Wallet, meet healthy food//healthy food, meet taste buds, part 2
This post is part 2 of a 2 part series on eating healthfully while on a budget. You can read part 1 here. For really cool valentines for all your sweeties, visit here. Spread the love and give some freedom.
Now, back to eating that's tasty, good for you and your bank account!
5. Don't throw away leftovers, eat them up. Have a leftover night. Every night doesn't have to be a culinary explosion and I really, really, really love food. Have a few recipes that you can use up those bits and pieces of leftovers. Leftover rice is great for stir-fry or to supplement soups. I throw lots of leftover bits into scrambled eggs and then wrap them in a tortilla with some grated cheese. All kinds of things taste good with the delectable egg. :) Leftover roasted meats are a great, fancier topping for homemade pizza.
6. Read your ingredients. The longer the list, the greater the likelihood that it is more expensive and less healthy. Besides, if you are trying to save money, the things you are buying probably don't have ingredient lists. Remember item #3.
7. Don't be fooled by packaging. 5 Kiwis packaged cutely in a clear snap container advertised for $2.99 seems like a good deal. Until you go and see that sold individually they are 3 for $1. Even a bag of baby carrots is more expensive than buying whole carrots in a package. If you like the convenience of their size, then take five minutes when you get home to chop them up and store them in water so they don't dry out or just grow up and learn to eat them like a farmer. Wink. Along the same lines, compare price per ounce when buying packaged anything. Sometimes a cheaper price means less for your money.
8. Coupons, proceed with caution. Most often, coupons are for brand name packaged goods. See list item #3. If you are going to use them, make sure that it is something you would normally buy (often it's not) and the off brand is usually cheaper, even with the brand name coupon. I can't even remember the last time I used a coupon and I spend about $85 a week on groceries for a family of five.
9. Make as much from scratch as you can. It's cheaper, healthier, more filling and way tastier. I currently make my own whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat sandwich bread, and whole wheat biscuits. If you think you don't have time, try to find it. I am running my own natural body care business, helping start a private school, and have a husband in law school (read gone long hours) on top of my household responsibilities as a wife and mother. We are all busy. Eating healthier for less might require some rearranging of your schedule but it's worth it. You can bake on a weekend for two weeks or even the whole month and freeze what you won't eat in a week to keep the items fresh.
Alright, time to get checking! Happy shopping, saving, and most of all, eating!
Now, back to eating that's tasty, good for you and your bank account!
5. Don't throw away leftovers, eat them up. Have a leftover night. Every night doesn't have to be a culinary explosion and I really, really, really love food. Have a few recipes that you can use up those bits and pieces of leftovers. Leftover rice is great for stir-fry or to supplement soups. I throw lots of leftover bits into scrambled eggs and then wrap them in a tortilla with some grated cheese. All kinds of things taste good with the delectable egg. :) Leftover roasted meats are a great, fancier topping for homemade pizza.
6. Read your ingredients. The longer the list, the greater the likelihood that it is more expensive and less healthy. Besides, if you are trying to save money, the things you are buying probably don't have ingredient lists. Remember item #3.
7. Don't be fooled by packaging. 5 Kiwis packaged cutely in a clear snap container advertised for $2.99 seems like a good deal. Until you go and see that sold individually they are 3 for $1. Even a bag of baby carrots is more expensive than buying whole carrots in a package. If you like the convenience of their size, then take five minutes when you get home to chop them up and store them in water so they don't dry out or just grow up and learn to eat them like a farmer. Wink. Along the same lines, compare price per ounce when buying packaged anything. Sometimes a cheaper price means less for your money.
8. Coupons, proceed with caution. Most often, coupons are for brand name packaged goods. See list item #3. If you are going to use them, make sure that it is something you would normally buy (often it's not) and the off brand is usually cheaper, even with the brand name coupon. I can't even remember the last time I used a coupon and I spend about $85 a week on groceries for a family of five.
9. Make as much from scratch as you can. It's cheaper, healthier, more filling and way tastier. I currently make my own whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat sandwich bread, and whole wheat biscuits. If you think you don't have time, try to find it. I am running my own natural body care business, helping start a private school, and have a husband in law school (read gone long hours) on top of my household responsibilities as a wife and mother. We are all busy. Eating healthier for less might require some rearranging of your schedule but it's worth it. You can bake on a weekend for two weeks or even the whole month and freeze what you won't eat in a week to keep the items fresh.
Alright, time to get checking! Happy shopping, saving, and most of all, eating!
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