Being a smart shopper can shave dollars off your food budget, but being a practical cook also helps. When you are in the kitchen, being mindful of these tips can help you stay on track when eating healthy on a budget.
- Prepare ingredients yourself. Washing, peeling and cutting up produce may take time, but it costs less in the long run than buying prechopped food.
- Keep extra vegetables on hand. Adding extra vegetables to your meat dishes makes the meal more nutritious and makes it go further.
- Try batch cooking. Make extra when cooking soups, stews or casseroles and freeze the extra to use later.
- Season meat and vegetables instead of buying pre-seasoned items. This helps you save money, control sodium and flavor it your way.
- Add these foods to your shopping list to maximize value and nutrition. These foods can be prepared in several different ways and used in lots of dishes to give you variety without breaking the bank. Apples, Beans, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Brown Rice, Carrots, Chicken, Eggs, Ground Beef, Lentils, Oatmeal, Spinach, Tomatoes, Tuna, Turkey, Whole-Wheat Couscous, Whole-Wheat Pasta
Just remember whole, unprocessed versions of all foods are best. This helps your produce retain the most nutritional value until you are ready to eat it. Choose lean meats and skinless poultry to reduce saturated fats and calories. A diet of whole foods is achievable, even on a budget.
Please like and share
