- When it comes to healthy eating,
there's a question I get all of the time,
and it's how to eat healthy on a budget.
And this probably applies to everyone in the community,
whether you're single, you're married, you're a parent,
you're a student, or you're retired,
because I think we would all gladly save some money.
The truth is, eating wholesome, delicious food
doesn't have to be expensive.
The key is to hone in on strategic budget-friendly picks,
to make sure you're stocked with the right kitchen staples,
and take steps to minimize food waste
so you're not literally throwing money away
in the form of wilted greens or mushy bananas.
So today, I wanted to share my top 10 tips
to make healthy eating more affordable.
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When it comes to buying the healthiest meat,
I always suggest buying organic, pastured,
and grass-fed options.
These are not only better for you,
but they're better for the planet.
However, stocking up on the highest-quality meat
will quickly drain your bank account,
so my suggestion here is to simply buy less meat.
When you do buy it, buy the good stuff, but then supplement
your protein intake with budget-friendly,
plant-based sources of protein like pulses,
which include beans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils.
When readers on my website ask me for a meatless alternative
for one of my recipes, I frequently recommend lentils.
They're packed with protein and fiber,
and definitely will fill you up.
So I often whip up a big batch on the weekend
to add to salads, soups, and baked sweet potatoes
throughout the week.
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To further slash your meat budget,
get familiar with the tougher cuts of meat.
Often, the tougher cuts, like pork shoulder, beef chuck,
and stew meat, will be the least expensive of the bunch,
and this is across the board,
even with organic and grass-fed options.
So how do make these tougher cuts of meat delicious?
It's easy!
Just cook them low and slow in a Crock-Pot or slow cooker
until they are ultra tender.
And if you need a recipe idea, my slow-cooker pulled pork
is a reader favorite that's perfect for fall.
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Eggs are pretty much the least expensive,
whole-food source of protein that you can buy.
So even if you spend $6 on a dozen pasture-raised eggs,
that's just 50 cents per egg.
And the best part is that eggs
can definitely go beyond breakfast.
You can whip up some hard-boiled eggs to eat
as a high-protein snack throughout the week,
or turn my breakfast casserole into a dinner-worthy meal
by serving it up with leftover veggies and wilted greens
that are on the verge of going bad.
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Ah, the motto of Downshiftology, which is eating in season.
Not only is in-season produce fresher and tastier,
but the abundance of the crop usually drives down prices,
making it far more affordable.
Seasonable produce and trends will vary region to region,
but you can do a little bit of research to find out
what's in season in your area,
and start to plan your meals accordingly.
If you wanna maximize the abundance
of in-season produce even more, don't be afraid to cook
and meal prep large portions and utilize leftovers.
Making Crock-Pot or casserole dishes,
such as my zucchini lasagna or chicken broccoli casserole,
is a great way to take advantage
of cheaper in-season produce pricing.
Just make a large batch, freeze it, and you can reap
the rewards of those savings long into the future.
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If your healthy lifestyle has you snacking on lots of nuts,
get strategic about which ones you buy,
because pound for pound, the price can vary drastically.
Walnuts are often several dollars less per pound
than cashews, almonds, and pecans,
while containing the highest level of anti-inflammatory,
brain-friendly, plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids.
So that makes walnuts a healthy,
cost-effective snack choice.
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Across the board with both organic and non-organic,
frozen fruits and vegetables are less expensive than fresh,
yet they're just as nutritious.
In fact, frozen produce is picked at its peak
in terms of freshness, then immediately frozen
to lock in all that goodness.
Frozen vegetables like peas and green beans
make a great addition to curries, soups, and stir-fries,
while frozen fruits like blueberries and mango
are perfect for smoothies, oatmeal, and of course,
my chia pudding.
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Non-dairy milks that you buy at the store are mostly water,
but they still cost a pretty penny.
So I recommend that you make your own, which is extremely
easy to do, and no, it doesn't always require straining
or a lot of time in the kitchen.
In fact, two of the quickest varieties
are cashew milk and hemp milk.
For cashew milk, simply soak one cup
of raw cashews overnight, then blend with four cups of water
until smooth and creamy.
For hemp milk, blend a half a cup of hemp seeds, which
are also known as hemp hearts, with four cups of water.
Both of those recipes are easy, affordable,
and you won't have any unnecessary ingredients
that you may have in store-bought brands.
And bonus, I just added the hemp milk recipe
to my website as well.
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One of the biggest budgetary downfalls for people starting
to revamp their eating are the packaged,
healthy treats and snacks.
Now you know what I'm talking about here.
These are the grain-free cookies and granola, protein bars,
those bite-sized macaroons, and dairy-free ice cream.
Now of course, these can be enjoyed in moderation
in a healthy lifestyle, but remember that you're paying
a premium for these products.
So instead, make whole, fresh foods your main priority,
and when it comes to treats, make your own.
Most of my dessert and treat recipes,
which includes those cookies and macaroons
and dairy-free ice creams, can be made easily
and more cheaply from ingredients you'd find
in a well-stocked healthy pantry.
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All right, how many of you have stocked up on fresh produce
only to have half of it wilt or spoil
before you've had a chance to use it?
Food waste is a huge drain on your bank account,
and one of the ways I minimize that is by using my freezer,
because you can freeze almost anything.
If you have bananas going brown and mushy,
slice them up, and store them in the freezer
for smoothies and banana bread.
If you can't use up those Siete grain-free tortillas
fast enough, store them in the freezer,
and remove each one individually as needed.
If you can't go through a large bag of organic spinach
for your smoothies before it wilts,
just toss it into the freezer right after you buy it,
and grab a handful whenever you need it.
If you've got way too many avocados that are perfectly ripe,
dice them, toss them with lemon juice,
and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
You can even prep then freeze chia pudding
with fresh fruit that's on the verge of going bad.
I think you guys get the idea here.
The freezer is absolutely your friend
when it comes to minimizing food waste.
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Grocery stores specializing in healthy food can sometimes
be pricey, and your run-of-the-mill grocery store
doesn't always have the variety
and the ingredients that you need.
So that's where a membership to Costco
and Amazon Prime comes in extremely handy.
Surprisingly, Costco carries a wide variety
of organic produce, organic meats,
and healthy packaged foods,
including the items that I buy most frequently.
A yearly membership to Costco will run you about $60,
but when you look at the cost savings of buying in bulk,
it's certainly worth it.
When it comes to online shopping,
if you don't have an Amazon Prime membership,
you should definitely consider it.
You can save on the ingredients you buy most often
with subscriptions, and this is perfect
for all of your pantry staples.
Things like nuts and seeds and flours, I always buy
on Amazon with my Prime membership, and I'm saving on gas
because I don't have to drive to the grocery store.
But if you do drive to the store and shop at Whole Foods,
there's a bonus, because with your Amazon Prime membership,
you can save 10% on sale items, and get access
to special deals, coupons, and savings throughout the store.
I hope you guys found these tips helpful,
and as I try to think of more, I will post them
on Instagram Stories and in our private Facebook group.
I always welcome you to add your tips
into the comments below.
It's incredibly helpful to the community,
and I know everyone appreciates it.
All right, that's it for me this week.
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs-up.
And I'm gonna get started on the next video,
which I know you guys are really excited about.
It's the fall meal prep.
So don't go anywhere.
And I will see you guys again real soon.
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