Everyone wants to be healthy. Nobody likes getting sick or feeling like they’re out of shape. However, many people seem to deny themselves one of the easiest ways to live well – the healthy diet. Reasons vary from personal taste to lack of available options, but one reason that seems to come up more than it should is the cost.
In many cases, healthy foods can be rather pricey compared to their more processed alternatives. Today, when everyone wants to watch their budget, cost cutting is the name of the game and our diets frequently suffer as a result. However, there are a number of ways to save money and still eat reasonably healthy foods, rather than sacrificing one for the other.
What is healthy eating?
In the last twenty years dieticians have gone from the Four Food Groups to two separate incarnations of the food pyramid. Specific proportions may vary, but some rules of thumb for healthy eating still apply.
Adults should consume a minimum number of calories per day to meet the body’s energy needs, while exercising enough to keep their weight stable. People need a certain number of vitamins and minerals, plus plenty of water and supplemental nutrients like fiber to help the body function properly.
The general theme of healthy eating is one of balance. Certain fats and LDL cholesterol are good for the body, while trans fats should be avoided. Organic foods are definitely a healthy choice, as they lack the chemical content of pesticide-treated foods, allowing consumers better control of what goes into their bodies.
However, no one list can say what is healthy for ‘everyone,’ because each person has different requirements. Advising people to eat organic, whole-wheat toast for fiber and healthy carbohydrates is great, until you realize that some people’s bodies can’t process the gluten in wheat.
Also, some people may indulge in certain less wholesome foods that don’t automatically ruin an otherwise healthy diet, when considered against the whole picture. After all, if you’re eating a fruit and vegetable heavy diet, with protein from easily digested sources like eggs and soy, having the occasional slice of white bread is not going to sabotage your diet.
The trick is to look for your specific nutritional needs, your personal tastes and preferences, and to then balance your diet around them.
OK, but what about that expensive part?
Choosing organic over heavily processed foods is healthier, but it also can be pricier, making the decision a bit difficult. Today we have a great variety of tools at our disposal, new and old, to keep the prices down. Fresh produce is often less expensive that pre-packaged foods. For example, a banana often costs less than a candy bar and is a much healthier choice.
Cash in on coupons and promotions.
Generally your local market will send out ads detailing all the deals they’re planning to offer over the next week, as well as a variety of in-store coupons. With organic foodstuffs seeing greater demand every year, stores are beginning to include these goods in their promotions.
There are a number of websites that offer weekly tips and updates on the shopping deals available in a particular area, so do a little research, clip some coupons, and look for deals. Many stores are beginning to offer online-only promotions, with coupons or vouchers printed from their websites.
Tap into your local farming community.
Join a local producers’ newsgroup, and shop around for deals. If your local supermarket is selling organic zucchini at fifty cents a pound, but a friend at the farmer’s market is supplying it for thirty, you know where to go. Network with people and keep in touch. A few minutes spent on the news board each day can save you hundreds in the long run.
Plant your own garden.
Maximize your outdoor space to plant anything from peas and peppers to lettuce and tomatoes. Even if you only have enough room for a few herbs that you grow indoors, that can add up to savings.
Any effort to save money requires a little time and thought. If you want to eat healthy without draining your wallet, take a half hour each week to do the research and prepare your strategy. Approach the effort as a challenge, rather than an obstacle and you’ll be on your way to healthy eating that won’t break the bank.
Author’s Note: This article published here.
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Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs and founders of Mark And Janet, a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. For more on going green — Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com/ or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com/
Read more articles written by Janet Davis
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