10 Tricks to Eat Healthier and Save Money!
- Make your own food: I know, you just got back from a long day, you're starving, and just want to eat anything right away. Be patient. Eat a snack then start preparing your food, and while it's cooking, take that time to change, etc and your food will be ready before you know it. You can start by making easy meals, such as sandwiches, pasta, roasted veggies, or a recipe you've mastered. Otherwise, you can take the time a few times a week to make large batches for the next few days. Not only will you appreciate your food more, you will also become more conscious of what goes in your food, then in your body. You'll also save a lot. We spend so much money ordering or eating out at restaurants without realizing it. Try it for a week, make your own food and see how much money you will save!
- Carry a water bottle with you:
- You'll be surprised of how much more water you'll be drinking and how much money (and plastic) you'll be saving every time you fill up your bottle.
- Buy fresh produce and prepare it right away:
- If you can make it to the farmers market, great! If not, it's okay, go to the grocery store and usually you'll find a section for local produce. Don't be afraid to check the organic section, sometimes they have affordable options that'll be less than a dollar more than the conventional.
- When you come home after grocery shopping, wash everything, have some fruits and vegetables ready on the counter. Preparing your vegetables and fruits will encourage you to cook more. When you know that everything is ready you just need to cut it up or roast it in the oven. You're more likely to cook this way.
- You will be more aware of what is in your fridge. Therefore, it's less likely to go bad. Just by having fruits and vegetables ready to eat on the counter, you'll be surprised of how much more you and your family will eat more fruits and veggies!
- Read the ingredient list:
- It's far more important than seeing how many calories a food has. Even items as simple as peanut butter sometimes contain added sugar and unhealthy oils.
- Adjust it:
- So you're used to buttery mashed potatoes or ice cream and want to make the transition to say healthy mashed potatoes or cauliflower. Instead of ice cream, start making smoothies instead! Don't expect the transition to happen overnight. Good things come with time. To start, add some spices to your food. For your smoothie, if you didn't like it add more of the sweetener or add some granola as a topping. Then slowly start to add less oil, and switch to sauteing your food with water. For sweets, slowly reduce the amount of added sugar until you reach your goal and get to enjoy your smoothie or you can add dates instead of sugar! It's all about what you're used to having in your food. And because most of us grew up eating a lot of candy and sugary cereals and seeing fast food restaurants as a reward, I think all of that programmed us to like extra sweet flavors that even fruits aren't sweet enough to some people. Related: Easy Healthy Mashed Cauliflower
- Always have a healthy option:
- Wake up 10 minutes early or even five minutes and pack your own lunch. Bring a healthy dish when you go to a relative or a friend's house for dinner.
- Eat your veggies first:
- There's a reason why restaurants bring you drinks and white bread before you order. Consuming sugars and refined/processed carbs, especially on an empty stomach will spike your blood sugar, and it will make you crave more than what your body needs.A. you'll order more than you need and waste food and money. B. You're more likely to overeat and feel bloated afterward, and we all know how unpleasant that feels.
- Just eat breakfast already:
- There's a quote that I found on twitter “I feel like people who eat breakfast really have their lives together.” I feel productive when I make and eat a good breakfast and it's easier to get things done when you feel like you've accomplished something already. Besides, all the nutrition will help you focus and keep you energized.
- Walk or Bike:
- You know what's great about walking or biking, it's that you don't have to worry about parking or gas. But If you have to drive, just park your car really far away, I park my car so far sometimes that it's in a different parking lot than the store I'm going to. Perk? No pedestrians in that area and I'm the only car, so it's easy to get in and out that way. Another way to walk more in your day without getting bored is to pick up the phone and call a friend and go for a walk. You'll end up walking for miles without even realizing it. If someone calls you, just put on your shoes and go for a walk.
- Build a community:
- Encourage people around you to be healthier. Find a workout buddy, you don't have to go to a gym, you can get active outside or at home. Rotate having 'healthy' dinner parties where everyone gets to make their own taco or salad.