The Guide To Eating Healthy Food On a low Budget

The Guide To Eating Healthy On a Low Budget

Hello, how are you doing today? hope everything is going on smoothly? if the good that awesome let quickly jump to today's discussion. have been hearing on a daily basis, the struggle to consistently eat healthily is at the top of the list.I get it. You're busy. You barely have time to get all the things done you need to, let alone shop, prep, and cook all the meals you need to eat every day.

So what happens?

You eat whatever you can, whenever you can. And that might be fine if you want to maintain your current fitness level, but if you are serious about shedding some of that belly fat and start looking and feeling better, you need to eat high-quality foods.

And buying healthy food isn't cheap. And when you’re committed to getting fit, healthy food isn't an option, it's a must.

But paying your mortgage, credit cards, and car payment come before buying grass-fed beef and organic apples and I completely understand. But if you’re committed to trading your fat dad bod in for a fit dad bod, you have to find a way to make it work.

And that's exactly why I created this guide; to show you how eating healthy on a budget is not only realistic but also pretty simple if you know how to shop smart.

And I've spent a great deal of time learning how to save my hard earned money at the grocery store.

Why? Because I was on a very tight budget for many years and not being fit wasn't an option for me..it's my livelihood and my business. So I made it work and have been able to save a ton of cash over the years.

You will never out train a bad diet and statistics show that what you eat is responsible for 70-80% of your results, so finding ways to pay your bills and eat healthily is your only option; unless you want to continue looking and feeling like you do now!

Before You Get Started

Before you jump into this guide and start your shopping spree, I want you to do something.

I want you to spend one week adding up the cost of all your meals. I ask this because although you may be saying you don’t have enough money to eat healthily, you most likely you’re spending a lot more than you realize on junk food, impulse buys, and fast food.

It adds up fast and most people use the “ignorance is bliss” approach, meaning they just buy stuff without really understanding where it’s all going.

The average person eats out 2-3 times each week. A #1 combo meal at McDonald’s costs about $7, a 6-inch turkey sub at Subway is around $6, you’ll spend $8 to eat a burrito at Chipotle or to get a 2-piece chicken meal at KFC.

Many guys are spending upwards of $30 per week (or $120 per month) on fast food and don’t even realize it!

So I want you to track it all for one week, including drinks, vending machines, and gas station purchases. After that, set your weekly or monthly budget for food (you DO have a budget set up, don’t you?) and stick to it no matter what!

This Typical American Diet IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

DONT EAT JUNK FOOD EVER AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S TOO DANGEROUS FOR YOUR HEALTH! Mostly all food in American is made easy and you will always find them anywhere we look, be it any corner, you will always find them like a piece of rag.

The main reason behind the death of people is these unhealthy foods we consume in our belly every day. Guys, it’s high time we stop this crappy meal, you will always find them mostly in a place like the grocery stores, a fast food restaurant and even gas stations are hot spots for junk foods.

The problem is we are eating more processed foods, refined sugars, and trans fats than ever before and we are dying because of it! The obesity rates are out of control and only getting worse with each passing year.

PIECE OF AN ADVICE: Every time you walk into a grocery store, you need a plan. Your shopping trips are going to make or break your wallet, so plan ahead and be smart!

Here I highlight things to remember every time you walk into the store:

1. NEVER go in hungry!

2. Have a shopping list, day, and time and stick to it. Just stopping in to pick up a few things will add up quickly if done multiple times each week.

3. Buy generic. Store brands are usually as good as name brands.

4. Use your club/shoppers card for discounts and reward points. Mine gives me gas points for Exxon.

5. Shop in season. For example, don’t buy watermelons in December or it will cost you $8. Eat a different (and cheaper) fruit.

6. Buy frozen when you can.

7. Shop in the morning if possible. There tend to be better deals available then.

8. Actually, read the price tag and compare unit costs. And clipping coupons isn’t just for little old ladies! It’s not fun, but it saves big $$!

9. Don’t pay for convenience. Sure it’s faster to buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, but it’ll cost you twice as much as cooking it yourself. Other examples are pre-sliced cheese, pre-cut veggies, pre-cooked bacon, salad bar items, the hot bar, and individual cartons of milk or yogurt.

Shop at farmer’s markets if possible. The end of the day is when you’ll get the best deals because they’ll be trying to get rid of stuff. Also, you may luck out and get really cheap or free stuff that’s bruised and they can’t sell. Find a local one here.

RULES TO FOLLOW WHEN YOU ARE AT HOME

1. Put your recipes on note cards and leave them in a kitchen drawer. You can also use PlanToEat.com, which is an online service that will help you organize everything.

2. Plan your meals a week out. There’s no way to make good decisions when you haven’t planned and find yourself near a Burger King and starving! If you don’t plan, you have zero chance of succeeding at this!

3. Prep on the same day every week. I use Sundays and involve the girls. Your kids will love it, so let them be a part of it.

4. Minimize waste. Make sure you know what’s in your fridge. How many times have you looked at something only to find some rotten, expired thing? It happens a lot and it a huge source of wasted food. Wasted food = wasted money.

5. Cook in bulk (but not too much). You probably don’t have the time (or patience) to cook every single night. Cook as much as you know you’ll eat for a few days. A good rule of thumb is to double all your recipes, but if you cook too much, you’ll end up trashing it.

6. Make the time to cook. You may think you don’t have time, but you do. Just make you're eating a priority. After all, 80% or so of your results will come from what you put in your body. If you still don’t think you have time, write out all your activities, hour by hour, for 3 days. You’ll see A LOT of time in there available for cooking!

7. Organize your pantry and fridge. Know what you have and where it is. This will save you from buying the same thing twice. I don’t know how many times I’ve found the thing I just bought hiding behind something else on the bottom shelf.

8. Label your freezer foods and separate them according to the size you’ll be eating. I freeze my ground meat in one pound servings.

9. Every 4 weeks, go through your freezer and eat all your meat.

10. Combine leftovers to make a new meal and to avoid boredom and waste. Keep all scraps in bags and then when you have enough, throw them in a pot for soup. You don’t have money to waste, so use everything you buy!

List of Cheapest Proteins You Can Afford

Chicken. Breasts are better but more expensive, so use thighs instead. Don’t buy small serving sizes either. Buy in bulk, preferably at Costco and freeze it for later. Also look for store brand chicken, which tends to be cheaper than Purdue or other brand names.
Ground beef. Look for what’s on sale and if it’s not the leanest meat, just make sure you drain all the fat off after you cook it.
Canned tuna in water. Chunk light is cheaper than solid white and tastes about the same.
Low sodium deli turkey. You can always find a deal on deli meats, but don’t get the regular stuff, it’s got way too much sodium.
Eggs. This is one of your best sources of protein, so by the 18 count (or more) crates.
Fish. Fresh fish, especially wild caught, is expensive so look for sales. Buy canned salmon instead. Here’s a good recipe for salmon burgers.
Chickpeas. Buy the canned ones. Great for making your own hummus!
Lentils. These are very inexpensive and have a good amount of protein.
Yogurt. There is always a sale on yogurt and you’ll want to check the sugar content before buying. Greek yogurt is a better option than Yoplait as well.
Milk. If you can buy this at Costco, do it. It’s a great source of protein and can be pretty cheap when bought in bulk. If you eat Primal, drink coconut or almond milk instead. I use the unsweetened stuff.
Cottage cheese. Another good source of protein and it’s relatively inexpensive as well. Don’t buy the cottage cheese doubles though, they are more expensive and full of sugar.

Cheapest Garbage You Can Afford

Brown rice. I personally use the individual Minute Rice cups because they are super quick, but it’s cheaper to buy a whole box and boil it.
Whole grains and quinoa. Cheap and healthy, just don’t overdo it because of the high-calorie count in them. Also, if you eat Primal like I do, these are a no-no.
Spinach. Most stores offer a 2 for 1 special most weeks, so keep this superfood handy.
Edamame. This has some good protein and fiber in it and is great for snacking. Don’t buy the salted ones though.
Potatoes. White, red, gold and sweet. These are dirt cheap and a great source of complex carbohydrates!
Steel cut oats. Buy the large container, not the individual serving sizes.
Fresh fruits and veggies. Remember, buy in season only!
Bagged baby carrots. Great for snacking and super cheap.
Canned black, navy, white, lentil, and pinto beans. They are under a buck each and will last forever in your pantry. Throw them in pretty much any soup or stew. Buy them in a bag instead of a can and you’ll save even more money.
Canned veggies. These can be just as nutritious as frozen ones, just make sure to wash them thoroughly after you open the can.
Brown rice pasta. It tastes great and is a healthier alternative to white or whole wheat pasta.

Cheapest Fats You Can Afford

Nut butter. These can be expensive, so wait for deals. If you are going to buy peanut butter, buy the natural stuff.
Olive, almond, and coconut oils. Buy store brand names for the best deals.
Nuts. Stick with almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts. Unsalted. Don’t buy pre-shelled if possible, it’ll just cost you more.
Canned olives. Personally, I despise them, but they have a number of health benefits.
Raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds. A super cheap and healthy snack option.
By eating this, I guaranteed you will stay healthy for the rest of your life.