Healthy eating is expensive? This assumption is widespread. But a balanced meal plan and inexpensive shopping don’t have to be a contradiction if you keep a few things in mind. We show you how to eat healthy, even when you’re short on cash.
When money gets tight at the end of the month, it doesn’t automatically mean you have to switch to canned ravioli. Many healthy foods are quite affordable and also the variety does not have to suffer with inexpensive food.
Healthy and cheap food: the 7 best tips
- Eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables is the be-all and end-all of a healthy diet. If you want to buy this especially cheap, you should stick to seasonal products if possible. In winter this means: cabbage in any form, citrus fruits, apples and pumpkins. In the warm months you can reach for cherries, peaches, berries, carrots, celery and crunchy summer salads. Always adapt your menu to the season if you want to save money.
- If a particular fruit or vegetable is on sale at a bargain price, you can freeze some of it and eat it later. This is how you ensure that your diet remains balanced and varied.
- If you are well organized, you can save a lot of money. It’s best to shop only once or twice a week and plan ahead what you’ll eat during the week. This way you are sure to buy less superfluous things. Because the less often you see the inside of a supermarket, the less likely it is that products will end up in your shopping cart that you don’t actually need.
- Never go shopping hungry. When you go to the supermarket with an empty stomach, almost everything looks tempting. This way you are more likely to buy things you don’t really like or only buy for appetite.
- You can get fruit and vegetables at a very good price if you stop by the weekly market shortly before the end of the sale. Often the sellers want to get rid of their goods, so you get fresh and tasty food at a very good price.
- If you want to eat good meat, you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket. Limiting your meat consumption to once or twice a week, for example, and choosing good quality organic meat will be good for both your health and your wallet.
- When you’re on the road, you’re often overcome by ravenous appetite? Pre-cooking is the magic word. Cut some vegetables at home or make a sandwich and take it with you. This way you can save money and avoid unhealthy temptations like greasy fries or a chocolate croissant to go.
If you have your lunchbox in your bag, you can even skip the bakery.
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It does not always have to be organic
You can’t afford organic quality? You don’t have to. Because there is a list of the so-called "Clean Fifteen". These are foods that are hardly contaminated with pesticides even in conventional form. With the following foods you can also do without a bad conscience on organic quality:
- Avocado
- Corn
- Pineapple
- Cabbage
- Sweet potatoes
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mango
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Eggplant
- Honeydew melon
- Grapefruit
- Wart melon
- Cauliflower
You should always have potatoes in the house for healthy and inexpensive cooking.
Basics for healthy, inexpensive cooking
There are also some basic foods from which you can always prepare a healthy meal at a low cost. These include, for example:
- Millet
- Rice
- Lentils
- Potatoes
With the help of such a base you can easily prepare a delicious, nutritious and healthy meal for yourself. Simply combine with some vegetables or a suitable sauce – ready is the healthy and cheap meal.
Healthy recipes for the small purse
My conclusion:
Preparation always pays off – even if you want to watch your wallet and your health while cooking. Plan your shopping and meal plan as best as you can, and your wallet will suffer less, too. And the best way to save money on healthy eating is to be self-sufficient! Grow your own food. You don’t have a garden? No problem, there’s room for a few tomatoes and herbs on any balcony or windowsill. Cooking with your own food is even more fun.