How to Eat Well on a Budget
Eating well can be easy if you follow some simple guidelines. If you are going shopping, it is always useful to plan in advance your menu and write a shopping list. Once in the super market take time to check the food labels and compare prices. It is sometimes good to buy generic brands, as they can be cheaper and healthier than branded products. You may budget for a week or a month and do bulk shopping. Plan some recipes in advance so that they share some ingredients. To eat well on a budget is not necessary to buy only fresh ingredients, you can also buy frozen, tinned or dried ingredients (e.g. fish, fruit and vegetables). Frozen, dried and tinned fruit and vegetables can be cheaper and nutritious as well. Frozen, dried and tinned fruit and vegetables are preserved within a few hours of harvesting, keeping more nutrients. If shopping for meat, cheaper cuts are not always the best option because they can be high in fat and water. Pulses are always a good source of protein and good to complement the protein of meats. Aim for seasonal produce if buying fresh and try to broaden your eating habits and behaviour by trying new foods. In this way you can spend less for delicious recipes.
Plan your cooking in advance so that you exactly know the ingredients you are going to use. Cooking from scratch is healthier than ready cooked or preserved meals. When you cook from scratch you know exactly what ingredients are in your food. Ready-made foods can be deceitful because they can be high in fat, sugar and salt. It has been well documented that foods high in fat, sugar and salt leads to preventable health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. Foods high in sugar can also lead to weight gain and does lead to obesity, and it is also linked to tooth decay. Obesity has many health risks, such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and high blood pressure. Foods high in salt can also lead to high blood pressure, causing strokes and heart diseases.
Keeping your fridge organised, can help you see what you want to use at a glance. Don't throw away the leftovers, reused them by creating new recipes and see how far your money can go. Creating your own recipes can be fun, as well as healthy and tasty. When you go to work, it is cheaper and healthier to pack your own lunch rather than buying ready-made foods.
To stay healthy, plan your shopping in advance and prepare your own meals!!!!!!!!!
