8 Tips to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight On a Budget

Eating and living healthy does not have to be expensive. If you want to save money, here are 8 tips to eat healthy and lose weight on a budget.

We all want to eat good quality organic food; despite our good intentions, it is not always possible.

Life happens, emergencies come up, you lose a job, or you may just find yourself on a tight budget, and eating healthy may seem expensive.

I am here to tell you from experience that It doesn’t have to be, you don’t have to sacrifice your health for a temporary period in your life.

Here a few tips to ensure that you eat healthy food and meet your weight goals.

Keep your meal plans simple

Here is an example of a meal plan I used when I was on a tight budget a few years ago;

• Breakfast: Green smoothie (lettuce, Baby spinach, celery, Banana, Apples) and after a cup of tea.
• If I am hungry before lunch (I snack on a few carrots)
• Lunch: Pinto Beans, mixed vegetables, chicken thigh
• Dinner: Chicken/ Beef and Lettuce
• Craving/Treat: Decaf tea/Hot chocolate

Weekly Shopping list looked like this:

• Organic 5 pounds of carrots $5
• Baby spinach $3
• 9x Lettuce $13
• Bananas $1.50
• Celery $1.38
• Apples 3-Ilb $3
• Mixed Vegetables 1-Ib $6
• 5x Chicken Thigh $15
• 2x Pinto beans $3
• 2x Grass-fed organic beef (0.6-Ilb) $4

Total coast: $55

This is approximately $2.50 per meal.

Although you may not get $2.50 per meal, you will realize that eating healthy does not have to be expensive.

Experiment by simplifying your meals for two weeks, it will save you both money and time in the kitchen.

Shop on a full stomach

When I shop on an empty stomach, I buy what I need plus what I crave for if I have extra money; this is not a good strategy when you’re on a budget.

In fact, according to Alison Jing Xu, who led research on the effects hunger on purchases at the University of Minnesota, “hunger activates behaviors associated with acquisition,” making you feel like you need to acquire something, anything.

When you are on a budget, you will end up spending more if you enter the store with a mindset and hunger or scarcity.

If you must shop right after work, carry an apple with you or snack on some carrots before you begin shopping.

Focus on food instead of beverages

While it might be tempting to equate eating healthy to expensive drinks like kombucha, coconut water, or even watermelon water, there are unnecessary if you are on a budget.

Stick to water; if you are tired of the dull taste of water, you can add apple slices for flavor or better yet squeeze in some lime.

Ditch the bottled water

Most bottled water is filtered tap water when you’re on a budget; it is a total waste of money.

Get yourself a water filter instead and use a cooper vessel to store your water. You will be saving money in the long run.

Copper has added benefits including; aiding weight loss by helping break down fat more efficiently, has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps destroy bacteria effectively.

So, ditch the plastic bottles, get a water filter and copper vessel if possible.

Buy condiments and spices in bulk

I could not afford to spend $5 on every spice or herb I needed when I was living on a tight budget.

Several websites sell condiments in bulk, pick the ones you use most and buy them in bulk, including salad dressings if you use them.

Look out for local farmers market

Local farmers often cannot afford the money to buy organic certificates for their products, although they often use organic farming practices because they grow food on a small scale.

It is a safer bet to buy from the local farmers than the mass producers, besides meeting the people who grow your food is not such a bad idea.

Plan ahead

Use the weekend to prepare meals for the week, boil the beans, chicken, and whatever else you will need for the week.

When I plan am less inclined to order a pizza or stop by a fast-food restaurant because I feel too tired to cook.

Remember, if you plan, you will always have something quick to eat, always have an apple with you. Cutting up some lettuce and grilling chicken will take a shorter time than the Chinese food delivery guy.

Organic food at Costco

Costco has reasonable prices on organic vegetables. If you find it too expensive, buy bulk and split with a friend.

Be smart when choosing what to buy organic.

If you eat onions, sweet potatoes, avocados, they do not have to be organic. They attract fewer bugs and therefore require fewer pesticides and fertilizers.

Strawberries, apples, spinach, celery, lettuce may be organic because they attract more bugs. If organic is not possible, soak your vegetables in water for at least 30 minutes before you eat them to reduce the toxic chemicals.

I hope you find you find this helpful if you are on a budget. Do you have any more suggestions on how to eat healthy on a budget? Let me know in the comment section.