How To Eat Healthy On A Budget - written by Sarah Elena Elliott

One of the reasons that a lot of people don't buy healthy food is they feel that it is too expensive and it is true that organic beef is more than a box of Little Debbie snack cakes. But you shouldn't let that stop you from trying to find healthy foods that fit into your budget. The key is organization which means shopping smarter and never wasting food. Plus if you are trying to lose weight you should be eating less anyway.

Think about your current food tastes and take a look in your pantry or refrigerator. Do you notice that most of your foods are processed? While these items may be cheap and easy to prepare, chances are preparing some of your favorite dishes from scratch will save you many calories and provide more nutrients.

Create an inventory spreadsheet so that you will always know what you have on hand. This inventory spreadsheet will make grocery shopping and meal planning much easier. Once this becomes a habit, the process will become much easier.

There are several food items that you should always have on hand that will provide you with quick and nutritious meals. Beans, rice (preferably brown), potatoes, frozen vegetables, peanut butter, whole wheat bread and eggs are the perfect low-budget health foods to have on hand. Canned goods such as beans, and some vegetables are a great way to lower your calories and stick to a healthier diet on a small budget. Canned black beans or kidney beans are full of protein and fiber and low in calories in fat. You can make giant pots of chili, add them to your salads or even make your favorite Mexican dishes with them. You can save a huge amount of money when you buy bulk bags of beans and rice and beans and rice are very good for you.

Fresh produce is great, but you should only buy enough for one week at a time. If you buy more than you can eat you will waste money and food. Before going to the store check out local flyers to see what is on sale that week. Consider buying only those vegetables that you can get cheaply or on sale. Avoid bagged salad mixes which tend to have a larger markup than just a regular head of lettuce. Opt for organic produce when it is on sale. You can also buy fresh fruit in bulk that will last for the week and are great for snacking. A bag of oranges can cost about $8 a bag and apples can be as low as $3 a bag.

Onions, potatoes, and bananas tend to be very inexpensive items to keep on hand. When it comes to protein, lean and organic is best. Switching to ground turkey or chicken are both great alternatives to ground beef. Not only are they less expensive, but can be much lower in saturated fat and calories. A pound of lean ground turkey can be purchased for as little at $2 a pound and the same goes for chicken.

Also keep an eye out for weekly meat specials and stock up as much as you can. When you are eating less for you will be saving money by not buying the snacks that you don't need and shouldn't be eating anyway.