Nutrition Month Gift: 5 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget!

This Nutrition Month, I'm taking a break from debunking nutrition myths to give you a gift. With the economy becoming increasingly difficult, eating healthy can seem more and more challenging. So here are 5 tips to lower your grocery bill while giving your body what it needs. 

1. Plan your nutrition 

Planning your meals and snacks will help you make sure you have everything you need, but also that your choices are in line with your goals. That way, if you're missing snacks before your workouts, or if you go long periods without eating, you'll be able to easily spot it! Planning your meals will also help you keep costs down by allowing you to buy products on sale for later or in larger quantities to get a lower unit cost! 

2. Cook more

Eating out or buying prepared meals is usually much more expensive than cooking at home. Cooking is another great way to eat exactly what you want, boost your confidence in the kitchen through practice, and keep costs down! Cooking doesn't have to be complicated, and you can make super healthy meals by combining just a few ingredients. 

3. Use the freezer 

Freezing is a great way to preserve food for much longer. This means you can buy certain foods in larger quantities when they are on sale, or cook larger quantities of certain recipes so you have economical meals for later. In fact, many of the recipes on my website freeze very well, such as:

• Freezer-friendly breakfast burritos (link)
• No-bake protein bars (link)
• Three-way mini pizzas (link)
• Vegetarian slow cooker chili (link)
• Three-way mini quiches (link)
• Indian-style chicken and chickpeas (link)
• Chocolate banana protein muffins (link)

These recipes are great alternatives to restaurant or ready-made versions, and they cost a fraction of the price!

4. Buy frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. 

Although they often get bad press, these alternatives are usually just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, while having a much longer shelf life and generally lower costs. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen immediately after harvesting, thus retaining maximum nutrients. As for canned fruits and vegetables, you can choose versions with less added salt or sugar to get a profile similar to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

5. Avoid ultra-processed foods 

These products are usually much more expensive and have less nutritional value. They can be useful in a pinch, but your grocery bill will quickly increase if they become part of your daily diet. For example, you could decide to make your own energy balls for before your workout, your sports drink for during your workout, and your protein bars for after your workout at home for a fraction of the cost and with much more nutrients! As an added bonus, you could even store them in the freezer for later and take them out when you need them. 

Happy Nutrition Month!