Eating healthy is tough enough on its own, but when you throw a restricted income or otherwise limited budget into the mix, it becomes seemingly impossible. I've been there, with a grocery basket comprised of Ramen, some cheap frozen food, and a bottle of vitamins. It may be cheap, but it's not healthy. Not only that, if you're anything like I was, you end up feeling sick at the idea of eating another bowl of noodles and end up spending that budgeted money on a combo meal. Now I'm older and a little wiser to the ways of food, money, and groceries. I wish I could go back and tell my younger, poorer self all the stuff I've learned. But since I can't, I'll settle for sharing it with people who are in my situation now. So stick those Hot Pockets back on the shelf. I'm about to teach you a thing or two about eating decent on a limited budget. Fruit
We all know fruit is healthy. It gives us our vitamins, provides us with energy (thanks to its natural sugars), and isn't especially caloric or fattening. Believe it or not, fruit is also pretty cheap. Bananas, for example, will run you under a dollar a pound, and are a welcome addition to any meal. Apples run pretty cheap, themselves. Keep an eye out for what is in season and what is on sale. Last week, I picked up two cartons of strawberries for under two dollars on a 2-for-1 sale. Not only are they a good amount of substance for cheap, they're also delicious and healthy.
My advice is to avoid exotic fruits, which are usually expensive. I also would recommend, by and large, dodging larger fruits, such as watermelons and pineapples, even when on sale. There's a lot of food in there, and you can get it fairly cheap sometimes, but it's only worth while if you will properly cut it, store it, and eat it regularly.Vegetables
Frozen vegetables are cheap. Very cheap. You can pick up a bag of frozen peas or green beans for about a dollar a piece, and they'll last you for more than a few meals. Of course, they're healthy, too. Okay, maybe they're not particularly tasty, although a sprinkle of salt and a little butter can go along ways if your budget isn't too tight. If you're concerned about preparation time, skip the boiling pot. You can steam veggies by putting them in a cup of water, covering it with a paper towel, and microwaving it for a minute or two.
Most other vegetables are either going to run you a fair price or not be particularly substantial. Bell peppers are nice to spice up any meal, but most of them are pretty pricey - although I do recommend keeping an eye out for when the green ones are in season. Know that a couple of veggies that look like a good deal at a glance are actually going to be wastes of money. Celery and iceberg lettuce are cheap and plentiful, but, in actuality, both are mostly water with very little nutrition. If you have the budget and you love some greenery on your sandwiches, spinach leaves bring much more to the table, both in nutrition and flavor. Carrots are a strong contender, being very healthy, cheap, and plentiful. A bag of carrots may cost around a dollar and will provide you with more nutrients than a frozen pizza of the same cost. Also, get the big ones, not the baby carrots. I know baby carrots are sweeter and easier to eat, but the price difference is huge.Meat
Here's the tough one. If you're anything like me, a meal doesn't feel complete without some protein. Unfortunately, most meat is expensive. Keeping a strict budget is going to lowering your meat consumption to some degree. However, that doesn't mean all of us on college student incomes have to be vegetarians.
Eggs are a wonderful food, rich in protein, tasty and filling. They're also cheap. You can usually get a dozen eggs for a couple of bucks, and don't be shy if your grocery store is running a 2-for-1 on the big boxes. If you fine yourself with a surplus of eggs, you can always boil half of them and keep them in a bowl in the fridge. They'll keep well, and they're ready to eat. Cholesterol is the one concern with eggs. Most nutritionists put the cap at five egg yolks a week, however, so you don't have to hold yourself back too much. Also, if you're worried about it, you can always scoop out the yolks. That's where all the bad stuff is.
Lower end ground beef is also not particularly expensive. It is fattier, and you'll have to drain it more when cooking it, but it is filling. Given both the cost of meat and the high fat content of low quality ground beef, you may wish to ratio your beef meals in favor of vegetables, fruit, bread or rice, having a smaller portion of beef on the side.
Lastly, (and I know I keep coming back to this, but it's important!) watch for sales. Some grocery stores have a bargain bin of meats that are close to expiring, set with discounts between 30% and 50%. This is often a good way to snag a fair amount of meat for cheap. Just be aware of the expiration date, and either freeze it or cook with it before it goes bad - that would be a waste of money. Also, learn what meals you don't mind eating reheated, so you can make a batch and store it before your meat expires.Breads
You need complex carbohydrates. They help you break down other foods, give you energy, and fill you up, so don't avoid them. There's a reason the food pyramids they showed us in elementary school had them as the base, and there's a reason I'm going to list a few more of these than the others. You can get a loaf of bread for cheap, if you step the quality down. Go with wheat instead of white for health's sake. It's not particularly good bread, but it will still get you your carbs.
Rice is good for filling out a meal, if a bit bland. It comes in large quantities for cheap, though it may take you a few tries to get it cooked just right. If you find it to be a staple of your budgeting, consider asking for a rice cooker when the next holiday is on the horizon.
Some people swear by oats and oatmeals. And, to its credit, oatmeal is cheap and healthy. I find it to be unbearably bland, myself, but it may be worth experimenting with. Try cooking it in some milk with a bit of sugar or honey. If you find you like it, the oats themselves come in huge tubs for a nominal cost. Avoid the individual packets and other smaller portions, though. You'd be better off buying cereal in the long run.
On the subject, cereal is a good quick meal, and you should be drinking some milk for calcium, too, no matter how tight your budget. Off-brand bagged cereals are often relatively inexpensive for the amount of food they provides. Almost all cereals are fortified with vitamins these days, too. That said, let's be honest, most of them are fortified with loads of sugar. While the nice, healthy granola cereals are probably going to be out of our price range, keep an eye out for bran and whole wheat cereals with lower sugar content. Bran and wheat will get you your carbs (which means filling you up), as well as being a little better for you in the long run.
Finally, pasta is a good source of complex carbohydrates. Get whole wheat if you can afford it, but it is going to be more expensive. Either way, though, spaghetti noodles, bow tie pasta, and all the others are filling and, like rice, come in cheap, large packages. The trouble with pasta is that it's not very good on its own, so you'll have to devise ways of making it more edible. A bottle of spaghetti sauce can help carry it. I've heard people say pasta can be pretty decent with just some butter and salt, though I'll leave that up to you to try. It will take a little more work, and it may turn out that pasta just isn't for you in your budget, but it's worth the experimentation.Things to Avoid
There are trappings we all fall into when it comes to food, health, and budgets. I'm going to list a few of the more common ones, but it's really important to keep an educated eye on your food intake and money expenditures. That's the only way you'll be sure you're being wise and healthy.
Kick the frozen food habit. I know cheap frozen pizzas run you a dollar and are quick to make, but prepackaged, processed frozen foods have a slew of problems. For starters, they're high in sodium for preservation. Secondly, they're usually low in fiber, which means they aren't filling, leading you to have less energy and eat more meals. That's a money sink, even if the things you're consuming are cheap. Third, they tend to be low in vitamins and nutrients. That was an acceptable sacrifice when we were uneducated about our options, but we're smarter now, right?
Ditch the soda. Budget-wise, maybe it's not such a big deal. It's only a couple of dollars for a 2-liter, but it's still terribly unhealthy. Soda is packed with empty calories, sugar, and caffeine, all of which are bad for you. If you're drinking it because you "need" the energy, that means you're addicted to caffeine. That addiction is unhealthy, and it means you're not actually gaining any energy from the intake. You're just losing energy for a lack of it. Cut it out of your diet and lose your addiction. You don't need caffeine for energy. Protein, complex carbohydrates and natural sugars give you more energy that lasts longer than caffeine. Drink water in its place. Not only does water clean your system, prevent dehydration (which, if you're a soda drinker, I'd wager you suffer from whether you realize it or not), and help fill you up, it's also free. Then you're free to take the two bucks you'd have spend on Pepsi and put it to better use. Maybe you can step up the quality of ground beef you use!
Don't eat out. I know it tastes good and is quick and easy. I know your friends want to go out. But it's expensive. You could always make yourself a cheaper, healthier meal at home. When you do go out (because I know it will happen), be smart about it. Don't order a drink, appetizer, or dessert. If you're going to fast food, grab a few sandwiches off the value meal. If you're going out somewhere a little nicer, check their vegetarian options. Often, they're still satisfying in both flavor and substance and will run you a few dollars cheaper. Also, when you go out to eat on a budget, always factor in tip to your meal cost. There's an old saying among servers, "If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out.", and it's true.All Together Now
Now it's time to put all the pieces together. It's time to decide what foods you want to be staples of your diet, what you can cut out and what you want to add in. It's necessary to rework some of your eating habits and routines to make things easier on you and healthier in the long run. Snacking often, such as having a carrot here and a slice of bread there, will keep you filled up easier and is actually considered healthier than eating only a couple of larger meals. Drinking water regularly will contribute, too.
Learning your own likes and dislikes and how to prepare real food for yourself may take some getting used to, but don't let that stop you. Be creative. List out your ingredients and decide what goes well together, or what you can do to spice something up. There's countless simple recipes you can make to spare yourself complete monotony, while still eating within your budget. Let's take a quick look at some options.
Spaghetti is one of my favorites. All you need is to brown some ground beef, boil some pasta, then simmer them together in some sauce. Salt and pepper do wonders, and if you have some carrots and green bell peppers, trying chopping them up and adding them in. A dash of sugar goes a long ways, too. Maybe it's not quite like Mom used to make, but hey, we're working on a budget. It's still good and filling, and, best of all, spaghetti reheats very well.
A cheap bottle of soy sauce will let you fry up your rice with a little more flavor. Throw in some frozen peas and a couple of scrambled eggs, and it's looking more like a meal. If you ever find chicken on sale, don't be shy about throwing that in, as well. The beauty of fried rice is that you can toss just about anything in with it. It may take a few batches to figure out what you like best, but it's a filling meal and doesn't reheat too badly.
I hope this has helped some of you in tough times find some healthier alternatives. This article is by no means comprehensive, either. Look around your grocery store to see what's cheap or on sale regularly. Use the Internet to find easy, inexpensive recipes and to learn more about health and nutrition. Even with a limited budget, there is never a reason to commit yourself to an unhealthy lifestyle.
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