Eating Healthy On A Tight Budget

Great tips
for delicious and healthy food year around

The good news is that during the summer months eating healthy on a tight budget is much easier. And, if you follow these great tips, you will eat healthy year around.

First off, you save money on food if you grow some of it yourself. You can purchase a package of seeds for most fruits and vegetables for less than a pound of the same food in the store. The great thing is, you receive more seeds at harvest time, which makes the final cost much lower. Freeze or can any fruits or veggies you cannot consume so you have them year around.

2 - Purchase locally

Purchase your produce from farmer’s markets. This stretches your food budget considerably. You know these fruits and veggies did not have to be shipped long distances, which is better for the environment.

You may be amazed at the variety of foods available that are grown nearby.

3 - Purchase your produce in season
If you must purchase vegetables that are shipped long distance, be sure to get them when they are in season. Purchasing produce out of season means they are going to cost much more. Get to know the produce manager at your local store. He will be able to tell you which fruits and veggies are in season and how to get them at the best price.

4 - The rest of the year, buy frozen fruits and veggies
Choose frozen vegetables and fruits during the remainder of the year. Cooking and processing can deplete the nutrients in the foods you eat. So eating frozen will be healthier than eating canned food. You can also find frozen foods in larger packages for less money. This means the final cost per ounce or serving is less than what you would expect.

5 - Salads are a healthy choice
Salads are a great choice for adding nutrition during the fall and winter months and they are relatively inexpensive all year long. If you do not like washing and cutting up a salad you may want to purchase prepared salad greens. You can then add other vegetables to increase the nutritious value.

6 - Processed foods are not the best choice
Stay away from processed foods as much as possible. They have less nutritive value, which means they are not always a good choice. Consider what you’re spending your money on per serving and according to actual nutrition before you pay for it. When you see the difference in how healthy processed foods and fresh or frozen are, you may change the items on your grocery list.

7 - Your own herb garden
Grow a window herb garden rather than using dried herbs and seasonings. The small bottles of seasoning are extremely expensive. They also lose their flavor quickly so you are no better off than not using them at all. Herb kits can be picked up for little money at a hardware or home improvement store. The plants grow quickly and you can pick the herbs you want according to those your family enjoys.

8 - Water is your best choice
Finally, instead of drinking soft drinks and fruit punches choose to drink water. You can add flavor to water by squeezing lemons or limes into it. Soft drinks and fruit punches are not a healthy choice; they are laden with sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Follow these simple steps and you will be amazed at how much money you can save:

==> Grow as much of your food as you can;
==> Buy local;
==> cut out on processed foods;