Tips for eating healthy with a busy lifestyle

Being on the run these days is nothing strange to anyone. We’re all living fast-paced lives that require us to be active in different things. But, at the same time, we’re also looking to stay healthy and not sacrifice our well-being. If you’ve been in the process of improving your healthy lifestyle and not feeling overwhelmed, I want you to know that it’s not difficult. As a matter of fact, there are many simple steps you can include in your daily habits to keep your healthy eating on top of the game. So, let me give you some budget effective tips to help you stay on track. Keep reading!

Healthy eating 101

Choosing a better lifestyle starts with healthy eating. It is the foundation of a great quality of life. This is the way to avoid you from having serious chronic diseases in the future, it helps you to be productive, to feel stronger, happier and to boost your wellness overall. Sometimes, it’s common to look for desperate, quick fixes, like “fad diets”, that unfortunately only makes us go back to square one. You may have spent tons of money looking for “healthy” alternatives or ways to eat better that only become confusing and unnecessary. What I mean by this, is that there is no best diet that works for everyone. You just need to focus on what works for you according to your health goals and lifestyle.

Healthy eating on a budget is possible once you start focusing on some basic principles, find proper guidance for your goals (whether it is to lose weight, build muscle, maintain good health) and be organized. You don’t have to overspend money on expensive meals or supplements to be healthy. What matters is that you learn how to eat right to nourish your body and to build habits in the long term. Healthy eating is worth it once you get rid of the dieting culture mentality and focus on achieving a lifestyle.

Choosing quality whole foods is key

Healthy eating starts by choosing the right foods that your body needs. Overall, we need to eat foods from all the food groups. You should be eating enough protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. There are a variety of foods that you can choose from. You can find them in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, seeds, nuts, poultry and seafood, dairy products and healthy oils. If you are looking for more specific guidance to get to your goals, find a certified nutritionist to assist you.

Plan ahead of time with healthy eating

Planning is one of the key steps to make your life easier. Sometimes, when we hear the word planning, we think it is complicated or that it requires a great task. But, it’s not like that. It’s just about organizing your time and resources. When you plan, you save a lot of money by not making last-minute buying decisions. Apart from that, planning helps you to save time and make smart food choices. Planning includes from the moment you set up your own budget, to the time you go grocery shopping and prepare your meals for the week. You’ll notice how planning will help your healthy eating habits become easier.

Meal prep is essential in healthy eating

Meal prepping is a huge lifesaver when it comes to healthy eating. There are many ways to do meal prep. But, in general, to make it easy, choose a day of the week that works for you. Make sure you include all of the foods in your meal prep (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks). Meal prep is not about spending hours in the kitchen, it’s about learning how to better prepare meals ahead of time so you can focus on other things during the week. Meal prepping is so effective to save time from cooking every day. It also helps you to learn how to store food to keep its quality and nutritional value.

Buy in bulk

This is by far one of my favourite ways to save time and money when I go grocery shopping. When you buy in bulk, you take advantage of good prices and discounts. Buying in bulk is also good for certain foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds and non-perishable goods that are usually inexpensive. You can store them for weeks at a time and you can always find ways to keep them safe. If you browse around your area, you may be able to find good stores that sell these types of foods in bulk.

Cooking at home will boost your healthy eating

I’m a huge fan of cooking at home. You don’t have to be a chef, but there are many easy and healthy ways that you can cook food to keep you healthy. The main advantage of cooking at home is that you can choose how to prepare your meals, and it’s safer. There is less risk of getting food poisoning because you’re the one who knows how it’s prepared. Besides that, when you cook at home you save more money. Preparing meals at home also helps you with your healthy eating habits.  If you’re not a fan of cooking at home, you can also find healthy delivery alternatives or local meal prep services.

Choose more whole foods rather than overprocessed

One of the main keys of healthy eating is choosing quality whole foods. When you replace over processed with whole foods, you nourish your body better. Whole fresh foods have better nutritional value, simply because they keep their nutrients and are not packed with a bunch of additives. Eating too much over processed foods can increase the risk of having obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and heart problems.

Buy foods in season

This is another great idea for healthy eating on a budget. Especially with fresh produce, this is an effective way to get the right nutrition at a lower price. Foods in season are fresher, they have more vitamins and minerals and they taste better overall. If you’re not sure about when fruits and veggies are in season, ask at your local market or compare prices.

Eat more budget-friendly foods

Eating healthy is definitely not expensive. Most of the healthiest foods are actually budget-friendly. Foods like eggs, whole grains, dairy products, fresh veggies, leafy greens, and fruits are just a few examples. Also, at the grocery stores, you can find promotions and discounts that you can take advantage of to save money.

To make it even more budget friendly, consider growing your own produce. It’s fun, you learn a lot about helping the environment and eating healthier alternatives (organic). At home, my parents started growing their own produce in the backyard, which always makes me happy. They save in grocery shopping and food tastes delicious!

Go to the farmer’s market

Healthy eating is easier when you start buying at the farmer’s market. I usually buy my eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds at the farmer’s market. If you have a local farmer’s market in your area, make some time to buy there. Trust me, you’ll notice how much money you’ll save, you’ll have more nutritious food (these are usually fresher) and are of better quality.

Practice food safety

One of the things you can’t forget is practising food safety. This is another basic aspect of healthy eating that people tend to ignore. When preparing meals, make sure your kitchen is clean, utensils and surfaces are sanitized and that you properly store food. By keeping these items in check, you ensure to not only avoid food waste but also preserve food quality for longer. If you want to learn more about food safety, check out this blog post.

Finally,

Healthy eating is easy, possible and cost-effective. Even with a busy schedule, you can maintain some basic principles to stay healthy at home. Take your time to plan your meals, choose quality whole foods, buy more local and practice food safety. Your body and wallet will thank you later! What are your thoughts about healthy eating on a budget? Comment below. Share this with your friends!