Your Health

Healthy eating on a tight budget
When you’re on a tight budget, shopping for food can be a daunting experience. It can be even more difficult to find nutritious food.

It’s a common misconception that cutting back on food expenses means sacrificing good nutrition. You can eat healthy on a budget by getting wiser about planning ahead before shopping.

Here are some tips that can help:

Let the Pyramid be your guide
Many people plan their meals around meat, and leave grains, vegetables, and fruit for side dishes. However, according to MyPyramid.gov, your diet should contain lots of whole grains (whole wheat breads and pasta and brown rice) and you need five servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Meats and dairy products should be treated as side dishes and eaten less frequently. This is not only more economical but more healthful.

Here are a few examples of meals made mostly with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables:

Chili: Beans, vegetables, meat, served with a salad

Stir-fry: Vegetables with a small amount of meat served over rice or pasta and a salad

Stews or soups: Beans, vegetables, pasta, rice, meat or chicken, served with salad

Taco: Beans or meat with lots of lettuce, tomato, onions, and a corn tortilla

Make it from scratch
Many of the prepackaged, boxed, canned, and frozen foods you buy from the store are high in fat, calories, sodium, sugar, and cost, compared with foods prepared at home. They may also be comparatively lower in vitamins and minerals.

You pay for the fancy packaging and convenience of these items, but you get much less for your money.

Have a game plan for shopping
Have a game plan for shopping that includes a list of what you’re going to buy.

“You need to make choices that provide you with the most nutrition for your dollar,” says Angela Forbes, RD, County Extension Agent with Clemson University Cooperative Extension in Lancaster, SC. She adds, “without a plan, you risk making impulsive or less nutritious choices and spending too much money.”

Here are some tips on developing a shopping plan:

• Plan meals and snacks several days in advance. Then write out a shopping list – and stick to it!
• Compare prices among grocery stores. Shop at national chains and discount food outlets. Don’t shop at convenience stores.
• Go to stores that sell generic foods, store brand foods, and foods in bulk.
• Use coupons with caution. They are often for foods that are more expensive. Don’t buy junk food, or something you normally wouldn’t buy, just because you have a coupon.
• Never shop on an empty stomach.

• Buy only products that your family will like and use often enough so that they will be used before spoiling or becoming outdated.
• Not all bulk items are bargains. Make sure the item is really a good buy and saves you money.
• You should know what type of storage is needed for the product and have enough space to store it.
• Beware that buying in bulk can lead families to overeat or eat too quickly.

If you do your homework, you can save money and still eat healthy.

Know proper storage times for different foods

• Ground meats: 3-4 months in the freezer
• Hot dogs: 1-2 months in the freezer
• Eggs: 3-5 weeks in the refrigerator
• Opened lunch meats: 3-5 days in the refrigerator
• Flour: lasts longest in the freezer
• Dried peas and beans: up to 1 year

Reprinted with permission from LifeWorks.