With the rising cost of food and the ever-present need to tighten your household budget, it's easy to see why some people think eating healthy is too expensive of an option. Of course, dining on ramen noodles and hot dogs may help your wallet but hurt your waistline. Fortunately, a happy medium exists. There are numerous strategies you can take to eat healthy on the cheap, whether in your own kitchen or when you eat out.
Step 1
Familiarize yourself with ChooseMyPlate.gov, the new portions guideline from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which replaces the old food pyramid guidelines. Although specific recommendations about what you should eat is based on factors, such as age and gender, generally speaking, more than half your meal should consist of vegetables and whole grains. Proteins and fruits in roughly equal portions should be the remainder. Know that the point of the system is to allow you to enjoy your food, choose healthy options, but not concentrate on depriving yourself.
Step 2
Avoid processed foods. Although your supermarket shelves may be littered with cheap boxed and bagged treats, processed foods undermine your weight control efforts. Sugary goods and soft drinks, especially, account for 16 percent of the unnecessary calories that Americans consume, according to the USDA.
Step 3
Eat more fiber. Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer periods of time. This helps you to naturally eat smaller portions. Fiber also helps control your blood sugar, which can indirectly help you lose weight. The hormone insulin, which helps drive glucose to your cells, also plays a role in fat storage. Replace some of your meat entrees with beans. Beans not only are chock full of fiber, they also come with a healthy dose of protein at a fraction of the price.
Step 4
Order from the appetizer menu when you eat out. This way you can enjoy a sample of the restaurant's bigger, more expensive entrees while cutting calories and price. Ask your server if you can order half-size portions of the main entrees too. Many restaurants allow this, but not too many actively promote this option. You also could dine with a friend and split the entree and the bill. Request that bread or other freebies be removed from your table. Drink water as your beverage instead of ordering soda, juice or alcohol.
Step 5
Eat more soup, especially at dinner time. Choose broth-based soups rather than cream-based soups. These soups cut your calories while filling you up before you down any entrees. Have fresh fruit for dessert. Snack on nuts and seeds, rather than cookies and chips.
Tips and Warnings
- Buy your food in bulk to save on your food tab. Cook in bulk in advance of the workweek and freeze all your portions except for what you will be eating immediately. Grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs if possible. Know too that canned and frozen vegetables are just as good as fresh vegetables but cost a lot less.
- Talk with your health care provider before making radical changes to your diet. Some people with certain chronic illnesses should not dramatically reduce their calorie intake. In addition, you can run the risk of a nutrient deficiency if you cut back without the guidance of your doctor.
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