These days it is incredibly hard to eat on $30 a week, let alone eat healthy. It takes real skill and determination to eat healthy on $30 a week. Everything you can afford is high in carbohydrates, fats and sugars. I have put together some helpful ideas to help you eat healthy on $30 a week.
1. Buy as much for as little as possible
- Buy food when it is on sale.
- Use every coupon you can.
- Pick up day old breads. It is still fresh. Freeze the loaf and only take out the few slices you are going to eat that day.
- Take the time to make your own meals. It is much cheaper than buying premade foods. Check out the article - 15 Key Foods To Keep You Healthy, for food choices to buy. You can buy a loaf of bread and some sandwich meat for less then what it cost to buy a sandwich. So it cost a little more to buy the condiments. You don’t use them up on one sandwich. It actually costs less to buy everything and make it yourself. It can also be cheaper to buy dried beans and unprocessed rice. You can soak beans overnight and cook them. It takes time but saves money. Unprocessed rice verses minute rice only takes a few minutes longer to cook. It is healthier and costs less. Take a real look at all the pre-packaged mixes and meals in a box. It is less costly to buy the ingredients and use a cookbook than to buy a small box or bag of something. So what if all you have to do is add water, or meat. It is actually costing you money to do it the easy way. Also keep in mind that more often than not it is healthier to make a meal than use a mix or box.
- Look for the reduced meats. They are good as long as they are eaten that day. Make friends with the local butcher or the meat department. Find out when they reduce their meats and make sure you are there when they do. For some quick easy meals check out foodnetwork.com.
- Eat healthy by boil the fat out of hamburger and chicken. Hamburger and chicken are usually cheap but fatty. Boiling it removes the fat. Hamburger can be boiled loose and then used in chilli or mixed in with tomato sauce. Meatballs are made by boiling them. Make your own meatballs and boil instead of baking or slow cooking in a sauce. Chicken can be boiled and then Barbequed or cooked any other style you like.
- Shop in bulk to get the better price. Buying big may be a little more expensive at first, but if done right can save you money and keep food in your home. Dried Beans, rice and other foods can be bought and stored for a long time.
- Buy what is in season. Usually fruits and vegetables are less expensive when they are in season. If you can buy in bulk and freeze or can some of it for later use.
2. Utilize food banks and free meal programs. Many churches offer assistance or know where you can get assistance. There are also a few organization are collecting money weekly or monthly. Then they are taking that money to buy food in bulk. This way they can get better pricing. Everyone involved is able to get more food for their money. It helps when trying to eat healthy.
3. Buy smart to get the foods you need. To eat healthy on $30 a week you need to know what the recommended daily servings of foods you need to eat each day. Men and women between 19 and 50 years should eat every day:
- A healthy diet includes 7-8 vegetables and fruit servings a day. A serving of vegetables or fruit consists of:
½ cup (125 mL) vegetable or fruit or 100% juice. It does not make a difference if it is fresh, frozen or canned
1 cup (250 mL) of salad or raw leafy vegetables
1 piece of fruit
- A healthy diet includes 6-7 grain products servings a day. A serving is considered:
35 g which is about 1 slice of bread or half of a bagel, pita or tortilla
125 mL or ½ a cup of cooked pasta, couscous or rice
30 g cold non sugary cereal
¾ cup (175 mL) hot cereal like oatmeal
- A healthy diet includes 2 milk and alternatives servings a day. A serving is:
1 cup (250 mL ) milk or some type of fortified soy beverage
¾ cup (175 g) yogurt
1 ½ oz 50 g (50 g) cheese
- A healthy diet includes 2 meat and alternatives servings a day. A serving is measured as:
2 ½ oz (75 g)/ ½ cup (125 mL ) cooked lean meat, poultry, fish or shellfish
¾ cup (175 mL ) cooked beans
2 eggs
2 Tbsp (30 mL ) peanut butter
