Today’s food prices are skyrocketing! Going to the grocery store has added stress to families everywhere! As I recently maneuvered down the grocery aisles, I noticed that people were turning to cheap food rather than eating healthy.
Cheap food tends to be processed, full of fat, sugar, and sodium. These foods can also contribute to major health concerns, including kidney and heart disease. You can eat well, even if you are on a strict budget!
The following are some tips you need to remember when shopping at the grocery store!
- Go to the store with a list! Know what you want ahead of time and stick to it!
- Buy fresh or frozen as much as possible!
- Try to get coupons you can print out and choose, so you don’t have to commit to food you don’t want otherwise!
- Buy items that are on sale!
- Beverages – Water!! Tea!! If you buy a fruit juice, add water to it to make it last longer and dilute the sugar!
- Buy tea that caters to your needs. If you are stressed buy lavender tea for example! Only buy 1 box at a time.
- Snacks – Buy pre-packeged 100 calorie cocoa dusted almonds or other nuts. (pick one snack for the week)
- 3 Meals a day ~Keep it simple everyday!
For example:
Breakfast – Eat the same food everyday. Oatmeal + Blueberries with Green Tea (Change the fruit the following week.)
Lunch – Pita with Hummus and 2 other chopped veggies with water to drink (Vary the veggies mid-week)
Dinners – Sample Menu for 7 days (Buy items you can use for more than one day -ie a bag of chicken):
Monday – Plain chicken with diced tomatoes + chopped onions and brown rice. (Season to taste)
Tuesday – Spaghetti, diced tomatoes + tomato paste (Season to taste – add 1 can water), lettuce with peppers
Wednesday – Spaghetti with chicken strips with olive oil and seasonings.
Thursday – Meatloaf with cucumbers and sour cream (season the sour cream), frozen corn
Friday – Chicken with BBQ sauce, frozen corn, and baked beans + Brown Rice
Saturday – Fish seasoned to taste, cucumbers with sour cream, sliced tomatoes
Sunday – Spaghetti Squash with your choice of seasonings, diced tomatoes and onionsKeep olive oil on hand. It contains monounsaturated fatty acids that promote a healthy heart! My personal favorite is Bertolli’s Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil. I use it for the majority of my cooking needs. Make sure to store it in a pantry or the refrigerator because it may degrade over time.
- DO ENJOY the fact that you are eating healthy, saving money, and feeling better.
1 comment
What flavoring suggestions would you recommend for the sour cream in “cucumbers and sour cream”? Can plain yogurt be substituted for the sour cream? I grow cukes every summer so this sounds wonderfully yummy and economical to boot. Thanks so much!