Eating Healthy On a Budget!
I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but it can be done! Starting college has taught me that money is not something that can be thrown every which way. After only the second week of classes, my computer, car, and camera have all given me troubles and unexpected expenses have come up! It has taught me that I really need to be living as frugally as possible. I know I am not the only person in the world who is trying to balance a healthy lifestyle and a small budget, so I figured this would be a good way to share some of my thoughts on the subject with anyone who is trying to do the same thing.
Even though many people believe that eating healthy is the equivalent to eating expensively, this is not always the case. I’ve compiled a few tips for anyone who is interested in saving a little extra money while eating right. While this list is absolutely for any and everyone, I will warn you that it is probably geared more directly at college students than anyone else.
Enjoy!
1. Hydrate…with water, of course! It is so important that we stay hydrated at all times, and water is the most inexpensive way to accomplish that goal! I recently had to retire my 2.2 liter reusable water bottle at the first football game because they didn’t allow any sort of beverage into the stadium! However, I quickly upgraded to a $.99 3 LITER WATER BOTTLE from a grocery store! Mind you, it sometimes can be a little awkward carrying a 3 liter water bottle around campus all day, but it motivates me to drink more than I would if I just had a .5 liter, that’s for sure! I would definitely recommend getting a large water bottle that can be refilled and carrying it with you where ever you go! A lot of times when we think we are hungry our bodies are really just thirsty. One extra tip to save even more cash…Don’t buy a huge pack of water bottles. 1) You are wasting a lot of plastic, and 2) you are wasting cash when you could just be refilling and reusing ONE bottle.
2. Use up your meal plan…but stick to the healthy options. Going into college, I figured I wouldn’t be utilizing the cafeteria food that often, and since I was living in the dorms, it was required that I bought a meal plan. So, I purchased the lowest meal plan with the highest amount of “flex dollars” (we can use our flex dollars at any of the on campus restaurants, I’m not exactly sure how other schools work their food plans, but this is how it works at my school). I know that I am not alone when I say that the temptation to eat out at different, exciting, and fun restaurants is definitely present when you are living in a fresh new city. However, I cannot stress enough how much money you will be saving if you just eat the cafeteria food. I speak from experience when I say this because just last week I went out with a few friends to an amazing little sushi bar, and ended up spending a fortune on food that wasn’t even that good for me! My wallet is still in shock, trust me! You can still have fun with friends, however you don’t ALWAYS need to go out to eat or spend a fortune. Eat at the cafeteria, they have healthy options and you are already paying for them so you might as well get your money’s worth!
3. When you do go out to eat, because I know it will happen, try to pick the meal with the fewest calories and the smallest price tag. This is really self explanatory, but I think it needs to be said. Why would you want to spend your money on food that will only add inches to your waist? This is what I think about whenever I go out to eat. The way I see it is if I’m spending my money on over priced food, I might as well be getting something in return right? Try to pick low calorie, high protein meals that will literally give you more bang for your buck!
4. Walk! EASIEST TIP EVER! Walking, rather than taking public transportation or driving, will not only save you a load of money, it will increase your overall physical activity for the day which will in turn burn up a few of those extra calories we all sometimes splurge on! Mind you, we can’t ALWAYS walk to our destination, but when the option is there, definitely jump on it! Why be more sedentary than you have to be, right?
5. When you shop, buy bulkier items rather than the more expensive, pre-packaged foods. Buy the foods that can be in bulk, I guarantee you will save a lot of money! Especially if it is something that you eat a lot of! Almonds and dried fruit are good to buy in bulk (just be careful that you are watching the serving sizes of both of these items as they are both very high in calories)! When you buy small, pre-packaged items you are paying for the packaging as well as the product. You can make your own “pre-packaged” snacks by taking just a little extra time in the morning to portion out snacks into plastic bags or Tupperware containers!
I know it’s a bit intimidating eating healthy on a budget, however it CAN be done! I am in the process of doing it right now and so far so good!
I would love to hear about any other ideas you have for my blog! Facebook me, email me, call me, comment on my blog, whatever way you prefer to get a hold of me! I need some ideas to research and I want to hear what you, my readers, want to know about!
Until next time!
Stay Healthy!
Emily
