11 Ways to eat better on a budget

It’s a common misconception that in order to eat better, we need more money. With items associated with great health, such as “superfoods” and supplements, eating healthy can seem out of reach for many people.

But it’s not true! So in today’s post, I’m going to show you 11 super simple ways you can eat better, without breaking the bank.

Eat seasonally.

When you buy local fresh fruits and veg when they’re abundant in supply, they are generally cheaper. Eating seasonally is also healthier, the food is picked and harvested at that time, so Being fresher means it likely to maintain a higher level of nutrients. So it’s a win-win.

Intermittent Fast.

Why? Because you end up eating less overall, saving approximately 1 meal per day.

Which is a 33% savings on your grocery bill each week!

Intermittent fasting will also help you lose fat, gain muscle, be more productive, have more energy, sleep better, and look brighter.

If you’re not familiar with intermittent fasting, it’s not about what you eat, or how much you eat, but about shortening your eating window. Pretty simple right? It’s pretty doable and sustainable as a lifestyle. I know quite a few people who do it pretty consistently (5-7 days a week) and the results are pretty amazing.

Typically, the eating window is between 12-6pm (that’s what I did on my juice fast) -18 hours off and 6 hours on. However, for women, there have been a few studies that suggest we do better on a slightly extended eating window (between 10 am and 6 pm for example). These times are supposedly optimal for our body’s natural rhythms. And optimises natural detoxification, rest and repair mechanisms, but I think it’s always wise to check in with your body and see what works best for you.

For me, a 7-hour window is sustainable. On most days I eat from 11am-6pm, but on nights out with friends I might eat at 8 or 9, so I’ll extend my fasting window (the time I don’t eat) to 1 or 2 or even 3 pm the next day.

I think with introducing any new habit it’s good to be flexible and to make it your own.

Moringa

A super food, but super cheap.

Not yet become trendy, you can get it affordably. I bought a year supply for just $20! But since I’ve found it half price, which is linke for you at the end of this section.

Moringa is leaf ground into a potent powder used in ancient Ayurveda to treat a number of chronic and inflammatory illnesses. 

*Note: it’s important to get 100% pure moringa as it can be combined with nasty fillers. You can buy it organically in its pure form for less than $10 here.

Move away from packaged foods.

Packaged foods are expensive, and they often have hidden sugars, salts, preservatives, colours and flavours that mess with the body’s metabolism.

Besides, it tastes way better when you make things from scratch. 😉

An example is peanut butter. If you have a high-speed blender or food processor you can make your own, add your high-quality salt to taste and it’s delicious!

*Note: If you are to get packaged foods it’s best to get organic because there are fewer ingredients and they don’t add preservatives or fillers (but not always the cheapest option)!

When not to buy organic.

Even though fruits and vegetables like apple, celery, cucumber, and tomatoes are high on the contamination list, they are hard-skinned (sans tomatoes, but they also do okay), you can wash them in apple cider vinegar (ACV).

If you don’t, the pesticides will dry (visibly) on top of the produce. I find green apples to be the worst, sometimes having to repeat the process before all residues are removed.

Hard skinned fruit and veg are also okay without washing because they’re protected by the outer layer. This includes onions, pineapple, avocado, mango, watermelon etc..

Alternatively, go berry picking!

*Note: pesticide or no pesticide, eating fresh fruits and vegetables are better than snacking on processed food.

Prepare meals for the week.

The number one reason why we eat unhealthily is to combat hunger quickly – it’s often the convenience of it all! When we don’t have things prepared, we eat out or grab unhealthy snacks.

When you batch your meals and prepare them in advance when you have the time, say on a Sunday, you can put half in the fridge and half in the freezer for the following week.

Perfect for the times you get home late, and you need to hamper your “hangry”. 😉

Buy in bulk.

This goes back to the canned and packaged foods… If you buy canned chickpeas, lentils or beans and you eat a lot of them, it’s much cheaper to buy them in bulk (dry and uncooked). This requires more prep, but if you’re on a hardcore budget and you want a hearty, healthy meat replacement these are your best bet.