Tips for Eating Healthy Inexpensively

To remain healthy or to fight a disease such as diabetes, you need to follow a superior nutritional diet program and eat lots of healthy foods: Carbs for energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber; Proteins to build & maintain muscle; Fats to help to burn fat; and, Water for hydration & recovery.

Unfortunately, the rising food prices can make it challenging to eat healthy and remain within budget, especially since your paycheck is probably not rising as fast.  However, the following tips will help you eat healthy and remain within budget.

1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.

• Carbs. Vegetables (i.e. broccoli, spinach, cabbage, celery, lettuce), whole fruits (i.e. apples, bananas, berries, pears), beans, organic brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes ...
• Proteins.  Chicken breast, turkey breast, miso, tempeh, canned tuna, canned wild salmon, bison, venison, organic beef, calves' liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, organic eggs, raw milk, almond milk, whey ...
• Fats. Ev olive oil, ev coconut oil, flax seeds, organic butter, mixed nuts, fish oil ...

2. Buy Cheap Proteins. Eating lean protein with each meal helps with blood glucose stabilization and fat loss since  protein has a higher thermogenic effect than other foods. Keep the steaks &  for special occasions. Buy organic eggs, wild salmon, tuna, chicken/turkey breast, tofu, miso, cottage cheese, calves liver, whey, mackerel  ... 

3. Buy Frozen Veggies & Fruits. Frozen veggies are just as fresh as fresh veggies, plus, they don't spoil. Unfreeze berries and eat warm with cottage cheese. Put frozen spinach in a colander the night before to prepare a meal the next day. Also try frozen beans & broccoli. 

4. Buy Generic Food and Store brands. Raw foods like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, Omega-3 eggs, cottage cheese, frozen fruits, and frozen veggies taste just like the brand name foods. But they'll save you money on packaging & advertising.

5. Buy Supplements. They're cheap and make your life easier, however whole food is better. You can use supplements, but make sure the bulk of your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods.

• Multi-vitamins. Vitamin deficiency is common, but avoid synthetic vitamins such as One-A-Day, Centrum, etc.
• Fish Oil. Cheaper than fish. 1 tsp Carlson Fish Oil is 1600mg Omega-3.
• Wheat grass, Chlorella, Spirulina. Easy ways to get plant protein.
• Flaxseed. Versatile super food.
• Herbal tinctures. Easier for your body to absorb.
• Whey. Cheapest protein you'll find.

6. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they're on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale.

More ideas.

• Side of (Organic) Beef or Bison. Not necessarily cheaper, but you have better quality meat.
  
• Supplements. You often get free shipping and discounts when buying in bulk. Make a 4 month order for you, friends & family and split the costs.
• Frozen Fruits & Veggies. Saves money, saves times and nutrient dense. Buy mixed berries, spinach, broccoli, beans, Brussels sprouts, etc.

7. Buy In Season Fruits & Veggies. Food grown in season tastes better and is cheaper. Root vegetables in the Winter. Apples & squash in the Fall. Broccoli & berries in the Summer.

8. Buy Calorie Dense Foods. Vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, legumes, organic whole grains, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta & oats are filling, healthy and easy to stockpile.

9a. Buy Discounted Meat. Grocery stores often discount meats by up to 70% as they approach expiration date. Buy several pounds and store in your freezer.

9b. Eat Less Meat. This will dramatically reduce your grocery bill! And, you'll feel lighter!

10. Buy From Local Farmers or Farmer's markets. They aren't always cheaper, but you get tastier & better quality food and they often give you free stuff when you buy a lot. Find local farmers in your area.

11. Buy Everything from 1 Place. Time is money and fuel is expensive. Stop shopping for sales going to 10 different places. Find 1 or 2 places that get you cheap prices for most foods you need and buy everything there.

12. Drink Filtered Water.  Get a $30 water filter from one of the online shopping networks such as HSN or QVC -- these filters last 10 years and only take 30 seconds to install by connecting to your kitchen faucet. Or, get a Brita filter to filter your tap water. It's cheaper than bottled water, soda or orange juice. One $8 filter cleans 40 gallons water and makes it taste a lot better.

13. Clip Coupons. Invest $2 in your Sunday paper or print the coupons from a grocery coupon guide.

14. Get The Customer Card. Many grocery stores hold sales for customer card holders only. Some cards save AND give you money, like gift certificates once you've spent a fixed amount. Signing up takes 5 minutes and is free.

15. Check the Unit Price. Big packages are often cheaper than small ones. Sometimes 2 small boxes are cheaper than 1 big one although there's more packaging.

16. Eat Less Total Calories. This will save you money and improve your health.

17. Avoid Impulse Buying. "Failing to plan is planning to fail". The best way to avoid impulse buying is to prepare yourself before you go grocery-shopping by putting together a grocery list.

• Make a List and Stick to It. Plan your meals ahead, including portion size. List all foods you need for the next 7 to 14 days. Go to the grocery store, get what's on your list and get out.
• Eat Before You Go Shopping. This prevents buying foods not on your list because you're hungry. Eat a solid meal before going grocery shopping.
• Shop Alone. Prevents impulse buying from wife/husband and/or kids. Leave them home. Take them to more fun places when you get back.

18. Stop Buying Food Outside. Preparing your own food gives you total control over the ingredients and is cheaper than buying food at work/school.

• Take Food with You. Food containers for work/school, protein shake, for the gym, bag of nuts when you go to the movies; use Ziploc bags, Tupperware ...
• Eat Before Leaving Home. Eat breakfast, eat before going grocery-shopping, eat before going out with friends/family ... 

19. Prepare Your Own Food. Cook all your meals for the day on waking up or before going to bed. It takes 30-40mins, saves you stress about what you'll be eating the rest of the day and you eat healthy while saving money.

• Stop Buying Processed Food. Buy fresh and frozen vegetables & fruits, buy whole oats instead of cereals, make home made protein bars, home made tomato sauce, home made pizza, ...
• Keep it Simple. Make double portions, take leftovers with you, use cans of tuna & mackerel, rice & pasta, frozen veggies, ...
• Learn to Cook from Scratch. Learn to work with spices & herbs. Try the recipes on this website. Invest in a cookbook like the 3-in-1 Death to Diabetes Cookbook -- it's not just for diabetics.

20. Grow Your Own Food. Cheaper than frozen, tastes better and you control what you put on them to keep bugs off. Plant your own trees that grow berries, walnuts & apples. Buy chickens for free eggs & meat. More ideas include:

• Square-Foot Gardening. Build a raised bed and divide it into sections of 1 square foot.
• Container Gardening. Grow vegetables in containers on your balcony or doorstep.
• Rent Garden Plots. If you don't have a yard, some cities rent garden plots. Just Google rent garden plots in your state.