Healthy Eating Tips While On a Budget

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be budget busting as these healthy eating tips show. Everyone is feeling the pinch from the consistently climbing food prices.

1. Eliminate Junk food - Create a list and stick to it. Do NOT go grocery shopping with your kids or spouse or you WILL stray to please them. Junk foods provide marginal nutrition for you and the price per unit is often budget busting.
2. Drink Water or Juice instead of soft drinks - You can still enjoy milk and your favorite soft drinks on special occasions BUT limit your intake because milk is a very expensive source of vitamins C and D AND soft drinks offer no useful nutrition.We all need Calcium and the Natural Calcium Sources page shows that milk isn’t always the best source of calcium for us.
3. Fruits and Vegetables - If possible, grow your own and then either can or freeze what you don’t eat. Growing your own food may not be an option but there are often local growers that let you pick your own for a substantial savings. If this isn’t an option either, buying from local growers or buying in bulk are the next level of savings.
4. Tuna Fish - Tuna is a relatively inexpensive source of protein AND it has the omega fatty acids that help feed the brain. The calories in tuna dishes don’t climb until you start adding mayonnaise and all of the other ingredients that are commonly used to make dishes with tuna.
5. Fresh Fish - In season and where you can, fresh fish that you catch is a great supplement to your nutritious diet. Extra fish can be frozen for another day.
6. Beans - Beans are another great protein source and they are very versatile. You can add beans to other ingredients to make very tasty and healthy meals that are inexpensive, healthy and good. Note: The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times per week. If you experience gas after eating beans you should try washing them, covering them with water, bringing the water to a boil, then draining it off and refilling the pot.
7. Whole Grain Rice - White rice has been processed and bleached so most of the nutritional value is lost but whole grain rice still has the nutrients and fiber you need.
8. Peanut Butter - This isn’t as inexpensive as it used to be but it is still nutritious and popular among many of us. A large jar of peanut butter that is refrigerated may last for weeks.
9. Potatoes - This low calorie carbohydrate is good for you and it will help fill you up. Potatoes are often thought of as fattening but they aren’t. They become so when liberal amounts of butter, sour cream, bacon bits and other toppings are piled on the potato.
10. Sweet Potatoes - This is a favorite for the holidays that is usually neglected the rest of the year. Like the white potato, the sweet potato is healthy and it tastes good.

Healthy eating is a lifestyle choice and someone on a budget will still find a way to live their chosen lifestyle without feeling deprived. I hope these healthy eating tips have gotten your creative juices flowing.

2007-2008 Copyright by the Natural Remedies Products Staff a.k.a. NRP - Healthy Eating Tips While On a Budget