Our Nutritionist, Gina Fangel and our Health Coach, Jill Lipset have some tips and tricks for eating healthy while on a budget. Gina and Jill our currently teaching a class at our corporate clients, Pipe Trades Services of MN called “How to Eat Healthy on a Budget”.
Here are a few tips they have for an easy fall recipe!
1: Find meals that are simple and don’t require a lot of ingredients. Less ingredients = less money.
2: Try to find recipes that use similar ingredients so you can make the most out of the food you buy.
3: Make a grocery list and stick to it! This helps you avoid buying unwanted items and spending more money.
4: Know that you do not have to buy Organic! If you really want to buy organic, prioritize the foods on the dirty dozen list and then buy regular produce for foods on the clean fifteen list. Just be sure to wash everything.
5: Shop produce that is “in season”. These foods are typically much less expensive. This can also help you add variety to your diet.
6: Buy as many “whole foods” as possible. These are things like fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, plant-based fats. These items are much less expensive, compared to packaged food items, and they are healthier for you as well.
7: Do everything yourself. Avoid packaged, “pre-cut”, “pre-marinated”, or any other time savers as these tend to increase the price. Instead, wash and cut all your produce. Do this right away when you get home to save time later on in the week.
8: Buy in bulk when you can and freeze items you won’t use right away. This is great for Costco / Sam’s club shopping
9: Flavor your food with herbs and spices instead of store bought / packaged sauces as these can be very spendy. Herbs and spices are also a healthier option! Opt for dried herbs instead of fresh as they are less expensive and will last a lot longer.
10: Use what you have! You don’t have to follow a recipe exactly if you don’t have all the same ingredients.
Harvest Roasted Vegetables by Culinary Hill (culinaryhill.com)