How do you eat healthy on a low income?!
Question: Vegetables have a lot of things going for them and should never be ignored no matter how much money you have. Vegetables are usually less expensive when they are fresh as opposed to canned or frozen. Bags of red kidney beans, oats, wheat germ, whole rice, and flax are great additions to any pantry. Potatoes are inexpensive filler, but too much potatoe isn't healthy.
If and when you eat meat, keep the portions to 4oz. or less, since your body can't efficiently digest all of meat's goodness in quantities larger than that but can still manage to retain all the excess fat.
Lets talk about beverages. These can be a huge money drain. Other than milk, tea, and water (tap water if safe is much cheaper than bottled) Some of you noticed right off the bat that I didn't list coffee. I don't drink it, so I don't feel the need some of you do. There are some studies that show coffee can have health benefits. Look into that yourself and weigh if it is worth it or not. Red wine has health benefits too, but also risks, so again, weigh it for yourself. If you pay a deposit for any beverage container, make sure you save it to get your deposit back.
Fish can be expensive, but unless you supplement your essential fatty acids with liquid or pills, they should be included in your diet. Make sure you do a bit of research on which fish to eat and how often is safe. Wild salmon (depending on where it was harvested) is a good choice. Canned tuna, although a good inexpensive source of fish protein, shouldn't be eaten too often because of heavy metal concerns, but if you get tired of vegetables or you need a quick fix, pop one open and enjoy, but leave out the mayo. Try BBQ or soy sauce instead for a zangy treat.
Buying in bulk can be less expensive, but buy quantities that are small enough that they won't be wasted.
Keep in mind that the more processing and packaging food is, the worse value you will get. Additionally, most of your protein will be soy, and a large portion of your carbohydrates will be corn. Boxed cereal is very expensive compared to oats and other milled/unprocessed cereals.
I don't eat much beef either and no pork. It doesn't digest well, and most american fed beef isn't good for you. They feed the cows corn and soy, which messes up the cows bodies and the amino acid and fat profiles of the meat is much worse. The one good side is that the price should (in theory) be lower. If you do want beef, ground sirloin is a fairly lean, inexpensive option. Consider mixing in some oats and onions to make the meat go farther.
If you cut meat out of your diet, you should eat/drink enough dairy to get your needed calcium. Cheese is a particular weakness of mine, but it can be expensive and very fatty. One of the only healthy and cheap cheese is low fat/fat free cottage cheese. I can't stand eating it straight, but I sprinkle cinnamon and add microwaved apple pieces, and granola, and it actually tastes good to me. Granola isn't cheap, but it is a great flavor enhancer to a lot of things when sprinkled on top.
A couple of things I splurge on, I'll list.
Although I don't buy a lot of organic products, I try to get organic, vegetarian fed, free range chicken eggs. They cost nearly double, but are much healthier. Just don't eat too many eggs and the additional cost should be marginal.
Red bell peppers are much more expensive than green bell peppers, but have several times the vitamin content, plus I think they taste a lot better.
Consider composting your food waste, and growing your own organic vegies and herbs.
Shop around. The asian market where I live sells for a lot less than the big guys, but the selection is thinner.
For snacks, dried soy beans, raw nuts that haven't been shelled for you, some fruits, carrots, cuecumbers, simple salads, and leftovers are cost effective.
I hope this helps.
Answers: Vegetables have a lot of things going for them and should never be ignored no matter how much money you have. Vegetables are usually less expensive when they are fresh as opposed to canned or frozen. Bags of red kidney beans, oats, wheat germ, whole rice, and flax are great additions to any pantry. Potatoes are inexpensive filler, but too much potatoe isn't healthy.
If and when you eat meat, keep the portions to 4oz. or less, since your body can't efficiently digest all of meat's goodness in quantities larger than that but can still manage to retain all the excess fat.
Lets talk about beverages. These can be a huge money drain. Other than milk, tea, and water (tap water if safe is much cheaper than bottled) Some of you noticed right off the bat that I didn't list coffee. I don't drink it, so I don't feel the need some of you do. There are some studies that show coffee can have health benefits. Look into that yourself and weigh if it is worth it or not. Red wine has health benefits too, but also risks, so again, weigh it for yourself. If you pay a deposit for any beverage container, make sure you save it to get your deposit back.
Fish can be expensive, but unless you supplement your essential fatty acids with liquid or pills, they should be included in your diet. Make sure you do a bit of research on which fish to eat and how often is safe. Wild salmon (depending on where it was harvested) is a good choice. Canned tuna, although a good inexpensive source of fish protein, shouldn't be eaten too often because of heavy metal concerns, but if you get tired of vegetables or you need a quick fix, pop one open and enjoy, but leave out the mayo. Try BBQ or soy sauce instead for a zangy treat.
Buying in bulk can be less expensive, but buy quantities that are small enough that they won't be wasted.
Keep in mind that the more processing and packaging food is, the worse value you will get. Additionally, most of your protein will be soy, and a large portion of your carbohydrates will be corn. Boxed cereal is very expensive compared to oats and other milled/unprocessed cereals.
I don't eat much beef either and no pork. It doesn't digest well, and most american fed beef isn't good for you. They feed the cows corn and soy, which messes up the cows bodies and the amino acid and fat profiles of the meat is much worse. The one good side is that the price should (in theory) be lower. If you do want beef, ground sirloin is a fairly lean, inexpensive option. Consider mixing in some oats and onions to make the meat go farther.
If you cut meat out of your diet, you should eat/drink enough dairy to get your needed calcium. Cheese is a particular weakness of mine, but it can be expensive and very fatty. One of the only healthy and cheap cheese is low fat/fat free cottage cheese. I can't stand eating it straight, but I sprinkle cinnamon and add microwaved apple pieces, and granola, and it actually tastes good to me. Granola isn't cheap, but it is a great flavor enhancer to a lot of things when sprinkled on top.
A couple of things I splurge on, I'll list.
Although I don't buy a lot of organic products, I try to get organic, vegetarian fed, free range chicken eggs. They cost nearly double, but are much healthier. Just don't eat too many eggs and the additional cost should be marginal.
Red bell peppers are much more expensive than green bell peppers, but have several times the vitamin content, plus I think they taste a lot better.
Consider composting your food waste, and growing your own organic vegies and herbs.
Shop around. The asian market where I live sells for a lot less than the big guys, but the selection is thinner.
For snacks, dried soy beans, raw nuts that haven't been shelled for you, some fruits, carrots, cuecumbers, simple salads, and leftovers are cost effective.
I hope this helps.
buy Brown rice in bulk, eggs, local fruits and veggies..... oh, and shop at trader joes..... so cheap.
dont let words like organic fool you, they are all healthy!
Go vegetarian. You'd be surprised how far your money can go when eggs, cheese & (I prefer soy) milk are your protein staples. Everything else is even cheaper: bread, fruits/veggies, cereals, grains, legumes, etc.
Re the snacks part, I bought a great book for a friend (and one for myself). It's called The Teens Vegetarian Cookbook by Judy Krizmanic. Tons of snack / bag lunch / breakfast on the go ideas. Good for all ages, not just teens, and I'm recommending it because it's one of those good 'starter' cookbooks.
grow a garden, it's fresh, healthy and as cheap as it gets!
Survive on pastas and rice. There was a time I was so poor I ate that and 99 cent bean burritos from Taco Bell. Anything to fill you up.
Buy your food in bulk such cheese, and ect.dairy products,fruits and veges.and ect.
Bananas are one of the cheapest and healthiest snacks you can buy. Most people are low on potassium and bananas are an excellent source (will especially help balance out those salty cheap foods like ramen). Carrots are usually pretty cheap too and full of vitamin A for healthy vision and nice skin. When buying fruits and vegetables, look for what is on sale and in season. Watermelon may be cheap in the summer but oranges will be cheaper in winter, etc. Frozen vegetables are great too - they are just as nutritious as fresh and much cheaper. Stay away from canned though.
You can get some store brand whole wheat pasta and a jar of store brand tomato sauce and add some veggies for a cheap meal. If you're going to eat ramen add veggies and only use half the seasoning packet. Buy milk or soymilk in the shelf stable packaging - it's cheaper. I found westsoy for 1.16 a quart at wal mart, cheaper than even cow's milk and tastes just as good. If you hunt or know somebody that does and will share with you, that is a very healthy and cheap protein source. Stores like Aldi and Sav-A-Lot are great places to shop when you are on a budget. Wal mart's great value brand is great too. If you have the space, plant a garden and maybe keep a few chickens.
Eat vegetables,fruit juices and less meat they shouldn't be that expensive.I suggest you visit some asian resturant once a while , not a typical chinese resturant.Asian foods would surely provide you with good nourishment.Avoid to much of french fries,coke,pizzas and burgers.