Eating healthy can become a bit of a challenge when you are on a budget, especially with the holiday season in full swing! For some reason, choosing a salad over french fries still works out more expensive and if you have to choose between eating junk food but still being able to pay rent or eating healthy and not being sure whether you will make it to the end of the month, the choice is easily made.
But, like with almost everything in life, there are some things you can do to keep eating healthy, even when you are on a very tight budget:
#1 Try food and spices from other cultures
Embrace other cultures! Moroccan, Indian and Mexican food, for example, are often less expensive and so delicious. So, spice up your eating routine a little. A big bag of couscous is always a good product to have in your kitchen, just add some grilled vegetables (e.g. red pepper, courgette, aubergine, salt, pepper and some lemon drops) and you have a delicious meal.
#2 Look for the sales and plan from there
Especially with all the online stores these days, there is no reason for you not to know which vegetables, fruits or other healthy ingredients and products are in sales. Pick out the healthy sales options and plan your groceries and meals from there.
#3 Buy in-season products
It is commonly known that in-season products are less expensive than buying products that are being sold out of their season. Focus on those fruits and vegetables that are in-season at the time you are doing groceries.
#4 Freeze it in
Some products can be stored in your freezer. Especially when you find a good deal on a healthy product (even when you are not on a budget) consider stocking up and freezing it in.
#5 Don’t waste, save some for later
Wasting food is always bad, but if you are on a budget, it is really something you can’t afford. If you have eaten couscous salad for 4 days straight, I can imagine that you really need something else for dinner and that’s why you need to learn to spice up your left overs. Use the couscous in a nice wholemeal wrap (e.g. with chicken and avocado) and make it into a whole different meal.
#6 Go to the farmers market at the end of the day
Everyone knows, at the end of the day you will get the best deals on the farmers market. If you go around 3/4 pm, you will get amazing prices, often good combi-deals and sometimes even some fruits of vegetables for free (at least in the Netherlands they do this sometimes). So, there is absolutely no need to miss out on your daily doses of fruits and veggies.
#7 Plan and prep ahead
Everything gets better when you plan and prep ahead. Not only does it force you to work within your budget and gives you control over the situation, it also allows you to come up with and search for the most delicious and healthy recipes.