Before I really knew much about nutrition, nutritional value and the happenings of our modern day food industry, price was always one of the first things I’d look at when it came to choosing what I put into my shopping cart. Taste was not far behind and I’d choose organic when I could. It’s likely that at one point or another we’ve all been on budgets and had to decide where to cut corners when it comes to purchasing what our bodies depend on for nourishment.
"Eating clean" is a phrase used to describe a healthy diet that consists of mostly natural, unprocessed foods. The term was coined by fitness and nutrition professional Tosca Reno, who wrote the "Eat Clean Diet" book along with subsequent recipe books. According to her Eat Clean Diet website, eating a clean diet helps you to feel your best, with the most energy. It can also be used to help promote weight loss. Though some of the ingredients in the "Eat Clean Diet" book are hard to find in stores and are fairly expensive, it's possible to eat clean on a budget. That being said, it’s totally possible to eat clean and be well and nourished on a budget. Here are a few tips I find helpful to make it work.
- Trade processed foods for fresh fruits and vegetables. Processed foods such as chips, cookies, candy and other snack foods generally cost more than fruits and vegetables and are also higher in fat and calories. Ohio State University Medical Center says eating a piece of fruit or a bag of freshly sliced vegetables will not only save you money, but will also save you fat and calories. Additionally, fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and cancer-fighting antioxidants that junk foods do not have.
- Make a meal plan and stick to it. If you go to the grocery store without a shopping list, you're more likely to buy impulse items such as chips and crackers. Instead, create a meal plan in which you map out all of your meals for the week, then write down a grocery list based on your meal plans. This way, there is little risk of you spending too much money on impulse items, which are also usually unhealthy.
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- Stop eating out! Start making all of your own food at home and you will save considerably! You cannot be certain what your food is prepared with so it's best if you are down to those last few lbs to just play it safe and cook at home!
- Replace 1 meal a day with Shakeology. The healthiest meal of the day and at $4 a serving it beats any fast food meal or latte you can buy! Plus it has the nutritional value of eating 5 salads in one meal! It will increase your energy, decrease cravings, help you lose weight and give you the nutrition you need in one glass. It's portable, convenient and absolutely tastes amazing!!!
- Buy generic, not name brands. You might have to double check the labels though to be sure they are of the same quality. Warning: Read the labels at Aldi's especially! I have gone their for some shopping only to realize that their low fat yogurt has high fructose corn syrup!! So check labels, they sell it cheap for a reason!!
- Some products are smart to buy in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club, because they can be frozen or stored for long periods of time and will not perish. They may also be cheaper at these stores. Things I buy in bulk are chicken, ground turkey and salmon filets in which I cut into correct portion sizes and freeze. I also get my berries, and Greek yogurt at Costco.
- If you think you won’t be able to get through all of something like fruit, veggies or lean meats, buy them frozen.. (or if the meat is not previously frozen, you can freeze the fresh stuff and it will keep for quite some time).
Here is my sample On a Budget Clean Meal Plan:
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