When thinking about healthy eating, the variable $ always comes on the agenda. With that in mind, I decided to explore this subject a little more and show that there are several alternatives and that it is possible to be healthier within your budget and your reality, whatever it may be!
Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about healthy eating, functional ingredients, supplements, types of diets, etc! I realize that many people keep in mind that when starting to eat healthy, they should invest a large amount of $ to stock the fridge and pantry. But in reality, improving our food can be much simpler than we think! let’s see how?
What is a healthy diet?
Let’s go by parts! – What is being healthy anyway?
In my concept, it goes beyond maintaining a nutritious diet, it is a mix of pillars that we balance because they are in constant movement: social life (relationship, family, friends), energy of the house (organization, care, habit of cooking), physical activity, spirituality, leisure, control of finances… Go!
Today we are going to combine two of these variables, which I believe are together and end up influencing our choices a lot, and which can generate stress and anxiety, that is, they are directly related to our well-being!
In addition, I believe that a healthy diet is one that brings you pleasure and that you can maintain the long term in your routine. I will then share it with some tips that I apply to my services and that I believe have a very positive impact in the end (literally!).
1) Understand your numbers
Do you have the habit of writing down your expenses (supermarket, leisure, gasoline, clothing, manicure, house bills…etc.)?
My tip is that you develop this habit! With this you will be able to better scale your reality and from that, have more clarity to determine your budget for all sectors of your life, including food..
You can use a basic Excel spreadsheet, apps, a notebook, whatever works best for you! Over time it becomes automatic and believe me, it’s liberating to have this control and it helps a lot in our mental well-being!
2) Buy in bulk 
It is natural that when migrating to a healthier lifestyle, some new ingredients will be part of your shopping list.
One of the pillars of a healthy diet is natural foods. So when buying cereals, grains, wholemeal flours, nuts and chestnuts, I suggest finding places that sell these products in bulk, usually the values are better and at the end of the month it can make a big difference in your budget.
For those who are in Brazil, I recommend finding specialized stores. – For those who are in SP, the Cerealist Zone is amazing and also has an online store! For those who live in the US, several natural stores have the option of “Bulk Items” (whole foods, sprouts, mothers market and varies according to where they live).
Another alternative is to shop with friends or family in wholesale stores! This often improves our bargaining power, as products sold in larger quantities are usually cheaper.
As for buying vegetables and fruits, I suggest you find free fairs in your region that sell these products. Usually the result is: savings in your pocket and fresher and beautiful fruits and vegetables on the table! It’s worth it 🙂
3) Include legumes in your routine
A simple option, with good cost, benefits and with a fantastic nutritional profile (fibers, high quality vegetable protein, carbohydrates with a good glycemic index)! Not all people are in the habit of diversifying the consumption of legumes, leaving only traditional beans. I suggest including in your list: lentils, adzuki beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas.
Here I have a guide to optimize your consumption of legumes and preparation tips.
4) Organic and seasonal food
I know that unfortunately the price of organic foods is much higher (mainly in Brazil) and that depending on the place you live, Access is not that easy. My tip is: you don’t need to buy all organic foods, I recommend prioritizing those foods that we eat the skin (strawberry, grape, apple, tomato..etc!) or those we eat whole (leaves).
TIP: Prioritize foods that are more “contaminated”. Here You can check the list of foods with the most pesticides.
Another tip: If the value of organic foods is outside your budget, I suggest you choose options that contain less pesticides (orange, watermelon, melon, banana). And finally, enjoying the fruits and vegetables of the season – the quality and the price will certainly be better!
5) skip the superfoods
Superfoods are foods that have high nutritional value (many nutrients) and that through its continuous consumption have several benefits for our health (antioxidants, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.).
I will be very honest with you, you can simply skip this item for the sake of $ and prioritize other fresh foods that also have thousands of benefits or you can choose 1 or 2 to include in your routine.
TIP: Create awareness of what you really need and choose foods you like and assess whether it’s worth it according to your reality and budget!
Suggestions: Peruvian maca, cocoa nibs, ginger, hemp seeds, bee pollen, chia, medicinal mushrooms, turmeric, pumpkin seed, garlic, kale… etc!
6) Minimize restaurants!
Undoubtedly, this is where the vast majority of you notice the scales weigh!
Of course, eating out is super pleasant and is part of our routine but the X of the question is in the frequency!
I recommend that you organize your week, make key preparations and start eating more homemade food. With this you will certainly save money, create a more sustainable routine and gain health by opting for healthier preparations. In addition, you will always have healthy options ready around!
For you who don’t know where to start, mine food prep course or mine Essential Guide Ebook To start your food prep, they can help you organize your routine, even for you who think you don’t have great kitchen skills, that in reality it’s just a lack of practice, believe me!
7) Plan your purchases
A simple and practical tip that can optimize your time and $: make a purchase list!
How to put it into practice: Leave a notepad in the kitchen or a message board in the fridge to write down what you need to buy and when it’s the day to go to the market you will have a better idea of what you really need!
8) Freeze food in excess!
I have my freezer as my best friend and it’s a great way to optimize our food and $!
You can have ready-made practical options, avoid waste when freezing foods that will not be consumed in the next few days, take advantage of promotions and vegetables from the harvest and so on!
Tips: Freeze fruits, vegetables, soups, homemade burger and etc!
*If you choose to buy ready-made frozen foods, paying attention to the list of ingredients is super important to avoid additives and dyes!
I hope these tips help you find a better balance in your routine and bring greater well-being to your life!
If you have questions or would like to share your experience, just comment below, I’ll love it!