Eating healthy can scare off a lot of women, they perceive it as time consuming, complicated and expensive. Not true! Eating healthy can be quick, simple, easy, and budget friendly. And you get so many added benefits: happy digestion, glowing skin, clear thinking, good energy and a foundation for a healthy and long life.
Here are the tips that I follow and share with my clients for healthy and affordable food choices.
BUY IN SEASON
Shopping for produce that is in season in your location will ensure that you are buying it at it’s peak of freshness and at the best price. Buying out of season produce often means that it has been transported and stored for a long time until it got to your store’s shelves and it will likely be more expensive. Eating locally and seasonally has many health benefits too, it brings your body into harmony and balance with nature.
Many places have a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, where you can team up with your local community and buy local produce directly from farmers. Check your area to see if it’s available to you.
In the past year I have been buying organic produce from Misfits Market and I absolutely LOVE IT that I have been recommending them to EVERYONE! If you are lucky enough to live in their area of delivery (U.S. only) check them out here: MISFITS MARKET . They save you money while reducing food waste by selling a variety of local and imperfect produce that is totally fresh and delicious.
BUY IN BULK
The bulk section of my health food store is where I buy most of my dried goods. I can select the exact quantity and because of the higher turnover, it is much fresher than packaged foods. AND it is more affordable – win, win! It is also where you will find some of the healthiest choices for meal staples. Grains like brown rice, oats and quinoa. Legumes like chickpeas, lentils and beans. Seeds like chia, flax and sesame. Nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews. Dry fruits like dates, figs and prunes. Make it your staple station!
MAKE YOUR OWN
Making a salad dressing is ALWAYS cheaper than buying a bottles one. And guess what? It’s also fresher, healthier and tastier.
Soaking and cooking grains and beans is so much cheaper than buying canned or prepared.
I recently bought some sprouted grains but after I compared their price to none sprouted, I realized that they were ridiculously expensive! No more! Sprouting your own grains and beans is easy peasy!
Here is a video tutorial for easy at home sprouting:
https://youtu.be/XGSzktw2S3A
BUY FROZEN
Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen in their growing seasons and maintain many of their nutrients so if you’re buying out of season produce, frozen is a good choice. Frozen produce will often be more affordable than out of season produce and it is great for making quick meals.
COOK A DOUBLE BATCH AND FREEZE
It takes the same amount of time to make a small pot of lentil soup as a large one. When you make soups, stews, casseroles and animal proteins, cook double, portion it and freeze it. That way you have ready meals in your freezer and you will spend less money on eating out or ordering food when you don’t feel like cooking.
FOCUS ON THE ‘DIRTY DOZEN’
Organic produce is more expensive, sometimes A LOT more expensive. If you care about reducing pesticides from your food but don’t want to always pay organic prices focus on the ‘dirty dozen’ list. Every year, EWG (Environmental Working Group) reveals their list of the dozen produce items that are most contaminated with pesticides. Make sure that you buy (at least) these produce in their organic version.
Here is their ‘Dirty Dozen’ list for 2019:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Which ones of these tips will you try? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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