Healthy Eating On A Budget

Folks across America are under the misconception that you need to have mega bucks to eat healthy. This is totally not the case. Fact: If you follow the guidelines and implement the choices below....you will save an incredible amount of money!

And...keep this in mind: If you're eating healthy, nutritious meals, getting your workouts in and making your best effort to get your proper rest....you'll BE running at peak levels! You'll be at the top of your game!

Overall General Tips:

* Buy in bulk. Separate then freeze and or refrigerate portions for you and your family. Utilize Tupperware type containers and plastic bags, foil etc. for bulk storage. This concept is in essence your own "convenience" "healthy fast food" menu that you'll always have on hand. Also saves on gas....less trips to the store or your favorite overpriced restaurant.
* Don't eat out. Eat and or prepare ALL meals at home from scratch. You'll over pay anywhere from 5 to 20-30 times the cost by eating out. Profit margins are huge in the restaurant industry overall....and that's money OUT of your pocket. Plan, plan and plan again so you aren't stuck over paying for a meal you really don't want.
* Don't over eat! This is pretty self explanatory. Portions sizes in America overall...are just too large.
* Don't eat take out or delivery. Big time mark ups on these choices.
* Don't buy deli concoctions. Take the idea that you see in the deli show case....and make your own homemade version.
* Use a crock pot type of thing to prepare many different kinds of soups, stews and sauces for your family. Bake a casserole. Again here....divide into portions and store.
* Take lunches to work and or pack lunches for the kids. Use coolers and ice packs.
* Buy fresh foods at farms or farmers markets. We're coming into summer here to this is a great time to get awesome deals on fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Grow your own vegetables and fresh herbs.
* Make your own salad dressings using, olive oil, vinegar and or nonfat yogurt and your favorite herbs and spices. (fresh garlic, ginger, dill, basil, onion etc.)
* Eliminate juices, sodas and any other form of processed hydration. You'll waste tons of cash on these. STAY WITH FRESH WATER as your drink of choice. Flavor with a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or orange for variation.
* Buy thermos or container that you can constantly re-use for water, soup, tea etc.
* Eliminate junk and processed foods. Excess sodium and sugar encourage over consumption. Not only are these foods bad value and a waste of money....but they are void of healthy nutrition.
* Plan your grocery trips out. This will eliminate impulse buying. Also; don't go to the grocery store hungry.
* Find one or maybe two places close by that you shop at regularly to avoid spending excess $$ gas on over driving around.

The overall message here: PLAN, PLAN AND THEN PLAN AGAIN. You'll see the results with the extra cash you'll have at the end of each month. We've become so accustomed to "convenience" by the food industry....and in the process we've been programmed to excessively over spend on our nutrition. With proper and thought out planning....we are fully and easily able to create "our own version of convenience" by following the tips above. AND...we'll become healthier versions of ourselves along with built in weight control in the process.

Foods That are Excellent Value for Money and Nutrition:

* Chicken, turkey and or ground versions of these as well as lean ground beef. Buy frozen in bulk or bake a large chicken or turkey then divide portions and freeze. Use for sandwiches, soups and casseroles.
* Eggs. Can be cooked many different ways and used along with other foods.
* Farmers market or frozen veggies. Find the deals on these...they're out there. Any concern for spoilage due to not eating your veggies soon after purchase...work in the frozen veggies. (plain...no highly processed sauces)
* Beans and brown rice. Add in a frozen or fresh vegetable. Use your own fresh herbs spices and homemade sauces. Nutritionally and financially this is the best meal out there. If there was one food left on earth....and it had to be the perfect food...it would be beans. Any kind...black, pinto, red, white....all work well. And brown rice is loaded with B vitamins and is a good source of fiber.
* Quinoa, couscous or even high protein/fiber whole wheat pastas in bulk. ...in addition to brown and wild rice choices.
* Homemade soups, casseroles and stews.
* Look for deals on large bag spinach and lettuce.
* Iced Green tea. (homemade) Pack of 100 tea bags will cost you between 10 and $12 which will make gallons and gallons of tea.
* If you drink coffee....don't buy at a Starbucks type place. This will save you big money. Prepare at home and travel with a thermos.
* Go out to the country and pick your own fresh fruit. (again...we're coming up on a great time of year for this) Or...buy from the grocery in large bags...vs. individually.
* Tuna. This can be used in many different ways.
* High fiber oatmeal. You can incorporate some whey protein powder (which can also be purchased in bulk) to add in your protein.
* Use a Brita type thing for fresh filtered water vs. buying in plastic bottles.

Most all of the meals recommended in The Robert Reames Lifestyle Transformation, Permanent Weight Loss System done in the recommended portions can easily be done by following the above tips for well under $1. Compare this to a fast food, boxed pre-packaged food or a convenience food trip that is nutritionally inferior -- and the cost savings are astronomical. (And you get fit...not fat!)

Combine all of the above choices in balanced meal planning using your own herbs, spices and sauce combos....sky's the limit here! Look for the good deals out there on herbs and spices and maintain this collection in your kitchen. www.robertreames.com

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Robert Reames is a personal/group trainer, nutritionist, motivational speaker and the creator of The Robert Reames Lifestyle Transformation; Permanent Weight Loss System. He is the author of Make Over Your Metabolism, currently working in his sixth season as the head trainer/nutritionist for Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Race/Challenge and is a spokesperson for Gold's Gym International. For more info, log on to: www.robertreames.com.

Comments

[Mystic71]

I guess it depends on how you define "healthy". If you're talking about our hormone laced meats and milk, pesticide covered produce and canned foods that contain preservatives that make us ill, then I agree that stocking up at your local warehouse type club can save you money. The truth is, buying healthy, organic, preservative and hormone free is very expensive and our typical middle class household can't afford it.

I agree with you though, now that it's summertime, hitting the farmers markets (if you live near one) can be a very good option. And depending on where you live, some farms have an option where you can purchase selections of (hormome free) meats directly from them and as they are ready, they will package them for you and you could pick them up.

I wish buying organic was consistantly more affordable.

[Idytme]

Just want to correct a typo, it should be about 15% of gross sales, which is still about half of what goes on with retail - when they are not getting raw product and creating finished product all in one day, do not have to worry about products going bad (just out of style) and do not have the overhead that most restaurants do. They don't have to buy silverware constantly being lost or thrown away, get table clothes services, pay for appliances that go out or any of the rest. I worked as a restaurant consultant for a few years, in combination with my partner who was a Chef. Our best advice to anyone and everyone is not to get in the business. It can turn into a big black hole that sucks out all your money. If you really know what you are doing you can do well, but even the experts have restaurants that go under. It is one of the hardest businesses there is.

[Idytme]

While I do not disagree with 90% of your recommendations, I want to point out that the best run, food conscious restaurants have a 30% food cost. Badly run restaurants have much higher costs. (can't speak to fast food). That is before paying for gas and electric which is an *insane* cost even in small places and then employees and all the rest. Normal profit is 5% off gross sales. Restaurants do *not* work off big margins, we haven't even counted all the food that goes bad, or walks out the back door.
All in all you will be saving about half your money by cooking it yourself, but you will pay for out of your own "time" pocket the prep, cost of cooking and clean up. Never on a cooking show to they show you all the time it takes to clean the pans.
I am about a 100% home cooker but having been in the restaurant business for many years and almost all the jobs, except cook or Chef, and having worked from more the lower end to the very high end I can tell you that they *do not* have *huge* profit margins!