Cheap food is unhealthy and unhealthy food is cheap. Unfortunately, it’s one of the sad truths of the current market and, as nutritionists and scientists explain, this is one of the plethora of reasons why obesity rates have been soaring lately.
So, does this automatically mean that, unless you have a high enough paycheck, you just have to resign yourself to the idea of eating fast food and pre-cooked meals every day? Not at all. With a bit of planning and a few saving hacks, everyone can include healthy foods in their diet and still have money left to pay rent. By eating in and carefully selecting your groceries, not only will you consume about 20% fewer calories per meal, but also save some money in the process too. Here’s how:
Meal planning is everything
Unhealthy eating isn’t always a matter of lack of discipline or commitment. Many times, it’s the chaos of daily life that gets in the way and forces you to get back to your bad habits. When you arrive home at 7pm after a hard day at work, you may not feel inspired to cook and instead you’re going to order takeout or heat a precooked lasagna. The key to combating this: meal planning. At the weekend, make a meal plan for the entire week, covering everything from breakfast to dinner and snacks. This way, you will no longer have to stare at the ingredients in the pantry and wonder what to do with them. To save even more time, cook some meals a couple of days before and portion it in Tupperware. With all the food cooked in advance, you’ll be less tempted to eat out.
Look for discounts
Many fresh ingredients are cheap already, but what happens when your inner gourmand wants to eat something fancier, such as French cheese, quinoa, avocado salad, and smoked salmon? One might argue that if you want to eat these foods, you’re better off going to a restaurant because supermarket prices are high, but not if you learn how to hunt for discounts. Every week, look online for things like FreshCo flyers and coupon codes and see if you can save on ingredients that normally cost a lot. Another trick is to shop in bulk whenever the ingredients you use a lot are on sale. Many stores have started introducing exotic fruits and vegetables, foreign cheeses, and a wider variety of whole grains into their offers, so you’re not limited to the same boring options.
Keep your kitchen pantry fully stocked
Once you commit to eating healthy, make a list of all the ingredients you use or want to use in the following week, and then go shopping to keep your pantry fully stocked. This will give you the illusion of spending more, but a fully-stocked pantry will feed you for more than a week and you will save money in the long run. When all the ingredients are readily available, you will be able to cook all your meals and you won’t have to order pizza because you’re out of flour or cilantro for a recipe.
