How to Eat Healthy When Your Money is Tight

So many times, we’ve heard that eating healthy foods is just way too expensive.  Many people have lost their jobs during this pandemic, working hours have been reduced, and savings have been depleted.

People are just trying to have something to eat for themselves and their families.  I get it.  During this challenging period in our country, people have to turn to food banks and other benevolent resources as their only way to get much-needed food.

Others want to eat – and eat healthily – on a stretched budget.  Whether you’re single, married, have kids or no kids, young or old, there are smart ways to eat well on a “challenged” budget.  Even if you are financially stable, these tips are an excellent way to help you stay financially stable!  This is why I want to help you consider various ways to eat nutritious and healthy foods on a tight budget. 

Below are several articles that will give you helpful hints:

A June 2017 article in Healthline.com called “19 Clever Ways to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget” provides sound ideas for eating nutritious and healthy foods on a budget.  The author, a health specialist, elaborates on these points:

• Plan your meals for the week                                              
• Stick to your grocery list                                                       
• Cook at home                                                                         
• Cook large portions and use your leftovers                      
• Don’t shop when you’re hungry                                          
• Buy whole foods (cheaper than most processed foods) 
• Pack your own lunch
• Buy generic brands
• Appreciate less expensive foods
• Stock up on sales
• Buy cheaper cuts of meat
• Replace meat with other proteins
• Use coupons wisely
• Shop for produce that’s in season
• Stop buying junk food

The author’s “take-home message” states that “Bad health comes with medical costs, drugs, and even reduced work capacity.”  I urge you to read this informative article.

The next article, from HelpGuide.org, is called “Eating Well on a Budget.”

The article talks about the physical and emotional benefits of eating healthy, and even some socially positive implications, such as:

• Shopping with others
• Making mealtimes a social experience (with members of your household, until the pandemic is over)
• Cooking with others (with members of your household, until the pandemic is over)

Many of the tips mirror the ones found in the previous article.  Also, they mention:

• Find cheap and healthy recipes (you can find them online and in health-conscious cookbooks that you can checkout manually, electronically, and FREE from your local library!)
• Keep a supply of staples (catch them on sale!)
• Drink water instead of soda
• Beware of hidden sugars!
• Look for simple ways to save money throughout the day
• Try locally grown food (local farmer’s markets)
• Buy organic for just the foods you eat the most
• Shop ethnic markets
• Cook more one-pot dishes (the advantage of a slow cooker if you’re living without a proper kitchen, for instance)

Great article!

The National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Aging wrote a great article geared towards seniors’ needs to eat a healthy, balanced diet on a budget. 

Their article, “10 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget” offers tips on:

• Asking about discounts
• Use coupons when you can
• Be aware that convenience costs more
• Sign up for meal delivery (i.e., Meals on Wheels America) 

The article also provides other senior-specific organizational resources as well.

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There are great books geared explicitly towards eating healthy on a budget:

There are great books geared explicitly towards eating healthy on a budget:

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget (paperback, 2010)
• One-Pot Vegan Cookbook: Family-Friendly Salad, Soup, Casserole, Slow Cooker and Skillet Recipes for Busy People on a Budget (paperback, 2017)
• Eating Well on a Budget (paperback, 2010)
• Instant Loss on a Budget: Super-Affordable Recipes for the Health-Conscious Cook (paperback, 2020)

I want everyone to have access to healthy, nutritious food, regardless of financial limitations!  In addition to the articles above, please reach out to others for hints, tips, and help so you can live a more abundant life!

We’re all in this together!

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