Intelligence is Value

The first few steps toward healthy living are not only littered with the temptation to eat your favorite foods that are high in calories, but also with the constant worry of not being able to keep up because of the high budget needed.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Here are a few tips you can follow to stick to your newly-formed healthy eating habits without having to spend too much on them:

1. Plan your meals ahead of time.
Before deciding on which dishes to prepare for the next few days or throughout the week, it’s usually a good idea to take a trip or two to the grocery store to see what’s on sale.

You should also keep your menu flexible. That way, if some ingredients aren’t available or aren’t on sale, you still have a few dishes to choose from.

2. Learn to cook your own meals.
The sure-fire way for staying on the road to eating healthy is by simply cooking your own meals. However, when you do so, be sure to cook your meals in ways that use up less oil, salt, and sugar. You can even pack your own lunch to work or to school.

This is now the perfect time to widen your culinary skills. The key here is doing research – knowing which ingredients go together is a skill that you can only develop with time, but looking through different recipes in books and online can help greatly speed up the process.

3. Keep an eye out for the fruits and vegetables that are in season.
The trick to getting the freshest fruits and vegetables available is to shop when they are in season, which not only gives you the best ingredients for your meals in the best condition, but also saves you a lot of money.

4. Look to other alternatives to meat.
Eating less meat, especially red meat, isn’t just good for your health, but is also good for your budget.

However, you don’t have to resort to being full vegan. If you love meat, you can opt for the less expensive cuts or switching to white meats, such as chicken and fish. You can also choose to add ingredients such as eggs and tofu into the mix, as well as legumes and grains.

These alternative protein sources are not only relatively cheap, but they also provide you with the same amount of protein as red meats, as well as the advantage of having a longer shelf life than meat.

5. Freeze fresh produce.
This may be a no-brainer at first, but once you start buying fruits and vegetables, you will quickly learn to appreciate the convenience of having a refrigerator in order to increase their shelf life.

(Disclaimer: This list is compiled in no particular order.)