It is possible to know maintain a healthier budget at a low-cost budget. Photo/imagekid.com]
There is a general misconception that eating healthy is expensive however that is not always the case. In fact, it can cost you less in the long run. With so much information out there on leading healthier lifestyles, you may feel a bit overwhelmed and not know where to begin.
Plan meals for a week – Go through recipe books and browse your favorite food blogs to create a meal plan that fits your household budget. Aim for a week’s worth of recipes that use up all the ingredients you buy so nothing goes to waste.
Take inventory, make a list and stick to it – check your fridge and pantry cupboard to see what ingredients you already have on your weekly meal plan. If there are items that are going to expire soon, work those into your meal plan to further minimize wastage.
Find affordable alternatives – take a look at your last grocery trip till slip and identify the most expensive items and research cheaper but still healthy alternatives. This will help you keep within your budget. If your budget needs a revamp, start afresh with these free budgeting templates.
Have an in-store plan of action – Once you’re in the store, stick to the aisles in which you’ll find your listed items. This will help you avoid adding unnecessary things to your trolley, which you’ll probably look at later and wonder: ‘why on earth did I buy this?’
Continuously compare prices – don’t just grab the can or packet you see first. Stores lay out their shelves with the priciest items at eye level, so check above and below for the same product at a more competitive price. Also, avoid being seduced by brand names. The store’s own nameless brands are sometimes a lot cheaper and, often, excellent quality.
Nutritional labels don’t lie – some things that appear healthy, aren’t. For example, tinned soup may seem like a quick and healthy meal but in fact, many of these are packed with sugar and preservatives. Also skip ready-made meals where you have no control over the amount of salt, sugar, and preservatives added and which are normally very costly.
Start them slow – a mistake people often make when deciding to ‘become healthy’ is buying huge quantities of healthy food, most of which end up going to waste. Rather buy and prepare small quantities to see what your kids enjoy most. Training your kids’ palate, from a young age, to appreciate healthy food will help them establish a lifelong appetite for eating well.