One reason why many people eat junk food like chips and candy bars is because they are so cheap. My husband buys three bags of chips at a time for $3.00! He does this every few days. Now substitute that for fresh vegetables and fruit instead, and you're talking more like $20-$30 dollars, depending on the types of fruit and veggies you buy.
Many families live paycheck to paycheck. This can make the choice between choosing junk food over healthier foods much easier. Fortunately, there are things you can do to eliminate the excuse that you can't afford to eat a proper diet.
Find areas in your household budget that can be adjusted to increase your grocery budget.Choose water instead of other drinks. You should have at least 8 cups of water each day which will more than quench your thirst.Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is expensive, especially at the lounge or bar where drinks can cost $5 or more.No more junk food. Each individual package may be cheap, but it all adds up. You may be surprised how much money gets spent on junk food from grocery stores, convenience stores and vending machines.Keep your grocery receipts to monitor how much is spent each week or month on staple items like bread and milk. This will help you create a more accurate grocery budget.Clip coupons in flyers and watch for them in the aisles at grocery stores. If your local store has a membership card, get one. If they offer reward points, bonus.Shop the outside of the store. Venturing down the middle aisles will lead you to temptation of fatty and processed foods.Plan a weekly menu and use it to create your grocery list. This will save you from buying food you don't need and will prevent wasted food in your fridge. Don't forget to include healthy snacks in your menus.Don't shop when you're hungry or you may end up buying everything off the shelf.When cooking, freeze leftovers to use later in the week. You can reheat them or use them in new recipes.Shop bulk. Buying more of certain items can usually save you money in the long run, but watch the prices. Some wholesale stores up the price of some of their items to compensate for other items.Make lunches or meals ahead of time to keep you from going through drive-thrus when you're strapped for time or too tired to cook.Search the internet for some great one-pot dishes. They're fast and easy to cook and make great leftovers.Buy no-name or store brand items. You can literally save hundreds of dollars a month by doing this if you have a large family to feed. Cheaper items almost always taste the same, and in some cases, even better than brand name.Watch for sales in flyers and in stores. Stock up on these items to last you until the next sale.Growing your own produce can really make a difference. It tastes great, it's cheap, and you don't have to spend money on gas driving to the local grocery store to pick up some potatoes for supper.
Unfortunately, it costs more to produce healthy food than junk food. So, until the market changes, these are some of the options you have to eat healthier on a budget. Once you use them for awhile, hopefully they'll become habit and you won't feel like you need to be so 'creative' to come up with a healthy meal with limited cash.
Cassandra Germsheid is the author of RealWeightLossInfo.com where she shares her knowledge about weight loss. You can learn more about healthy lifestyle habits at http://realweightlossinfo.com and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive a free special weight loss report.