budget tips for healthy eating

Here's some tips i've learned and formed on how to eat healthy on a budget. these tips work for me, and might not be great for you. but hey, it's somewhere to start, yeah?

1. Don't eat out. You often don't know what's in the dish you're ordering, how it was prepared, etc. and it costs a whole lot more! i can eat lunch out for $7 or more, or i can buy items to prepare lunch for the whole week for about the same cost-- bread, lunchmeat, fruit, and yogurt or pudding.
2. Buy in season. Spring? buy asparagus, cabbage, tomato. Fall? buy squash, melons, corn. not only is the food tastier, it's also cheaper and has more nutrients. want fresh fruits and veggies throughout the year? look into preservation methods. last week, i bought 10 ears of corn for $1, then prepped and froze them. berries freeze well as-is.
3. Don't buy the leanest meats. the fat that's on them can often be easily cut off (steaks) or poured off after cooking (ground meats). the fat that's included increases the flavor of the meat so you're not over-seasoning (aka adding tons of sodium!)-- and contrary to popular belief, fat doesn't make you fat. too many calories make you fat. read more here.
4. buy canned tuna! it's often on sale, and goes great on sandwiches, salads, or just as a snack with triscuits. but make sure you buy the tuna packed in water, not packed in oil.
5. Bring your lunch to work-- this one ties into #1.
6. Make your own "convenient foods"-- granola, breakfast bars, fruit spreads. You control what's in it so there's often not extra sugar and sodium added, and you know that you're making it with fresh ingredients. it takes extra effort, so it depends on how expensive your time is, but as with my granola, i baked it while doing other chores around the house. just search online for recipes for items you think you could make yourself.
7. drink water. lots of water. sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're really just thirsty. so there's the diet tip. the cost tip? drink tap water. it's actually better for you than bottled water.
8. Don't waste your money on organic fruits/veggies. i can see buying organic meats for the lack of growth hormones, but organic fruits and veggies aren't regulated as much by the USDA. if you have the money to spend, by all means, buy organic if you want-- but this post is about eating healthy on the cheap, and if it comes down to buying organic or buying nothing, buy the non-organic to save money.
9. make plans to use your leftovers. one of my favorite meals is to bake a whole chicken, surrounded by potatoes, onions, and carrots. then i pick apart the leftover chicken (okay, i beg chris to do that, cause i hate to get my hands dirty) and use that for chicken salad sandwiches for a few days. think ahead.
10. eat vegetarian. not all the time, but if you try to make two or three meals a week meatless, you'll see how much you save. a good portion of my grocery budget goes to chicken, pork, etc-- and when i cut that out and instead use a filling veggie like squash, mushroom, eggplant, i save money and end up getting more vitamins and minerals.
11. eat less. seriously. ever cook a hamburger helper? those meals are supposed to have 5 servings. i usually make it maybe 3 servings. that means i'm filling up on too much of the bad stuff, and not enough of the salad and veggie sides. also, just in general, eat less! how many times in a given week do you finish a meal and feel "stuffed" rather than "satisfied"? i know i do more often than i'd like to admit. so if i don't eat as much, two things-- i have more leftovers for the next meal, and i don't have to prepare so much in the first place.

there you have it. i hope some of these suggestions are helpful. they're things that i try to follow often, as i try to make healthy meals on a budget.
enjoy!!