Healthy Eating on a Budget
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
It is no secret that we are in tough financial times. People are having trouble making ends meet in all areas of their lives. There are the standard house bills that have to be paid & we have to feed ourselves & our family as well. There have been quite a few articles out to help assist people with money management & how to eat & be healthy on a limited budget. I am going to share some articles I have been saving as well as some additional pointers of my own. Hope this provides some information that you may have not already read.
First, a quick & simple article to read, 5 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget . Some pointers are below. Read the full article at the previous link:
Focus on veggies: Frozen veggies are a good choice too. They are frozen & packed before nutrients start to deteriorate.
Use beans: Legumes are one of the cheapest and most nutritious protein sources available.
Purchase protein wisely: Shop carefully for affordable lean cuts that you can stretch in stews, stir-fries, and casseroles. Buy a crock pot to save time & have it cook while you are gone or at work.
Eat in season: Off-season produce can cost double its peak-season price. Tailor your cooking to seasonal foods and freeze or can items.
Buy in bulk: Hit the ever-economical bulk aisle to save on costs (and reduce packaging). OR, shop Costco, Sam's Club and places like that. Even Wal-Mart & Target have food now. If the packages are too big for you or your family, maybe a family member, friend or neighbor/s want to share with you & you can split the cost & save at the same time!
Second, another article on Trimming the Fat in Bad Economic Times. Here are some examples plus read the full article as well!
Set up an Inexpensive Home Gym: The article gives good advice but you can also find used equipment at garage sales, friends that don't use it anymore, Play It Again Sports & reputable online sites like Amazon, Ebay and more. A couple sets of dumbbells, elastic bands or tubes (a couple different resistances), stability ball, medicine ball, exercise mat are some of the things you can look to buy. Maybe friends/family want to chip in & share. Also check out this article, How to Get a Cheap Workout. LOTS OF GREAT ADVICE HERE!
Use Your TV: Start your own collection of fitness DVD's. You can rent them or see if your local library has any. Also, again, maybe pitch in with friends/family & pass them around each week for a different workout.
Use the Free Stair Climber: I will say it again. Stairs are a great workout! Find them at work, your local athletic field, the beach or anywhere else. Just be safe!
Walk More: Self explanatory. But, I did see this at The Denim Diet site. She had a post on walking DVD's you can do inside at home. Check this out at: Walk This Way on her site along with her other posts & the book she wrote. I don't know anything personally about the walking DVD's but seems like they got good reviews.
Bicycle: Before you buy a bike, take it for a test ride. Make sure it feels right. Also, don’t be shy -- play with the gears and brakes and travel on terrain that’s similar to where you’re most likely to use the bike.
Jump Rope: Very inexpensive and it burns calories while it improves your endurance, cardiovascular health, coordination, timing and agility.
Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Season; Buy Organic Only When Necessary; Cook in Batches, and Eat At Home; Get Group Support: Read more about these in the article link above titled Trimming the Fat in Bad Economic Times.
As always, remember that you have things at home you can use like water bottles, bags of flour or sugar (secure them so they don't leak), canned goods, body weight with negatives, local playgrounds with plenty of equipment to do dips, push-ups, pull-ups, step-ups and more. Use your imagination and the Internet for information! You can do this even during tough times! Plus it will make you feel better!!!!!!
It is no secret that we are in tough financial times. People are having trouble making ends meet in all areas of their lives. There are the standard house bills that have to be paid & we have to feed ourselves & our family as well. There have been quite a few articles out to help assist people with money management & how to eat & be healthy on a limited budget. I am going to share some articles I have been saving as well as some additional pointers of my own. Hope this provides some information that you may have not already read.First, a quick & simple article to read, 5 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget . Some pointers are below. Read the full article at the previous link:
Focus on veggies: Frozen veggies are a good choice too. They are frozen & packed before nutrients start to deteriorate.
Use beans: Legumes are one of the cheapest and most nutritious protein sources available.
Purchase protein wisely: Shop carefully for affordable lean cuts that you can stretch in stews, stir-fries, and casseroles. Buy a crock pot to save time & have it cook while you are gone or at work.
Eat in season: Off-season produce can cost double its peak-season price. Tailor your cooking to seasonal foods and freeze or can items.
Buy in bulk: Hit the ever-economical bulk aisle to save on costs (and reduce packaging). OR, shop Costco, Sam's Club and places like that. Even Wal-Mart & Target have food now. If the packages are too big for you or your family, maybe a family member, friend or neighbor/s want to share with you & you can split the cost & save at the same time!
Second, another article on Trimming the Fat in Bad Economic Times. Here are some examples plus read the full article as well!
Set up an Inexpensive Home Gym: The article gives good advice but you can also find used equipment at garage sales, friends that don't use it anymore, Play It Again Sports & reputable online sites like Amazon, Ebay and more. A couple sets of dumbbells, elastic bands or tubes (a couple different resistances), stability ball, medicine ball, exercise mat are some of the things you can look to buy. Maybe friends/family want to chip in & share. Also check out this article, How to Get a Cheap Workout. LOTS OF GREAT ADVICE HERE!
Use Your TV: Start your own collection of fitness DVD's. You can rent them or see if your local library has any. Also, again, maybe pitch in with friends/family & pass them around each week for a different workout.
Use the Free Stair Climber: I will say it again. Stairs are a great workout! Find them at work, your local athletic field, the beach or anywhere else. Just be safe!
Walk More: Self explanatory. But, I did see this at The Denim Diet site. She had a post on walking DVD's you can do inside at home. Check this out at: Walk This Way on her site along with her other posts & the book she wrote. I don't know anything personally about the walking DVD's but seems like they got good reviews.
Bicycle: Before you buy a bike, take it for a test ride. Make sure it feels right. Also, don’t be shy -- play with the gears and brakes and travel on terrain that’s similar to where you’re most likely to use the bike.
Jump Rope: Very inexpensive and it burns calories while it improves your endurance, cardiovascular health, coordination, timing and agility.
Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Season; Buy Organic Only When Necessary; Cook in Batches, and Eat At Home; Get Group Support: Read more about these in the article link above titled Trimming the Fat in Bad Economic Times.
As always, remember that you have things at home you can use like water bottles, bags of flour or sugar (secure them so they don't leak), canned goods, body weight with negatives, local playgrounds with plenty of equipment to do dips, push-ups, pull-ups, step-ups and more. Use your imagination and the Internet for information! You can do this even during tough times! Plus it will make you feel better!!!!!!
great advice and choices! thanks jody
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Thx for supporting my blog! You are an inspiration to others & you let out those real feelings on your blog so people can definitely relate!
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I just caught on to the frozen veggie thing, but I'm useless with beans. I made a lentil soup for my husband and it literally made him sick to his stomach. And thanks for the crockpot reminder. I need to use it more.
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I hear you on the beans. My stomach just can't handle them so I eat other stuff. I like them BUT it is not pretty later!!!
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great idea and topic for a post because eating healthy can be pricey. Thanks for the money saving tips.
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It SO can be done huh?
it takes planning and organizing but what DOESNT in life if you wanna do it right.
xo xo,
Miz.
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So true. It is hard to succeed at weight loss or anything else without some planning along the way... but it is worth it!
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