A common misconception is that eating healthy is expensive when really, it’s not. We actually save on our weekly grocery bill since adapting these habits. Here’s some super easy tips for keeping your diet healthy without breaking the bank.
MEAL PLANNING //
Don’t roll your eyes at me just hear me out! Since we’ve put aside 20 minutes each week, we have saved so much money because we’re not adding things in at the supermarket that we don’t end up eating. Select your recipes for dinners, lunches and breakfast then make sure to go through your cupboards, freezer and fridge to see what ingredients you have already before making your shopping list. It bets standing in front of the shelves at the supermarket thinking ‘shit do I actually have that’. I honestly cannot recommend making the time to do this because it will save you so much money and stop you from ordering pizza during the week due to not knowing what to cook (most of the time anyway). Our cute planners are from Kikki-K and our favourite recipes we cook are from the Michelle Bridges 12WBT, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow - if you have any awesome cookbook suggestions please leave them in the comments!
BUY IN BULK, COOK IN BULK //
Buying your nuts, legumes and seeds in bulk packs will saves you money in the long run. If you can, seek out large bags of dried legumes instead of the canned varieties. Although it means you’ll have to soak them the cans work out to be super expensive when you break it down. Also try cooking a large frittata, stir-fries, salads and chicken breasts at the start of the week to have handy in the fridge for lunches OR just cook extra at dinner so you can take a portion for the next days lunch.
SHOP AT YOUR LOCAL FRUIT/VEGE STORE //
Since shopping at our local fruit and vegetable store over getting it at the supermarket we save at least $50 a week on our grocery bills. Every time we do our shopping there we walk away in shock at the sheer quantity of fruit/vege we are able to buy for $30 - it’s insane. If you have a local market shop there, you’ll be blown away by the crazy savings!
DON’T GET SUCKED IN BY SPECIALS //
If you’re doing your meal plan and shopping list then it’s fairly easy to steer clear of the 3 for 2 but at the beginning it’ll be hard to say no. Just make sure you’re sticking to your list and even avoid the tempting aisles like the chocolate, soft drink, ice cream aisles.
EAT IN BEFORE EATING OUT //
I’m not suggesting you become a hermit but if you can eat in before you eat out especially if you’re first starting out with adapting a healthier lifestyle. Of course if it’s unavoidable then don’t feel bad - we’re all allowed to enjoy good (fatty) food every now and then but if you have the option cook at home or even invite everyone round for a meal to show off your latest food discovery.
PORTION CONTROL //
Before Isaac and I did the Michelle Bridges 12WBT (we can’t recommend that program enough) we didn’t even notice or think we were overeating but that plan taught us that we were pretty much eating for two every night *cringe*. Don’t overbuy on things that will perish because chances are you’ll end up cooking way to much and then stuff yourself silly. If you’re lying on the couch after dinner feeling bloated and gross every night chances are you’re overeating so try scaling it back.
What are your top tips for eating well on a budget?
About Sarah
I'm a retail manager by day and a blogger by night aiming to bring you the newest beauty, fashion and lifestyle news. More Than Adored was created to help beauty lovers, like myself, make informed decisions when it comes to buying new goodies.
