As health care experts continue to warn of the dangers of the rising obesity rate, discussions continue as to whether it is possible to eat healthy on a limited budget. Although a week's worth of fast food and prepackaged meals will likely cost less than the fresh food necessary to prepare healthy foods, with just basic cooking skills, you can make healthy meals for a reasonable cost.
Step 1
Review the weekly grocery store sales flyers to get ideas for the next week's meals. Prepare a meal plan for the week based on what protein you will serve at each meal. Complete your shopping list and attach coupons only for those items you have on your list.
Step 2
Purchase whole grains such as brown rice and steel cut oats in bulk. Avoid packaged dinners that charge a premium for pre-measured dried goods. Buy unpackaged dried fruits, nuts, beans and herbs from your local health food store and store in tight-fitting containers.
Step 3
Avoid waste. Refrigerate or freeze leftover portions of cooked vegetables, meats and grains and add to a quart of packaged broth for a healthy, inexpensive soup. Combine a handful of grated cheese with drained black beans and leftover salad for a healthy sandwich wrap.
Step 4
Buy large cuts of sale meats and ask your butcher to cut into smaller portions that you can freeze for later use. Roast a large meat roast, turkey or chicken and freeze the leftovers to use as another entrée.
Step 5
Forgo single servings and convenience foods such as individual flavored yogurts. Buy quart-sized, plain yogurt that you can flavor yourself and use as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise and cream bases. Buy large blocks of cheese on sale, wrap well with plastic and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 6 months.
Tips and Warnings
- To help keep your food budget manageable, make water your primary beverage. Store your crockpot on the kitchen counter to remind you to use it to prepare healthful, inexpensive meals.
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