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14 Day Plan and Prep – Lesson 5: Eating Healthy on a Budget

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eat healthy on a budget

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be overly expensive. Yes, it may take planning and some extra effort, but it’s well worth it in the long run.

My number one tip: Food should be a line item in your budget.

The keyword in “On a budget” is budget. If you aren’t (a) aware of how much money you spend per month in general, and (b) keeping track of your food expenses, do you really know how expensive food is for you? We spend money on our hair, on childcare, on getting to work, and on essentials for our home. How much are your food costs in comparison to other essentials you have to pay for? Put it all on paper and take some time to really figure out how much money you have in your budget for food. Also, consider all the money you may be wasting on junk food and fast food that could be switched for home cooked meals.

This is where your meal planning has to begin. You can look up all of the recipes in the world and look at 100 meal plans, but if those meals don’t fit your budget…you’ll get frustrated. I’ve seen people lose weight on a budget friendly diet of things like sweet potatoes, canned tuna, chicken breast, spinach, apples, bananas, protein powder, yogurt, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, eggs, frozen vegetables, frozen berries, etc.

Read up on how long you can keep foods and plan your leftovers

How long can you keep cooked chicken? How long will those leftovers say fresh in the freezer? Don’t wonder about food storage? Get those fingers moving and search online for the answers you need. Also invest in quality food storage containers (like these lunch boxes and these glass storage containers).
(Here is a list of meal prep tools that can help make prepping easier.)

When you plan your meals, think about leftovers. That chicken breast you had for dinner could be cut up and put on top of your lunch salad later in the week. That rice could be made on Sunday and eaten over the course of 2-3 days, depending on how it’s prepared. Think about how you can mix and match you proteins, veggies, and starches as you plan out your meals.

Use coupons for non-food items and visit warehouse stores 

I regularly save money on household items like toothpaste, hair care products, toilet paper, paper towels, dishwasher pacs, laundry detergent and soap with coupons. I’m able to move that savings to buying quality food. More on couponing.

You can also visit warehouse stores, like Costco and BJs, for discounts on food and household items. You can use coupons there are get huge savings. You can also save money on gas at warehouse stores (which for me makes up for the membership fee). Can’t afford the membership fee? Find out if any of your friends or relatives have a membership are willing to help you get a better deal. Stock up on non-perishables that you read on a regular basis, like beans, brown rice, honey, whole wheat noodles, etc. If you have a large family, I really recommend considering how buying in bulk could help you save money.

Don’t just buy something because it’s “healthy”

One of the biggest ways we waste money is by buying healthy foods that we have no intention of eating. Spoiled veggies and meat are two of the main foods that people waste. As you transition to eating healthier foods, trying new things and expanding your food options, you have to be realistic. If you don’t have a recipe in mind or haven’t considered your meals for the week, don’t buy food that is going to go bad in a few days. It’s a waste of your hard earned money.

8 Benefits of Eating Locally and Organically

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eating local and organicOne of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall well-being and health is to eat locally grown foods, especially those that are organic, as much as possible.  There are many reasons why it is a good idea to eat organic foods from your local farmer’s market or foods that are sourced locally by grocery stores. Even non-organic local produce has benefits. Here are just a few benefits to consider.

  • Eating Locally Saves Money

Eating food grown locally is sometimes less expensive than conventionally grown foods at the grocery store. Since local growers don’t have to add delivery and storage expenses to their prices you can often save money. This is especially true in remote areas like Hawaii, Alaska or any place that has to import their groceries over sea.

  • Eating Organically Reduces Exposure to Pesticides

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives shows that those who eat organically have lower levels DAPs, or dialkylphosphates, in their bodies. DAP’s coincide with levels of organophosphates in the body so the lower the DAPs, the fewer pesticides have been consumed.

  • Organic and Local Foods are More Flavorful

It’s not just hearsay that organic and locally grown foods just plain taste better than conventionally grown produce. Even dairy products and meats that were grown organically taste better to many people. Produce grown locally is typically fresher and often picked at ripening rather than picked early and ripened in box. Organic produce is free from many chemicals which improves flavor.  Look for food that is IN SEASON to get the best tasting food.

  • Local Foods Have More Nutrients

Locally grown produce is healthier and more nutritious, even compared to organic grocery store produce. As mentioned above about ripeness, locally grown foods don’t just taste better because they are ripe but this ripeness also contains more vitamins and minerals compared to food that has been shipped and sitting for a while. Also, when produce is picked or harvested before it’s ripe, it will still ripen but simply can’t contain the vitamins a naturally ripened fruit or vegetable does.

  • Organic Foods Don’t Contain Antibiotics

Similarly to pesticides in produce, conventional meat and dairy tends to also be exposed to  antibiotics. Many people feel that meat and dairy products that are organic often taste much better as well as being potentially healthier. The antibiotics used in non-organic dairy and beef cows can harm the healthy bacteria in our stomachs which in turn weakens our immune system. Many people wonder if antibiotic use in food is contributing to antibiotic resistance in terms of fighting illness.

  • Supporting Local Farms Improves Economy

Local farmers and gardeners often struggle with their way of life. In today’s world many people are becoming more conscious of where there money is spent and who their money supports. Choosing to give your money to local farmers in a win-win situation. You get a much higher quality food and help them continue to grow the produce they raise and that we need.

  • Organic Foods Have More Antioxidants

Many of the healthy antioxidants in produce is lost during conventional growing procedures. Organic food contains far more antioxidants which directly improve the health of your body. Organic food that has been grown in state or in a neighboring state will contain the most antioxidants.

  • Eating Locally Gives Opportunity to Experiment

This might seem like an odd benefit but when you create a relationship with local growers the way you eat can really improve. When you shop at a grocery store it is easy to get stuck in a rut of buying the same produce. This limits the variety of food you eat and the way you eat your food. As you start buying locally from different farmers you will often have opportunity to try produce you may never have bought normally. You also will learn to buy foods seasonally and may even get tips from the growers and fellow farmer’s market goers about new ways to prepare the produce.

A Word about the Organic Label

Just because a label says something is organic doesn’t necessarily mean it is completely organic. First off, the USDA only requires 95% of the ingredients in organic foods to be organic. Organic produce may still contain pesticides which have been carried in the wind from neighboring non-organic fields. You can’t control the bees and the wind.

Organic crops can even contain GMOs which migrated from neighboring crops, much like the pesticides can do. Also, locally grown food doesn’t mean it’s organic. Local farmers can and do use pesticides or possibly antibiotics in their animal products so always ask if this is a concern for you.

It’s generally agreed that organic food is healthier than non-organic and local foods are healthier than grocery store produce. Making an effort to eat more organic and locals foods is a great choice to improve your diet. If you aren’t able to go completely organic, check out this list of foods you should try to eat organically.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #30: Best Coupon Sites

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coupon sitesWeight Loss on a Budget Tip #30: Best Coupon Sites for Food and Retail Savings – Today, I want to share some of the best coupon sites I found for deals on food, health food products, and workout gear. The great thing is that it’s not just about cutting coupons from your local newspaper.  You can get coupons on apps and online. (Check out the rest of our tips)

TIP: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. Use coupons to save money on household items (detergent, cleaning supplies, paper towels), snacks for the kids and toiletries, like razors and deodorant. Use the money you save to buy more high quality, healthy food that will help you reach your goals.

Coupons.com – This is one of the best, popular coupon sites.  It’s very easy to use and to share deals on social media channels with friends.  You just select the coupons you want and  print them out.  It’s pretty simple, but you do have to download their printer program to print out coupons.

TheKrazyCouponLady.com – This is my FAVORITE coupon site.  This site not only tells you about deep discounts and deals at your favorite stores, but it teaches you how to clip coupons like a pro.   You will find deals on food, restaurants, magazines, travel and more. The best thing about this site: They match up coupons with deals from sales papers and websites so that it’s easy for you to use the coupons you’re clipping in the most effective way.

RetailMeNot.com – I check this before I buy any clothing online to look for coupon codes.  You can find deals of workout clothes, fitness gear, vitamins and supplements, as well as things that you use on a daily basis.  There is a lot of potential here for you to save money.  I also like that people can chime in and note if a code is on the site, but has expired so you don’t waste time with old coupon codes.

RedPlum.com – This is another classic coupon clipping website with their own printing software.  I didn’t find as many healthy food coupons, but I did find a lot of coupons that I would actually use on a monthly basis for things we buy regularly.  If you can save money on things like shampoo, soap, frozen food, staple foods, etc…you can use that savings on things that help you lose weight.

Ibotta App – If you make shopping lists in advance, this is the app for you. Ibotta is a free app that pays you a cash rebate for everyday purchases. How does it work?  Basically, after you’ve shopped for items that have rebates on the app, you scan the UPC code on the package of the item and scan your receipt with the app.  The info is verified and you get a rebate.

Honorable mentions… Couponmom.com and Smartsource.com

Major Grocery Store Chains – Many grocery stores have a coupon section on their websites.  You can check out these sites before going to the store for deals on what you have on your shopping list.  Here are some examples:

Target: You can also use Target’s Cartwheel app on your mobile phone for in store coupons for food, clothing and more.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money

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family healthy food save moneyToday’s tip for weight loss on a budget: Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money. One of the main issues I hear from mothers is that they have to be able to feed their whole families while changing to healthier eating habits.  Many people think that eating quality food has to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you are strategic and do your research about deals, sales and pricing.

Here are my tips:

  • Focus on Healthy Staples in Bulk: Whole wheat pasta, healthy low-sugar cereal, oatmeal, beans, whole grain rice, chicken breast and yogurt.  These are just some of the foods that you can buy in bulk.  Focus on things that you know your family eats a lot of that will not spoil quickly and can be stored in bulk.
  • Create Family Staple Foods: Think about what cheap things you can use as the base for meals.  Example: Canned tuna, beans, rice, sweet potatoes, romaine lettuce, lean pork, ground turkey.  You want to look for cheap, healthy ingredients that have a lot of versatility and can be used in a variety of ways in terms of the recipes you make for your family.
  • Sacrifice Variety for Health and Cost: Create a set of 10-15 dinner meals that you know your family will eat (meals your kids will eat, especially) and cook those meals regularly.  Make this list the basis of most of your dinners. Prepare a new or different healthy meal selection, that’s not on the list, at least 4 times a month.  This will help you to control cost, save time and know exactly what nutrition your family is getting.  You can do the same with other meals, like breakfast.
  • Don’t Buy Junk Food – NO brainer.  Junk food that is full of empty calories and has little nutritional value is not worth the money or inches on your waistline.  In addition, your kids need quality food for their health and development.
  • Freeze Leftovers –  Leftover meals and portions should be saved for later.  If you think that you may not get to the food for a few days, freeze it to avoid spoilage.
  • Make a Grocery List and Stick to IT – When you are shopping with kids, you can end up with a lot of unplanned items in your cart.  If you go to the grocery store while you are hungry or craving junk, you could also end up with some unplanned items.  A shopping list can help serve as a reminder of what you committed to buying and of what you have allotted in your budget for groceries.  It’s not a guarantee, but it’s better than not having a plan.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #27: Bring Your Lunch From Home

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It’s almost the end of our Weight Loss on a Budget Challenge so I just have a few more tips.  Today’s Tip #27: Bring Your Lunch From Home.

bring your own lunchThere are 3 major benefits to bringing your lunch to work or while you are out.

  1. Saving Money – Buying your lunch everyday can be very expensive.  The cheaper options (dollar menus for example) tend to be very convenient, but also FULL of empty calories, fatty meats and simple carbs.  You can save money by planning out your meals according to your daily budget.  Create your own healthy meal plan with low cost items like greek yogurt, low sodium deli meat, cereal, bulk items (nuts, beans, etc), cottage cheese, apples, oranges, protein shakes, etc.
  2. Calorie Control and Healthy Ingredients – When your make your lunch, you know exactly what’s in it.  You will have selected the ingredients and you’ll know how the food was prepared.  Also, you will have already considered things like calories and the nutritional value (vitamins, fiber, etc).  If you have a calorie goal for the day, it’s easier to stay on track because youl know in advance what your calorie counts should be.
  3. Portion Control – When you order your lunch, sometimes you may not be aware of what the true portion size is for what you’re eating because you’re on the run.  You may think you’re eating 1 serving of a food when you are really eating 4 servings.  That’s because there are so many great restaurants out there that have huge portions that don’t work for people who want to cut back to lose weight.  In the end, you may feel like you’re getting a deal on food, but you are sabotaging your weight loss efforts with those huge portions.  In addition, many of us were raised to eat everything on our plates, so the thought of not eating what we just paid top dollar for doesn’t compute.  Thus we end up eating more food than we need to.  That leads to guilt because we don’t want to “waste” food, so we eat it.  When you make your own lunch, you can better control how much food you eat.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #25: Save Money at the Doctor’s Office

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Losing weight can help you achieve Tip #25: Saving Money at the Doctor’s Office.  “A person who is obese has annual medical costs $1,429 higher than someone of a normal weight, according to the CDC.” – Bankrate.com

save money medicine

  • Losing weight can reduce your risk factors for things like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and some cancers.
  • Reduce medications for diseases for which symptoms are improved when you lose weight.
  • Weight loss and getting healthy can help improve your immune system, thus helping you to stay our of the doctor’s office for common colds or infections.
  • “$1,850 more per year in medical costs for an overweight person than for someone of healthy weight, among employees at the Mayo Clinic and their adult dependents. $3,086 more per year in medical costs for a Mayo worker with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 to 40. $5,530 more per year in medical costs for a Mayo worker with a BMI above 40. By comparison, smokers’ medical costs were only $1,274 a year higher than nonsmokers’, who generally die earlier.” – Reuters

A few weeks ago, I posted an article where I outlined how obesity could cause you to have higher interest rates.  Here is part of that article:

Why being overweight could now cost more to insure.

It is an accepted medical fact that being overweight can increase a person’s risk for disease and complications from other treatments to the point that it can be life threatening or develop into chronic conditions. Obesity is linked to asthma, type-2 diabetes, stroke risk, high blood pressure, cardiac issues and recently a direct link between being overweight and an increased risk of breast cancer has been found. For health insurers, this flags those who are overweight as high risks for coverage. Federal regulations prohibit insurers from denying or limiting coverage to those who are overweight by denying it qualification as a pre-existing condition, but they have put in options for health insurers to charge higher rates to the obese.

How much higher will my rates be if I am overweight?

According to the new federal regulations, you could be charged anywhere from 30 to 50% more for the same health insurance that someone who has a healthy BMI is paying. For employers, this will help defray the costs of the group insurance plans they help carry.  The many of the people with health issues that the new health mandates are supposed to be helping get affordable coverage may become stuck in the catch-22 of having to pay higher rates than before.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #23: You Can Save Money on Organic Food

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Tip #23 of our Weight Loss on a Budget Tips: You Can Save Money on Organic Food.  Here are 5 ways to make organic more affordable.

save on organic food

  1. Look for coupons on organic brands – You may not find many coupons for organics in your local paper, so you’ll need to visit the websites for the brands you like and look for coupons.  Many companies offer coupons and special offers to their email list, so sign up for deals.
  2. Buy in Bulk – You can get all the benefits of organically grown food at a reduced cost when you buy in bulk.  Focus on foods that are not prone to go bad quickly like cereal, nuts, beans, protein powder, grains and healthy snack foods.  If you are a member of a club, like BJ’s or Costco, make sure you are taking advantage of specials and monthly store coupons for greater deals.
  3. Buy the Store Brand – As long as the product is certified organic (USDA) it doesn’t matter what the brand is.  If you like the taste and it meets your nutritional needs, buy it instead of the name brand and save money.  A lot of grocery stores now carry a house organic brand because of consumer demand.
  4. Grow Your Own – If you have enough space and an interest in gardening, consider getting a book and heading to your local home improvement store for what you need to get a garden started.  There is actually a whole urban gardening movement going on where people use methods like square foot gardening to raise their own food in limited spaces.
  5. Clean 15 / Dirty Dozen – There are actually fruits and veggies that are not exposed to a lot of pesticides and don’t have a lot of pesticide residue.  They are called the “Clean 15™”.  You can save money buy NOT buying them organic.
    • onions
    • avocados
    • sweet corn
    • pineapples
    • mango
    • sweet peas
    • asparagus
    • kiwi fruit
    • cabbage
    • eggplant
    • cantaloupe
    • watermelon
    • grapefruit
    • sweet potatoes
    • sweet onions

On the other side of the spectrum there is the “Dirty Dozen™” list of foods that most people recommend be purchased in organic form due to the amount of pesticide they are exposed to and what has been found in testing in terms of residue.

    • celery
    • peaches
    • strawberries
    • apples
    • domestic blueberries
    • nectarines
    • sweet bell peppers
    • spinach, kale and collard greens
    • cherries
    • potatoes
    • imported grapes
    • lettuce

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #22: Skip Diet Foods, Drinks & Pre-packed “Healthy” Snacks

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diet foods diet drinks pre-packagedIt’s day 22 of our October Challenge and we are focused on how we can save some money while losing the weight at the same time.  Today’s Weight Loss on a Budget Tip: #22 – Skip Diet Foods and Pre-packed “Healthy” Snacks.

That’s right!  I’m talking about snack packs, frozen diet meals and powdered diet drinks.  You just don’t need them to lose weight.  Focus on eating REAL, unprocessed foods and drinking lots of water.

Diet Snack Packs – You save money by buying in larger quantities and breaking the food down.  You can repackage your own snacks that you buy in bulk.  Weight or divide out the food in small, low calorie portions and put it in sandwich bags.  It’s all about portion control.  You ALSO should not be fooled into thinking that just because you ate 3 100 calorie packages that it wasn’t as bad, because they are diet portions. 🙂  Most people don’t just have one portion of diet products, they have 2 or 3.

Diet Drinks – When it comes to diet drinks, sometimes the extreme sweetness just continues to keep your sweet tooth alive, super charging it.  You never divorce yourself from the sugar rush with these drinks, thus your cravings continue to rage on.  Drink more water and save your money.  Drink tea with a little natural sweetener like honey or agave when your willpower is low.

Frozen Diet Meals – Do you research and really consider how much money you’re spending on frozen diet meals.  Could you avoid things like sodium and preservatives by not eating those foods?  How much money would you save if you made your own meals and ate leftovers as well?  Are the foods too high in calories, hidden sugars or fats?

Other Diet Foods – If the diet products are being sold at a premium, avoid them.  There are cheaper options.  You don’t have to buy something because it’s labelled low-fat or diet. Buy the most health food you can afford.  That should be your goal.  Don’t let the marketing tactics suck you in.

 

 

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #20: Learn to Save Money on Fruits and Veggies

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Today’s Weight Loss on a Budget Tip – #20: Learn How to Save Money on Fruits and Veggies.  Consider this…

“Researchers at the University of Arizona recently spent a year tracking families’ food-use habits. Working with the United States Department of Agriculture, they interviewed the families about their eating habits, collected their grocery receipts, watched them prepare meals, and then sifted through every last discarded lettuce leaf, slice of bread, burger and bean.  The results, reported in 2002, were pretty shocking. The families tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year——about 14 percent of all food brought into the home——at an annual cost of $600. Every day, they discarded more than half a pound of fruits and veggies. In total, Americans chuck a fourth of all the produce they buy, mostly because it’s gone bad, says Timothy Jones, PhD, contemporary archaeologist at the University of Arizona. Nationally, we dump $43 billion worth of food every year.” – Vegetarian Times

save money on fruit veggiesI would like to believe that since things are a bit tighter financially these days, with our economy, that we are doing a better job of not wasting money on food in general. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Deals at Farmer’s Markets –

  • Visit sellers at your local farmer’s market an hour before closing time.  You may be able to negotiate deals on produce so that they don’t have to take as much inventory back to the farm.
  • Don’t be afraid to haggle on price with farmers.  It’s common at markets, especially if you plan to buy in bulk or large quantities.
  • You may be able to negotiate a lower price if you are a regular, weekly customer.  Many sellers appreciate the repeat, regular business and may give you a discount for loyalty.

Store Your Fruits and Veggies Properly – If you don’t know how long your veggies will last or how to properly store them, you may end up with wasted food which means wasted money.

  • Know that some fruits should not be stored next to others – Some fruits and vegetables produce ethylene gas.  This is a gas that causes produce to ripen.  This can speed up the aging process of fruits or cause premature ripening (aka.causing food to spoil).  Here is a list of ethylene emitting foods and ethylene sensitive foods.
  • Check out this fruit and veggie nutrition database and find out how to store various produce.  For example, did you know that you should store apples in the fridge, away from foods with strong odors, for up to 3 weeks?
  • Here is another list of storage tips from farmfreshtoyou.com.
  • Do some research on what you can store on the counter and what you should refrigerate.

Research Sales Online

  • I’ve said this before, but searching for deals online is key to saving money.  Visit the website for the local grocery store you prefer and look for deals on produce before you visit the store.

Buy Fruits and Veggies in Season

  • Some fruits and veggies are cheaper when they are in season because less have to be imported and there are more available on the market.

Buy Frozen

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #19: Use the Crockpot or Slow Cooker

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slow cooker crock potThis month I’m sharing a tip each day about how you can save money while losing weight.  Here is today’s tip: Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #19: Use the Crockpot.

How can a Crockpot save you money?  When you are cooking your own meals and using healthy recipes to stay on course with your weight loss goals, slow cooking has a number of benefits:

  • Saving time, because time is money. You can put your ingredients in the pot and spend time doing other things (like exercising).
  • You can buy cheaper cuts of lean meat because slow cooking will tenderize them.  You can also use affordable things like turkey legs or neck bones for flavor.
  • Slow cookers and Crock Pots are cheap to buy (around $30) and use less electricity than a stove.
  • Save money by making large recipes and then freezing or storing the leftovers.  No need to buy a meal when you have a great one in the fridge.

The other reason you should embrace using a Crockpot or slow cooker is variety.  There are hundreds of healthy slow cooker recipes you can try that have a lot of flavor, so that you never get bored.

Here is a sample of some of the great recipes out there:

Low Carb