Budget Nutrition

I hear people giving excuses as to why they can’t eat healthy constantly; “It’s too expensive.” and “I don’t have time” are probably the most common excuses. Whatever the excuse, it’s invalid. I follow a relatively strict diet and eat around 4,000 calories daily (which is much more than the average person consumes). I’m 22 years old, work between two jobs and am on a tight budget. I typically spend under $100 a week on food. If I can eat the way I should, why can’t you?

Instead of buying that pre-made, or even pre-seasoned, chicken; buy it fresh, season and cook it yourself. You can get fresh chicken breast for around $1.99/lb. versus spending upwards of $5.99/lb. or more on the pre-cooked or seasoned chicken breast.You can save quite a bit of money. Stop being lazy and take a little time to cook your own food! Visit local Farmer’s Markets, shop for items that won’t spoil if you don’t eat them, and try a little variety. Personally I love sweet potato, and these are one of the easiest foods to prepare. I poke a few holes in the potato and put it in the microwave for a couple minutes and it’s ready to eat. While your chicken, ground turkey, steak or whatever is cooking, you can be preparing your vegetables.

I’m on a tight schedule so I do most of my cooking on the weekend or a day off. I spend about 3 hours total preparing all my food for the entire week. Use that day off where you’re laying on the couch watching TV to cook your food. Prepare your food in advance and this will keep you eating healthier and save you stress once you get home from a long day of work worrying about what to eat. By having your food prepared, you’ll be less likely to stop and get fast food or raid your cabinets for snacks. Hope this gives you a different perspective that you can eat healthy while still on a budget.  

It may take a few extra minutes to do, but your wallet will happier and so will your body!

Steve