TRICKY EATER: Healthy eating doesn't always mean spending more
Posted By: Matt in Frugality on 04/19/2014 at 07:22:18
We all want to implement a healthier diet into our daily regimen, but that often comes with a price.
The general perception of healthy food being more expensive isn't necessarily true, as long as you are looking in the right places and buying appropriately.
Shopping for better quality foods and ones that won't expand your waistline or your budget goes beyond clipping coupons and actually is more of an exercise in patience and not being afraid to think outside the box that is your grocery store.
One of the healthier items you can put inside your grocery cart is anything that is leafy and green. That combination is potent and one that puts you in a position to live longer and prosper with the addition of a few healthy salads in place of other side dishes like macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes.
Dark greens especially rank as one of the healthier options you can have in your diet, and won't cost more than a few dollars per head of lettuce or stalk of romaine or kale.
Everyone also can agree that an apple is a simple snack, one that provides nutrients and health well above its miniscule price point. Hitting a local farmer's market in general, whether you're in search of apples, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or celery can not only support the farming community in general but often carry a much smaller price tag than your local grocer.
Fruits and vegetables can be expensive if you're too almighty to stop alongside the road and pick from a cart or the back of a pickup truck for the foods that you need.
A huge, food related activity that puts a serious dent in your budget is going out to eat at a restaurant. The better bet, both from a financial and health perspective, is cooking and prepping food at home. The amount of markup put on food within a restaurant is astronomical, so ask yourself this question: why would you pay double for a plate that you can make at home·
Of course, your time plays into this inquiry, but baking a little chicken and boiling some veggies isn't quite as vexing as you'd make it out to be. Plus, you're essentially double dipping by not only buying food for the house and eating in restaurants. Why not just focus on the former, and, ultimately, know exactly what you're eating and the subsequent ingredients you're using·
Eating better and adopting a diet that isn't detrimental to both your health and your wallet isn't as difficult as you'd think, as long as you're willing to open your mind and not close the door on shopping somewhere other than the norm.
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