Penny Saver
When you’re trying to eat healthy, it can be hard to find a balance between the food that tastes good and is good for you. Real food on a budget doesn’t have to be impossible. In this blog post, we will give 10 tips for saving money while still eating real food!
After all, every penny counts.
First before we start, let’s go over what real food is first. In general, real food refers to meals that do not include artificial substances or chemical additives. These items and meals, also known as “whole foods,” are simply produced with minimal amounts of additives.
Eating real food doesn’t always mean you are following a diet like paleo or whole food 30. If this is your goal, you probably will lose weight, in a healthy way, just by ditching the junk and eating real foods.
87% of Americans don’t eat recommended amount of Vegetables daily.
The Barbeque Lab
Check out our list of tips below:
Meal plan and Prep
Meal planning is a great way to save money on groceries. When you have a plan, you’re less likely to buy items that you don’t need. You can also prepare some of your meals ahead of time, which will help you save both time and money.
Prepare Real Food that you love!
Prepared meals are only as healthy and budget-friendly as the ingredients used. For example, if you prepare a frozen pizza with pre-made sauce from the store, it’s not going to be very healthy or tasty. Instead of buying all these processed foods, try making your Real Food meals with real ingredients.
Real food on a budget doesn’t have to be boring!
You can make tasty Real Food that’s still good for you, and it won’t break the bank. For example, instead of buying pre-made sauces in jars or cans, you could use spices and seasonings to give your food flavor. This is a great way to add variety to your meals without spending a lot of money.
Cook in Bulk
When you cook in bulk, you can save both time and money. You can either cook for the entire week or freeze leftovers for later use.
Eat More Soup
After writing the blog post, I was aware that my Real Food meals were getting boring and needed more variety. So I started looking for recipes to spice up Real Foods like soups! This is when I came across a whole bunch of amazing soup recipes that turned out to be super affordable. Since then, eating healthy has become so much easier because there are thousands of soup recipes available. Here are some delicious soup combinations:
- Chunky Vegetable Bean Soup
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Corn and Quinoa
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
- Minestrone Soup
- Chili
Tip: To make soup even more affordable, use dried beans. An instant pot makes it super simple to soups quickly.
Have you ever made your own soup? What’s the best recipe that you’ve come up with so far? Leave a comment below.
Store food properly
If you want your Real Food to last, you need to store it properly. Make sure to keep perishable items in the fridge and pantry, and cook or freeze leftovers within a few days.
Take advantage of seasonal produce
When produce is in season, it’s typically cheaper at the store. Take advantage of this and stock up on your favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Plan Ahead for Special Occasions
If you know you’re going to have a party or get-together, it’s helpful to plan ahead. This way, you can buy the ingredients you need without spending too much money.
Don’t rely on Convenience Foods
Food like frozen pizzas or boxed dinners – they’re pretty unhealthy, and they’re expensive! Make Real Food that you love instead.
Take Advantage of Sales
Both in-store and online. If a major grocery store chain has an amazing deal on Real Food items one week, buy as much as your budget allows so you can save money for the upcoming weeks or months. You could even set up email alerts to notify you when certain items go on sale. Or sign up for cash back programs with stores like InboxDollars (a great way to earn extra money while saving). Online deals are just as good — if not better than in-store deals because there’s no shipping fee! Also make sure to check out Groupon Coupons where we frequently post Real Food coupons!
Don’t forget about “hidden” Real foods.
There are plenty of Real Foods that don’t cost much at all, such as eggs and beans (and there’s a reason they’re staples in the diets of many people around the world!). If you want to eat healthy but can only afford basics like rice or oatmeal, try cooking them with these Real Foods instead.
At the end of the day, it’s easy to get bored of eating the same thing over and over again, but Real Food doesn’t have to be boring.
There are so many ways you can change up your recipes without spending a lot of money on ingredients. For example, if you love chicken, why not try different marinades? Or how about changing up sides and going with roasted veggies instead of buying frozen ones?
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