Healthy eating and staying on a budget —
many would argue these two ideas do not fit together. I beg to
differ! My number one recommendation for making it feasible: keep it
simple and delicious, or as I like to say, simplicious.
Healthy
eating is not about counting calories or watching the clock to ensure you’ve
waited x amount of hours since your last meal. It’s about listening to your
body’s cues and fueling it with whole, real foods, ideally in their natural
form. But this can become overwhelming and difficult once you start to
roam the aisles at the grocery store. From confusing marketing claims to items
packaged for convenience, it’s easy to get lost in all the options.
When
you’re out grocery shopping, make a list and keep it simple. Focus on these key
guiding principles:
·
Healthy fats (i.e. olive oil, avocado, plain nuts and seeds,
olives, avocado oil, nut butter, sesame oil, ghee/butter)
·
Avoid “naked” carbs, or carbohydrates that
you eat on their own (i.e. quinoa, bread or rice, as well as fruit and starchy
vegetables like sweet potato and corn). Ideally, you want to pair carbs with
protein, quality fat and vegetables. For example, quinoa with chicken, olive
oil and a vegetable medley.
·
Stick to whole, real foods over highly processed goods.
How to save money on groceries
Raise
your hand if you have ever been blindsided by your grocery total at checkout.
Me too. But there’s good news! If you’re trying to be responsible with your
money, feed a growing family or put some pennies toward your next vacation,
these seven rules can help.
1.
Avoid packaged and convenience items. They tend to cost
more.
2. Buy
from the bulk bins. You can purchase the amount Healthy eating on a budget may
require changing your perspective on what makes up a meal, and it certainly
will require some practice (along with trial and error), but once you have
about 15+ meals to put into rotation, you’ll be set! I’ve offered some of
my favorites below.
Healthy
eating is not about counting calories or watching the clock to ensure you’ve
waited x amount of hours since your last meal. It’s about listening to your
body’s cues and fueling it with whole, real foods, ideally in their natural
form.
What a registered dietitian eats in a day
Take a
look at this example of a budget-friendly menu.
Breakfast
I like
to rotate two breakfasts throughout the week to keep things interesting and
include a greater variety of foods.
·
Plain Greek yogurt topped with frozen thawed berries*, pecans
and cinnamon
·
Homemade egg sandwich
*Pro
tip: frozen berries tend to cost less and if you heat them or let them thaw,
the juices are released, which creates a fruit “syrup” and adds quite a bit of
flavor to plain yogurt.
Lunch and dinner
If you
make extra at dinner, you can enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day,
which can easily be packed and taken to work or school. (That definitely beats
spending $10 on yet another salad or sandwich from that café you’re sick of.)
Here
are a few meals I like to rotate through on a regular basis:
·
Simple baked/grilled chicken topped with pesto; Quinoa tossed
with olive oil, tomato, cucumber and red onion
·
Wrap with deli turkey, spinach and honey mustard; Serve with an
apple and peanut butter
·
Zucchini noodles tossed with olive oil and garlic and topped
with Citrus Herb Meatballs
·
Slow cooker Mexican Stew garnished
with avocado
Snacks
Choose
one (or more, if needed) daily and rotate throughout the week.
·
Cheese bites
·
Carrots dipped in hummus
·
Celery with peanut butter
·
Pecan-stuffed dates (because we all need a little something
sweet every now and then)
See,
healthy eating on a budget isn’t rocket science — it just takes a little extra
thought and planning. If you need help figuring out an eating plan that works
for both your health goals and your wallet, talk to a registered dietitian.
Jessica Smosna, RD, LD, is a registered dietitian at Baylor Scott & White Specialty Clinic – Westlake.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Bradley University in Peoria, IL,
and her dietetic internship through the University of Houston. Along with a
healthy lifestyle, Jessica believes vitamins N & L (nature & laughter)
are key for optimal health. She and her husband have a growing family (both in
terms of babies and dogs). Get to know Jessica. View all posts
by Jessica Smosna, RD, LD
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