The Challenge of Healthy Diet in a Limited Budget

When it comes to eating healthy, usually we think of the number of dollars we should spend on our diet. As a matter of fact, we all know about costliness on almost everything, which leads us to thought about our budget. Well, some of you might not be taking a healthy diet plan, which is affecting your health as well.

The food expenses are always reduced, finding the healthy ingredients on a limited budget is always a challenge for all. As we all know, eating healthy is important for mental and physical health. However, eating well on a budget and struggling with a tight financial future make you think twice and more about yourself. Financial issues and a healthy diet create a barrier, and finding both at the same time is such a difficult challenge.

When you are starving and short of money, you find eating fast-food as the best option in the limited money. The convenience food is satisfying, tasty, and could not cost enough money. However, it is filled with calories and preservatives that are not good for health. They are effective for budget but not giving the amount of nutrition your body requires. People think that fast-food is more affordable than home-made food. We do not have an idea that there are items available in stores at low-price that would not affect your budget.

Create a Shopping List 

When you are making a realistic grocery list in your budget, figure out what amount you have to spend. Track the amount you have spent on your meal in the previous month, then you realize how much you can spend in the on-going month.

Start making the list from, ‘if this then not that’. Prioritize the fresh food and the basic ingredients. The list may include tea, sugar, spices, Kgs of meat, whole grains, lentils, vegetables, dairy products, cheese, sauces, olives, mushrooms, etc. The list goes with whatever you need to proceed with a healthy diet, and the quantity will be following the whole month.

Purchase from Generic and Low-priced Stores

Few stores cost more than the normal price. Some of the stores sell double of the actual price which will surely put damage on your budget. Figure out which store is more generic and has the best price list. It is far better to shop from conventional stores than the ones with the brand name. There is no big difference between the quality but has a big difference in the price.

Do Bulk Buying 

If you want to save money and time, buy items in bulk that can easily be stored for the whole month. If you have enough space, buy whole grains, onions, potatoes, frozen items, canned foods, coffee, cereals, flour, canned vegetables, etc. Bulk buying will help you analyze what you already have and what you have to buy in the upcoming month.

Take Benefit of Sales and Promotions

Sales and promotions that happen after every 2 or 3 months will give you benefit in bulk buying. If you have enough space in your pantry, buy the staple items at that time and save your money for the next 2 to 3 months.