{"id":215,"date":"2014-04-29T12:13:48","date_gmt":"2014-04-29T19:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/?p=215"},"modified":"2024-04-12T11:52:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:52:59","slug":"healthy-eating-on-a-budget-can-be-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/healthy-eating-on-a-budget-can-be-done\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Eating on a Budget-Can it be done?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How often do you hear people say, \u201cI want to eat healthy, but it is just too expensive.\u201d My usual response to this is \u201cIt can be, but it doesn\u2019t have to be!\u201d<\/p>\n

But then how can you save some money and eat healthy? Below are a few tips to help you shop and eat healthy on a budget!<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/div>\n

What exactly does it mean to \u2018eat healthy\u2019? Is it about organic food, local food, unprocessed food or something else?<\/p>\n

I think it is safe to say that eating healthy means\u00a0 striving to reach your daily serving recommendations of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and dairy while limiting high fat and high sugar foods.<\/p>\n

There are many misconceptions surrounding eating healthy, some of those include needing to eat organic, only being able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables because frozen\/canned are not healthy, and finally it doesn\u2019t fit into a tight budget. All of these statements are false!<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to eat fresh fruits and vegetables only; in fact many frozen fruits\/vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts. Studies have shown that organic produce and conventional produce have little nutritional difference and therefore are pretty much the same from a nutrient perspective.<\/p>\n

Making smart shopping decisions will help keep you on a budget. There are many healthy beverages out there such as specialty juices or protein shakes. While these may be good for you, they are also expensive and can take up a large portion of your grocery budget. Protein and energy bars also tend to be expensive. Instead try getting your protein from lean meats, beans, nuts, etc, or make your own protein\/granola bars at home.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Higher Cost Item<\/b><\/th>\nLower Cost Alternative<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Protein, Energy bars, protein powders<\/td>\nLean meats such as chicken or turkey, beans, nuts, nut butter, lentils, or make your own protein bar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Juices, Smoothies, Shakes<\/td>\nWhole fruits, water, make your own smoothies\/shakes at home.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Quinoa, millet, farro<\/td>\nOats, whole grain pasta and brown rice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Plan<\/span>
\nEstablish a food budget that works for you.<\/h3>\n

When it comes to planning, it can be easier than you think. Take out a piece of paper and write out all your meals for the week. I do breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks on my menu. You could use a template from online if you find that helpful or just use a piece of notebook paper. Think how you can use your left overs for lunch the next day or turning them into another meal for dinner the next night.\u00a0Some people like to plan on cooking a large amount of an entr\u00e9e item, more than they need, and eat it throughout the week.<\/p>\n