Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget - Fast Food vs Restaurants vs Home Cooking

Fast food can be so tempting with the ease of being able to grab something on the run.  Moreover, you get it at a cheap cost which is an added bonus, but is it really worth your money? Especially once you come to know that eating healthy on a budget is not impossible to achieve?

Given the modern, fast paced lifestyles of many individuals, it is quite common that they have adapted to eating fast food. As its name implies, meals are made available in an instant. Quick and convenient, and favorable for everyone. Fast food is also a surefire fast way to put on extra pounds. These foods are usually high in calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Too much can lead to various health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. As affordable as it seems, fast food can take a toll on you and your family's well-being which you just can't afford.

On the other hand, some people who prefer eating at sit-down restaurants to avoid fast food think that they are healthier. This is not the case, because it's possible that you are consuming even more salt and cholesterol from food served in full-service restaurants than those meals you deem junk food. This was a discovery revealed by research team who recently analyzed data collected in the years 2003-2010 from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The findings comparing fast food and restaurants were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the bottom line is they are both potentially harmful to health.

So now that fast food is out, restaurants can be worse, what are you left with? This only proves that home cooking is still the best and healthiest meals you can have! Budgeting does not necessarily mean having to sacrifice quality, nutrients, and the flavor of food. It's a matter of knowing exactly what to look for, which are mostly the things that are often overlooked. These are the same things that would allow you to do some quick and easy home cooked meals. The best grocery items to get when you're shopping on a budget include:


1. Low-fat milk - Milk is indeed expensive, but nothing compared to sodas, sugary juice, or energy drinks! Or use milk subsitute like Almond Milk.

2. Canola oil - A lot cheaper than olive oil, but one of the healthiest oils. It has the least amount of saturated fat and best used for fries, salad vinaigrette, and can substitute for butter when baking.

3. Whole chicken - Buying it whole is cheaper than buying parts of a chicken per piece, and you can use them to make a variety of dishes for the whole week.

4. Beans and Legumes - The frozen ones will be ok if  you can get them without any additives- otherwise stick with fresh if you can.  You can turn them into a main meal rather than just a side dish.

5. Brown rice - Dry brown rice is cheap yet is generous in giving you the benefits you can get out of whole grains.

6. Fruits and Vegetables - Choose produce that is in season, which is also when they are both affordable and most delicious! If you can grow these in your own garden, then the better quality and nutrition you will get.


Plan before you shop to avoid impulse buying, and do it in one place to save on gas and money. Buying in bulk may also save you money in the long run if it's non perishable or something you ca freeze. Think out of the box, literally, and choose whole unprocessed foods over those beautifully boxed and processed meals. Eating healthy on a budget can be fun with the amazing food items in store for you that are packed with nutrition, and incredibly delicious too!

As an added bonus: I just aw this video by Autumn Calebrese (creator of 21 Day Fix/Fix Extreme workout programs).  Showing how much you really do not save by grabbing fast food!

McDonalads -v Homemade

Cherries- How do you get the pit out of these things?

I don't know about you or your kiddos but we love cherries. However what I don't like is the pits. I don't have a cherry pitter and I never remember to grab one when I am at the store.

The other day I wanted to try a new recipe out and it was using the cherries. It wasn't like I could spit out the pit so I had to get inventive. I looked around my kitchen trying to figure out what I could use and found a cake frosting tip. I decided it was worth the shot to try- and it worked.

So here is my how to video on pitting the cherries and my delicious Chocolate Covered Cherries Recipe. Enjoy!!