Thanks for joining us for part two of this series on how to continue eating healthy if you’re on a tight budget. If you’re just joining us, part one gave us ideas on why cooking at home is important to saving money, and how starting a garden can keep you and your family eating healthy while having fun growing the food you eat.
If you want to go back and read part one, just click here. Continue reading below for part two.
Buy Food in Bulk
Some food items, in my opinion, taste better when they are packaged in certain ways. This can also allow you to save some extra money as well. Take rice and beans for instance. Sure, they taste fine out of a can or box, but I really like to buy my beans in bulk, in big dried bags. Rice and beans can be purchased in bulk quantities for pennies on the dollar. Plus, you can cook these items in large quantities and freeze them for later meals.
Purchase Fewer Meat Items
Meat is expensive, especially red meat and free range poultry. They are typically the most expensive food items at not only grocery stores, but at restaurants also. We’re not trying to say that you should transform into a vegetarian, but reducing your meat intake to a few times a week will not only save you lots of dollars, but it will also save you calories as well. You can still get plenty of protein from eggs, beans, nuts, and lentils.
Buy Fish and Chicken in Cans
Fish and chicken is important to a healthy diet. Unfortunately, as stated above, buying fresh meat of any kind can be expensive. However, if you must buy meat, try the canned versions instead. These canned meats are the perfect portion size for lunch and healthy snacks. Just be sure to buy the meat packed in water, not oil, to keep the calories down. Also, eating canned salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies is an inexpensive alternative for getting protein, and each can is packed with lots of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
Have Fruit for Dessert
If your kids, or you for that matter, must have dessert after meals then consider having something with fruit. Yes, fruit can be expensive, but you can buy it in bulk and freeze it for later. Plus, your options for fresh fruit desserts are essentially endless and more healthy than the sugary alternatives. You can even skip buying some of the more expensive fresh fruit items and check the frozen section for prepackaged alternatives. These work just as well, especially if you’re making homemade milkshakes or smoothies.
Depending on your climate, you might even be able to grow your own fruit. Here in the South, you can grow apples, pears, peaches, plums, and an assortment of berries.
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