a healthy budget

I realize that slowly making changes to your eating habits can seem overwhelming in several ways. For instance, if you decide one day to head into a "health food" store at start looking at "health food"it's going to seem ridiculously expensive.

So I've tried to break it down into a few steps so you can eat well on a budget.

These are all things that I do, so I can try to feed our family the best I can, without spending too much.

Shop. Everywhere. 

This is a huge reason I am so thankful to live in the city.......so many stores to choose from, not too far from my house. Yes, it takes a little more time and planning ahead to hit up a few places, but it's worth it. I have a small handful of stores that I visit, and each provide me with different needs at the best prices. I follow my favorite stores like Whole Foods and Sunflower Market on facebook--they are constantly updating with sales so I can know what's there before I go in. When shopping at pricier stores (hello, Whole Foods) you HAVE to go in with a plan...or at least a semi-plan, or you will end up spending waaaaaaaay too much. MY personal plan is to only shop the sales--there are awesome deals to be found if you are looking. If I have items on my list that aren't on sale, most times I will swap them out for something that IS on sale.

Go easy on the weekly meal plans

So if you are shopping like I do--looking for the best sales, it's hard to make a weekly meal plan. You'll have your grocery list made up for your week, and then show up to the store and half of your items aren't on sale......now what? I usually plan my meals on the day I shop for my produce. That way I can get the best deals, bring it home and turn it into meals for the next few days. In the summer when we have our garden and I'm frequenting the farmer's market, I find it easier to plan out my meals because I know exactly what I can get.

Dumb it down. 

Sometimes I stumble upon someone's weekly meal plan and (while drooling) I can't believe how much food people eat. A mouthwatering meat dish with several sides to go with it......every night of the week. I can't help but wonder what is happening with all the leftovers? And how much does it all cost?! I love making full-on delicious "fancy" dinners for my family, just not every night of the week. Most nights we eat very very simply. Simple soups, pastas, sandwiches, salads. Lots of whole grains, beans, vegetables, and less meat. Keep it simple.

Stock up on staples

Items I ALWAYS have on hand and can be turned into dinner quickly.

Beans--for soups, salads, tacos, burritos, hummus.

Whole grains--like pastas, brown rice, bulgur, barley, quinoa. Mixed with veggies, meat or fish for main dishes, perfect for sides or salads or thrown in soups. Oats and steel cut oats for breakfast.

Bread and tortillas. I got an email a few weeks back asking what bread I like, and I really don't have any favorites. I love to make bread, but I have to do so sparingly....I've found when there is homemade bread in the house we eat it, oh, in about a day. There is a local brand that I like to buy when it's on sale, and other than that I look for sales on loaves that have the least ingredients. I like Whole Foods whole wheat tortillas.

Canned tomatoes and tomato sauce for soups.

Chicken stock--both from the store, and stock I've made after we eat a whole chicken--I keep this in the freezer with chicken, beef, and fish.
Potatoes. They store well and can be served with just about anything.

Frozen berries for smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal.

Eggs for breakfast burritos or sandwiches.

Having all these items on hand, I know that there is always SOMETHING for dinner, and depending on what produce or meat I may bring home, I always have something to go with it.

Buy in bulk

Bulk bins are my favorite. You can get as much (or as little) as you need, and get a good price because you don't have to pay for packaging. 

I love buying nuts, seeds, rice, flours, lentils and grains in the bulk bins. 

Shop Costco.....cautiously. It's easy to buy something because "it's such a good deal!" and then it ends up going bad and is wasted. But there are lots of (giant) options to stock your pantry and freezer. I also feel like Costco is getting more and more healthy options each time I shop. 

Know how to eat leftovers.

Chances are, you won't have enough leftovers for another full meal the next evening. So I usually eat leftovers for lunch the next day (or two). Look for ways to incorporate your leftovers into a totally different meal. With this taco recipe below, I had extra filling so I added it to some spinach for a twist on a taco salad. 

Black Bean, Bulgur, and Lentil Tacos

this recipe is friendly on your wallet because it doesn't have meat in it, and the filling is made straight from the bulk bins.

the best thing about recipes like this is how interchangeable they are. 

You can use any combination of beens/grains/lentils that you have. 

Swap the black beans out for pinto or kidney. 

Swap the bulgur out for brown rice. 

Swap the yellow split peas out for red lentils.

Filling 

2 cups of prepared black beans

2 cups prepared yellow split peas

1 cup prepared bulgur

large handful of diced onion

large handful of diced red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of cumin

salt and pepper

saute onion and peppers until tender. 

add remaining ingredients and cook through until heated.

Avocado and Cabbage Slaw

1 avocado, diced

a few handfuls of shredded cabbage

3 green onions, sliced thin

juice of one lime

handful of chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

Serve in toasted corn tortillas with pepperjack cheese, sour cream and lime.

enjoy!

When it comes down to it, we need to remember that it's our health we our talking about.
Providing healthy fuel for our bodies, instead of junk that may harm them or slow them down. Isn't that worth taking a little more time to check the sales, or putting a little more effort into making a simple meal, rather than buying a pre-made meal? I think so. 

How do YOU save money when it comes to eating healthy?