meal.
Once you have your first 7-day meal plan that works well for your lifestyle, get more adventurous by adding or swopping meal options.
Step 2: Budgeting and Food Prep
Instead of going to the store directly, consider online shopping. Why?
Firstly, It makes it much easier for you to stick to your shopping list and remain within your budget.
Secondly, You will buy what you actually need, not what you think you may need.
Thirdly, it is time-effective, online retailers like Checkers Sixty60 deliver to your door within the hour, and also most of the shopping apps remember your previous shopping items and make future shopping a breeze as you typically buy the same items week after week.
Fourthly, you will not be persuaded to buy what you don't need, retailers often offer larger quantities or Buy-one Get-One promotions for products close to their sell-by date.
Food Prep
Organize your fridge and cupboards by items such as fruits, vegetables, cheeses, healthy rusks, keto rusks, and so on in specific locations. This way it is easier to find items when preparing a meal. Also, You will immediately notice if any items are almost finished.
Health tip: Consider using containers that seal well to retain extended freshness.
When preparing your meals, try cooking just enough food for the number of people at your table in order to prevent overeating or leaving large quantities of leftovers.
Step 3: Eat Healthy Snacks
How often do we just say "It's just a snack"?
True! But is it a healthy snack? You cannot afford to compromise!
For quick on-the-budget snacks, you can snack on any range of ZuZanna’s Wellness products such as Keto Rusks, Vegan Rusks, Sugar-Free Health Rusks, or Sugar-Free Buttermilk Rusks. All ZuZanna’s healthy rusks are sugar-free, preservative-free, and diabetic-friendly so you can eat guilt-free.
They also cater to people with different dietary plans such as keto, banting, gluten-free and more.
Step 4: Hydrate & Exercise
A free and effective way to boost your health is by exercising and drinking more water.
Consider purchasing a reusable water bottle. It will serve as a visual reminder to drink water even when you've forgotten. Try adding a spoon of sugar-free electrolytes to your first liter of water. Additionally, adding a few drops of lemon juice can help make it simpler to drink water.
Exercise
Whether that’s an early morning walk or a midday stroll around the block to break up your desk time, hitting your 10,000 steps a day is a cheap and easy way to boost your cardiovascular health.
Bottom line
Completely changing your lifestyle all at once can be a recipe for disaster. Instead, try to incorporate small new changes to make your diet healthier. Together, they’ll have a big impact on making your overall diet healthier and more sustainable, without a huge change in your habits.
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