You may not have thought about it, but frugal living and healthy eating really go hand in hand. It’s interesting how just a few changes to your diet can save you a bundle at the grocery store. Here are some ways to incorporate healthy and frugal eating habits into your lifestyle:
Eat less. One of the main components to dieting programs is portion control. Fortunately, this is something that you can definitely do yourself–without the cost of enrolling in a program. Do not stuff yourself at a meal. Usually while I am eating I get to a point where I have to decide whether or not to eat any more food. I have learned to just stop eating at this point. There is no need to keep eating just because there is still food on the table. Leftover food can always be eaten later or used in another dish.
Stay away from fast food and convenience foods. Many would argue that fast food is a leading contributor to the obesity problem in our country. In addition to fast foods being extremely bad for you, they are expensive too. By staying at home to eat and packing lunch, you will spend at least half as much money as you would going out for food. When you make your own food you can better control what types of foods you are eating and stay away from junk foods. When grocery shopping, don’t buy chips, prepackaged meals, or other convenience foods. There are plenty of cheaper and healthier substitutes for snacking or mealtime.
Snack smart. Much of our snacking is unnecessary. Most of the time we snack simply because we see food that is available–not because we are really hungry. The first step to snacking smart is simply not buying junk food. If you see cookies or a bag of chips on the counter, you might just eat some without even thinking about it. Eliminate this temptation by not buying those types of foods. There are of course times when we really are in need of a snack between mealtimes. For this reason, we should have a few healthy and inexpensive snacks on hand. Some frugal and healthy snack ideas are: fruits and vegetables, toast, raisins, and whole wheat crackers.
The bottom line: become more aware of how much what you eat is costing you–both in inches around the middle and money in the bank.