Eat Healthy Without Spending A Fortune - By: Sarah Elena Elliott

You may think that buying healthy items at the grocery store is too expensive for your budget, but it doesn't have to be. To slim down, and eat healthier meals at home all you need is a little organization. When you are losing weigh you are eating less, which in turn will save you lots more money. The key is to be a more savvy grocery shopper and to not waste food.

Think about what's in your pantry and refrigerator right now. Do you notice that most of your foods are processed? While these items may be cheap and easy to prepare, chances are preparing some of your favorite dishes from scratch will save you many calories and provide more nutrients.

Create an inventory spreadsheet so that you will always know what you have on hand. This inventory spreadsheet will make grocery shopping and meal planning much easier. Once this becomes a habit, the process will become much easier.

There are several food items that you should always have on hand that will provide you with quick and nutritious meals. Beans, rice (preferably brown), potatoes, frozen vegetables, peanut butter, whole wheat bread and eggs are the perfect low-budget health foods to have on hand. Canned goods such as beans, and some vegetables are a great way to lower your calories and stick to a healthier diet on a small budget. Canned black beans or kidney beans are full of protein and fiber and low in calories in fat. You can make giant pots of chili, add them to your salads or even make your favorite Mexican dishes with them. You can even save more money when you buy bulk bags of beans and rice.

Fresh veggies & fruit are great and they should be a part of your diet, but you should only buy enough for 7 days at a time. If you buy more than you can eat you will waste money and food. A great money saving tip is that you should check the flyers to see what's on sale that week before you go to the grocery store. Consider buying only those vegetables that you can get cheaply or on sale. Avoid bagged salad mixes which tend to have a larger markup than just a regular head of lettuce. Opt for organic produce when it is on sale. You can also buy fresh fruit in bulk that will last for the week and are great for snacking. A bag of oranges can cost about $8 a bag and apples can be as low as $3 a bag.

Onions, potatoes, and bananas tend to be very inexpensive items to keep on hand. When it comes to protein, lean and organic is best. Switching to ground turkey or chicken are both great alternatives to ground beef. Not only are they less expensive, but can be much lower in saturated fat & calories. A pound of lean ground turkey can be purchased for as little at $2 a pound and the same goes for chicken.

Also keep an eye out for weekly meat specials and stock up as much as you can. When you are eating less for you will be saving money by not buying the snacks that you don't need and shouldn't be eating anyway.

About the Author

Sarah Elena Elliott recommends trying Turbulence Training as your exercise regimen & The Day Off Diet for your diet. Read this Day Off Diet Review for more information.

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