Optimal Nutrition Series: Eating Well On A Budget
If you’ve read any of my Meal Plan articles for motocross events, then you know a diet based on natural, nutritionally dense foods is always the way to go.
All-natural healthy foods aren’t the cheapest foods in the world. They can get downright expensive, fast.
For that reason, I want to share with you a few of the things I do to save some extra cash each week on my grocery bill. Do all of these, and you’ll have no excuse for not eating a healthy high-carb diet.
5 Tips For Eating Well On A Budget
Take advantage of savings programs.
Tip #1: Sign Up For Your Grocery Store’s Savings Plan
Almost every grocery store now has its form of a savings plan – a membership that gives members exclusive discounts on items.
If you’ve never bothered to sign up, do it the next time you’re at the store. They’re almost always free, and they can save you between $1 and $6 on a single item.
When the food you buy is traditionally more expensive, those savings add up fast.
Tip #2: Become A Member Of A Warehouse Club
Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club offer annual memberships to consumers that allow you to buy larger quantities of items at discounted prices.
These discounts come in handy when purchasing frozen foods and staple food items.
A 3-pound bag of mixed frozen vegetables will cost the same for a 1-pound bag found in a grocery store. The same applies to frozen fruit, also.
Other items that are better to buy at warehouse clubs include eggs, coffee, bottled water, coconut water, nuts and seeds, and vitamins.
Know What To Buy & When To Keep Eating Well On A Budget
Tip #3: Buy Produce When It’s In Season
If store-bought frozen vegetables aren’t your cup of tea, then you can buy larger quantities of produce when it’s in season and freeze it for later use.
For example, buying a few dozen ears of corn in the spring can cost you half the price of buying it in the fall. Cut the corn off the kernel, prepare it, and place it into freezer bags for later use.
Tip #4: Buy Fattier Cuts Of Meat
The great thing about a meal plan that prepares you for an event is that you need to consume more fat. This gives you an excuse to purposely buy fatter cuts of meat, which happen to be a good bit cheaper than their leaner counterparts.
Instead of chicken breasts, pick up a pack of drumsticks. Instead of a sirloin tip side steak, pick up a top sirloin.
Tip #5: Make Soups And Freeze Them
Soups are not only cheap to make, but they’re also easy to prepare. And they can hold you over for several days (even longer, if frozen).
Here’s a simple recipe to start you off. Pour a box of chicken stock into a big pot, add some (cooked) chicken breasts, corn, beans, celery, carrots, and onions. Bring to a boil then let simmer on low until veggies are tender. This simple recipe gives you the carbs, protein, and fat you need in one single serving!
Throw in some whole grain pasta to top it all off, and you have a very inexpensive and long-lasting high-carb meal.
How about you? Do you have any money-saving tips when it comes to buying healthier foods? Feel free to share them in the comments below or on our FaceBook page!
