Collards, Carrots and Lentils (click image for recipe)
Most people consider it common knowledge that healthy food is expensive and unhealthy food is cheap—that’s why we’re all so fat, right?
But for most people it does not need to be this way. Since I upgraded my healthstyle not only have I lost weight and become healthier, I have also managed to save more money.
How?
In a nut shell, I started cooking more at home.
It is a sad reflection on our culture that so many people rely on fast food for their daily sustenance, and my heart goes out to those who truly cannot afford better. But I contend that many of the bad decisions we make about food each day are more an issue of (perceived) convenience than price.
Last I checked burritos in San Francisco averaged over $5. And if you have properly set up your kitchen you will find it actually takes less time to cook a healthy meal than it does to place and fill your order at El Farolito.
Every penny counts in this brutal economy. Here are a few tricks you can use to save a buck and get a little healthier too.
10 Tips For Eating Healthy On A Budget
Cook at home The most important change I made to save money was to turn cooking at home into my default option rather than rely on neighborhood eateries as my go-to cop out. Eating out is expensive, no matter which way you cut it.
Shop on weekends If you already have fresh food in the fridge you will be more motivated to cook for yourself instead of going out and spending money. Make the habit of buying food ahead of time and you won’t be as tempted to waste money going out.
Shop seasonally When choosing what to eat, taste trumps health 90% of the time. (That’s why you rolled your eyes when I suggested you eat fewer burritos.) If you really want to start eating healthy you must want to eat vegetables, and that will only happen if the ones you buy taste delicious. Seasonal, farm fresh produce can completely change how you feel about vegetables and fruits—it also tends to be the best deal in the produce section.
Shop at the farmers market In my experience the best tasting produce in a chain grocery store is at Whole Foods. But if you have ever been shopping there you know what a dent it can put in your wallet (this does not apply to their non-fresh items, which are competitively priced and often cheaper than other stores). Rather than handing over your Whole Paycheck or settling for less than inspiring options at Safeway, do your weekly produce shopping at your local farmers market. If you shop intelligently (see below) you can get 2 meals for the cost of one burrito.
Focus on leafy greens Leafy greens like kale, chard, collards, spinach and broccoli are some of the most nutritious, least expensive things you can buy. And this is true at any grocery store, not just the farmers market. Frequently, half a bunch of kale with some beans, grains and herbs is my entire dinner and costs around $1.50. It also takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Can you beat that?
Buy in bulk Canned beans are fine, but dried beans taste better and are way cheaper. Grains from the bulk bins at your local health food store are only pennies per serving. Cook these staples in large batches and save them in your freezer for cheap, quick and nutritious food anytime. This is also true of lentils. Just add some greens and you’re good to go.
Eat less meat This is probably the easiest way to save money. Whether at the grocery store or at restaurants meat is always the most expensive thing on the menu. I do not advocate a vegetarian diet, but limiting meat to once or twice a week is an easy way to cut back on both calories and expenses. If you are worried about protein (you needn’t be) you can eat beans, eggs and lentils instead.
Use fish from cans Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, but fresh fish can be expensive (especially the wild sustainable kinds). Canned salmon, sardines (boneless, skinless), smoked mackerel and anchovies are inexpensive alternatives for protein, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
Make fruit dessert If you think the farmers market is expensive my bet is you spend most of your money on fruits. I am the first to admit that fruit can be very expensive, especially summertime berries and stone fruits. While I do recommend you invest in some high-quality farmers market fruit, it will be easier on your wallet if you consider fruit a treat.
Think long term I am not arguing that buying every single food item at the farmers market is the cheapest way to shop, but it is almost certainly the healthiest. Our hedonistic tendencies may incline us toward cheap, greasy foods but you should consider what you are really paying for in the long run. Poor diet can be attributed to most cases of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and a generally difficult, painful life. And I probably don’t need to convince you that a farm fresh salad costs less than a hospital trip and a lifetime of medication. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive, but unhealthy eating can cost you your life.
What are your favorite money saving tips for healthy eating?
This post was originally published on May 20, 2009.
Lots of talk this week about the pros and cons of local foods. Also, congress says pizza is a vegetable, heritage turkeys are the greatest thing since bacon and coffee/tea may reduce your risk of mercury exposure from fish.
Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato), Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.
The Inefficiency of Local Food <<BS of the week. If you aren’t sure why biological systems shouldn’t be treated like machines, check out Joel Salatin’s new book Folks, This Ain’t Normal (review coming soon). (Freakonomics)
Congress Blocks New Rules on School Lunches <<BS of the week, part deux. You’ve probably heard that congress decreed pizza is a vegetable this week. What I learned in this article was that the real question was how much sauce (certainly full of sugar) counted as a vegetable. Apparently if more sauce was required the pizza lobbyists would have been upset (but instead they’re happy). And no, this is not from The Onion. (New York Times)
What’s the Deal With Heritage Turkeys? <<I never liked Thanksgiving food. Granted my family’s poor cooking skills are the primary reason, but another big one is that big, dry turkeys are not the best endorsement. Everything poultry changed for me when I discovered heritage turkeys and chickens. Mind blowing. (YumSugar)
Is cheese better than butter for heart health? <<So this was funded by the dairy industry… BUT it is actually a well-designed study. Also it’s the third or fourth pro-cheese for health study I’ve seen in the past few months. The working hypothesis is there is added benefit because cheese is the leading source of vitamin K2 in the diet. (Medline)
How To Make Candy Apple Cookies <<I’m generally not a huge fan of sweets, but if you’re going to have something every now and then apple-based “cookies” a pretty good choice. Personally I’d lean toward more natural and healthy toppings (dark chocolate, peanuts, dried fruit, etc.), but the proof of principle here is cool. Also, huge congrats to my friend Brit for launching her new creative living site! (Brit)
I had to restrain myself from including 20 articles in this week’s post, but for your sake I kept it to my usual top 10. Whatever you do don’t miss Bittman’s calculations on the price of broccoli versus McDonald’s, how easy it is to sell fruit to kids, how global warming is affecting the fishing industry, how the food industry is responding to the Real Food movement, and the other five articles.
Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.
Links of the week
Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? <<Though there have been some valid criticisms that this may not apply to those in extreme poverty, it certainly applies to a good chunk of the population (college students, I’m looking at you) who complain about the cost of healthy food. (New York Times)
When Chefs Move the Fruit <<Hey, guess what! When you make fruit look tasty by putting it in colorful bowls sales increase by 104% in schools. Why not try it in your kitchen? (ScienceDaily)
Food products described as artisan go mainstream <<While this kind of makes me want to vomit, it also kind of makes me really happy because it means there is a demand for quality again. I’m hoping consumers are smart enough to tell the difference between authenticity and marketing. (Los Angeles Times)
Humans on a Cafeteria Diet <<Want to get people to voluntarily eat 50% more than they normally would? Feed them American junk food. (Whole Health Source)
LENTIL SALAD | BROWN BAG CHALLENGE <<This beautiful lentil salad looks like so many of my lunches I had to share. SO easy and delicious, from one of my favorite blogs Chez Us.
This week I found a couple inspiring stories about food communities in New York, a scary wakeup call about genetically modified foods and some different perspectives on the roles of politics and economy in healthy eating.
Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.
Links of the week
Surviving Hurricane Irene’s Agricultural Destruction <<Hurricane Irene has had a tremendous impact on local farms in the northeast, but some innovative new companies are stepping up to the challenge. (Forbes)
Farm subsidies stand accused <<BS of the week. This article attempts to make a case that cheap corn and wheat are not what’s fueling our obesity epidemic. While there are certainly many factors, imagine how different it would be if the cheapest foods were broccoli and spinach. (Chicago Tribune)
How to Stay a Foodie Family on Food Stamps <<Fortunately, some people have found a way to eat healthy regardless of the bad economy. I love this article, so inspiring. (Civil Eats)
Gastronomy 101 <<Oh how I wish my high school had classes like this. This is a fantastic read, highly recommended. (Gilt Taste)
Slower eating pace keeps kilos off – study <<Eating slowly, mindfully and chewing food thoroughly is one of the most under appreciated ways to drop weight. (New Zealand Herald)
The art of dashboard dining <<While this kind of grosses me out, I appreciate the creativity. (Washington Post)
Viruses in the Human Gut Show Dynamic Response to Diet <<We all respond differently to the same diet. Part of the reason is genetics, and another is the different friendly bacteria living in our guts. I didn’t realize there were a bunch of viruses in there too. Nutrition is complicated. (Science Daily)
SWEET CORN CEVICHE <<The corn is so delicious right now, and I think the recipe is a perfect way to highlight it. (Sprouted Kitchen)
Tough decisions were made this week to narrow it down to 10 stories. Love the calorie infographic, also the commentary by Dr. Ludwig on industrial food and the “small” 32 oz. soda at a SF movie theater.
Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg, Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.
Links of the week
Where Do Americans Get Their Calories? (Infographic) <<This is REALLY cool. Notice grain consumption increased nearly 50% (just like the AHA recommends), same with added fat (aka processed vegetable oils) and sugars. Veggie intake hasn’t changed, nor has dairy, and barely “meat, egg and nuts”. Fruit has gone up. Sounds like we’re obeying the food pyramid, yet eating 25% more calories and gaining weight and disease faster than ever. Lovely. (CivilEats)
Sweet! Candy eaters surprisingly slimmer <<Interestingly, this study relied on a 24hr recall questionnaire, meaning that it didn’t actually test candy eating, but the awareness of candy eating. Mindful eating may be the key factor. (MSNBC)
(The Novice Chef)
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