Maintaining a healthy diet on a tight budget can be challenging. But by getting creative, you can eat nutritious, interesting meals without compromising your wallet.
If you have limited money to spend, you may feel like it’s not possible to eat nutritious meals. But by using some cost-effective strategies, you can prioritize nutrition while making the most of your budget.
Keep reading for practical tips and tricks for eating well without overspending.
Some healthy staples can be inexpensive.
Consider foods such as:
- beans
- lentils
- whole grains
These foods are filling and can make up the base of many meals.
Cooking with seasonal produce is another great way to save money. Produce that’s in season is often sold at a lower price than produce that’s out of season.
The USDA Seasonal Produce Guide lists nutritional information for many seasonal foods, along with recipes for dishes you can make with them.
Coupons can help you save money too. Consider signing up for your grocery store’s weekly ad. Many stores even have digital coupons that you can “clip” in an app.
You can buy some foods in bulk and keep them for long periods.
Examples include pantry staples such as:
- rice
- pasta
- nuts
Additionally, many types of fruits and vegetables can be bought frozen in bulk.
Meal prepping is an efficient way to use foods that you buy in bulk. You can cook several servings of a meal at the same time and portion them out to eat for several days.
Another benefit of meal prepping is that cooking all at once saves you that time later. Instead of cooking every day, you can simply reheat your food.
Remember to eat most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days and to reheat them to at least 165°F before eating.
Tips for safe food storage
- Place food in shallow containers and immediately put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours of cooking.
- When freezing meat and poultry in its original packaging, cover the package with foil or plastic wrap.
- Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or lower and your freezer at 0°F or lower.
- Store canned foods in cool, clean, and dry places.
- Discard cans of food that are dented, leaking, bulging, or rusted.
Protein can help you feel fuller for longer. There’s a wide variety of foods with high protein content that you can use to add variety and keep your meals interesting.
Some budget-friendly protein sources that you can consider are:
- eggs
- tofu
- canned tuna
These foods keep longer than refrigerated meats such as chicken breast and ground beef. For example, eggs can keep for 3 to 5 weeks when stored correctly.
It’s cost efficient to buy lean protein sources such as chicken breast and lean ground beef in larger amounts (for example, 3 pounds rather than 1 pound). Then you can portion them into your preferred serving size and freeze the portions for later use. Properly packaged proteins can be stored in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Plant-based protein
A 2021 research review suggests that a plant-based diet can help prevent the onset of certain chronic diseases, help with weight management, and decrease inflammation.
Examples of plant-based protein sources include:
- black beans
- chickpeas
- lentils
The same ingredients can taste different depending on the seasonings you use. Seasonings can be a quick and cost-effective way to add variety to your meals. They can also be stored for long periods.
Aromatics are another great way to add flavor to a dish. For example, onions, garlic, and ginger are flavorful ingredients that are inexpensive and have numerous health benefits.
Eating nutrient-dense food on a budget is possible if you keep some key strategies in mind.
Eating in-season produce, meal prepping, and focusing on protein are just some of the ways you can make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
But of course, these hacks are not one-size-fits-all. If one method doesn’t work for you, it’s OK to explore different approaches and adapt them to suit your needs.