On Tuesday, I said I’d cover how to fulfill common New Year’s resolutions without spending too much – or anything at all. On Wednesday, I talked about how to help others without spending anything, and on Thursday, I talked about how to exercise on the cheap. Today I’m going to talk about how to eat healthy without breaking the bank.
1. Breakfast. Most important meal of the day! A lot of us rush out the door without eating anything, and then end up picking up McDonald’s or a bagel smothered in cream cheese. A very cheap option you can prepare in advance is Steel Cut Oats. I cook up a pot on Sunday night, then take a container in each day and heat it up at work. I add some berries and a bit of cinnamon, and voila! Instant breakfast. You can buy a bag of Steel Cut Oats for about 5 dollars, and I find it’ll last me almost a month. It’s very filling, and very economical.
2. Lunch. It’s so tempting to hit the food court instead of brown bagging it. You can always pack left overs, but if you’re looking for something healthy and low cost, try this. Cook up spinach, peppers and mushrooms in olive oil, then throw in some beans. You can wrap it up in a tortilla and add a bit of spaghetti sauce. You get a great, healthy meal, and it’s very filling! I found wrapping it and taking it to work didn’t really work well – I just ended up putting bits of tortilla on top of the veggies and beans.
3. Dinner. Try batch cooking, and make things up like vegetarian chilis or lentil soups in advance. If you have plenty of healthy food waiting for you, you’ll be less likely to reach for chicken nuggets or pizza, or order in. On nights we hit the gym, it’s great to have a container of food just waiting for us when we get home.
4. Snacks. Don’t buy them. I have no willpower. I’ll freely admit it. If it’s in the house, I’ll eat it. So, I just can’t buy something and portion it out – I just can’t have it at all.
What are your favourite ways to eat healthy on the cheap?
That’s a great idea about the oatmeal…I don’t know why I never thought about it. I’ll have to pass it on to my wife as she loves oatmeal. Our favorite things are to garden and make as much as we can ourselves so we know what we’re eating. I am with you on keeping stuff out of the house. I love ice cream and if it’s here it gets eaten. Thus, we don’t buy it…problem solved.
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We’re trying to buy NO snacks at all in our house unless it’s something healthy. So far it’s been working thankfully!
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We tend to cook homemade but we also like to limit our proteins and eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains. We hardly if ever eat out and always bring a lunch to work. I have a small allowance and it usually gets eaten up by my beer and the odd Tim Horton’s coffee because I it’s my time at work to pay for the round. I think eating cheap is alot easier than people think they just need to plan and put their minds to it. Mr.CBB
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Great tips. We do all of these things. We love steel cut oats. Have you tried it with pumpkin? Delicious. We typically blend up smoothies during the week which are fast and nutritious. We always bring our lunches to work and we meal plan and batch cook. Saves a lot of time and cash.
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