Are you a fitness enthusiast? Do you spend a substantial chunk of your time exercising? Did I hear you answer yes?
Persons who like to exercise like you need to eat well. However, you may not necessarily have the financial resources to buy expensive food.
You can and indeed still have to eat healthy foods and take good care of your health. This is because healthy diets are by all means vital.
The roles they play in enhancing the health of humans is too great to be wished away.
This can only happen if you adhere strictly to some meal tips. We have carried out some in-depth research on the subject matter and are now glad to present them to you.
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Healthy Food Crazy Expensive Now, Top 20 Meal Tips:
1. Plan your Meals Ahead of Time.
Given that you have less money at your disposal, you need to spend it wisely. To enable you to eat cheap and healthy, you need to plan way ahead of time and stick to those plans. Find out the various kinds of meals you might possibly take with the amount of money you have.
Go and look out for their existing prices in the market. Estimate the amount of money you will most likely spend on food per week, month or even year – depending on how long your joblessness or reduced income may last.
meal-plan-sample
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2. Find the Alternatives that Work for You.
Each person is unique. Because of this, each person will generally eat unique combinations of foods and drinks at any given time. In light of this, you should find out the alternatives that work for you. Now that your income has diminished, which safer yet healthy alternatives will most likely work for you?
Be real with yourself while answering this fundamental question. Avoid a generalized approach or copying what others have already settled on. Be mindful of their accessibility and prices as well, to avoid any inconveniences while sourcing them.
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3. Buy in Bulk and Stock up your Supplies.
Perhaps the most ingenious way of spending too little on food is to buy in bulk. This is because bulk purchases are cheaper than single purchases.
Moreover, many food stores will often time offer discounts and special offers for larger purchases at a go.
You should, therefore, consider buying food in bulk and storing them appropriately. Store grains in bulk food stores that are securely locked to ward off pests and rodents.
Safeguard your greens and fruits in the fridge to ensure that they last as long as can be.
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4. Time your Purchases Wisely
Buying in bulk is not enough. You should also time your purchases appropriately and know where to best acquire your supplies.
As a general rule, buy those food items that are in season. This is to spend as little as possible in acquiring them.
Other than that, you should also prioritize the online retailers and food markets over and above supermarkets and other retail outlets.
This against is because you will generally spend less and receive healthier supplies in return.
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5. Reduce the Number of Picnics and Eat-outs
Picnics, get-togethers, and eat-outs are generally more expensive than cooking at home. This is mainly because you have to incur some transport expenses to travel to and from the venue of the eating.
Also, those foods are priced much higher due to the need to derive some profits in return.
Consequently, you have to reduce the number of picnics, get-togethers, and eat-outs you participate in if you ever hope to save your money.
This aside, cooking at home also gives you some controls over the quality and flavor of the meals.
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6. Read the Labels Carefully.
Once in awhile, you will always be forced to buy packaged or processed foods. While this is inevitable, you can mitigate the potential side effects.
You may keep at bay some of the accompanying dangers of packaged foods such as excessive sugar levels, higher fat contents, and obesity by reading the labels carefully.
These labels contain the nutritional information of the said foods. By reading them carefully, you will be able to avoid those foods that contain higher sugar, fat, and calories.
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7. Consume Lots of Fruits and Vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are very healthy. They are also cheaper than most processed foods. Moreover, they are also good in fat burning.
They thus aid in losing weight without expending too many physical efforts. Now that your income has diminished, you may want to increase the share or portion of these kinds of foods in your eating plan.
Buy them in bulk and store them in your refrigerator. Since they lose their nutrients faster, you should also ensure that you eat them sooner after purchase as possible.
You do not want to forfeit all the nutrients, do you?
8. Use your Food Leftovers.
One of the most effective ways of conserving food is to consume them sparingly. To do this, place all your food in large dishes or serving bowls.
Thereafter, serve only those small portions you require at any given time. This will ensure that you leave out large portions as left-over.
Store these leftovers in a fridge or other storage devices. Reheat and utilize them later. This will see to it that you reduce the need to spend too much money to buy food every now and then.
9. Drink Plenty of Water.
Water confers plenty of benefits to the human body. It flushes out toxins, maintains the temperature of the body to the desired levels, aids in the digestion of food, and in losing weight as well. It also induces a sense of fullness in your stomach and reduces your craving for extra food.
With a tight budget at hand, you should drink as much water as possible. Doing so will reduce your desire for food every quite often and with it, the need to spend too much on buying food.
10. Cut Back on Bottled Water and other Beverages.
Bottled water is great, that is certainly not in doubt. However, they are expensive. Moreover, the ordinary tap water may also confer the same benefits if boiled thoroughly before being drunk.
Since you are intent on spending as little as possible on food, you should consider cutting back on, or completely eliminating the bottled water.
Do this also with other beverages such as soda, packaged juices, and so on. Reducing the intakes of other beverages will also let you stay healthier owing to the reduced intakes of calories.
11. Draft and Adhere to an Eating and Exercising Timetable.
Since you have less money at your disposal, you cannot afford to eat normally. You have to regulate your intake of food and beverages.
This can only happen if you draft and adhere strictly to an eating timetable. To actualize this, break down your eating times and document them.
Under each time slot, place the kinds of foods you will be consuming. Proceed to adhere to the eating schedule as tightly as possible.
Avoid the temptations of violating such strict schedules as they may interfere with your overall expenditure and eating plans. Do this also for fitness routines as the two go hand in hand.
12. Abolish Alcohol and Drugs.
You should not even think of consuming drugs and alcohol. These two are not only dangerous to your health but also inimical to your long-term goals and purposes.
They will bring in excess calories in your blood or body system; increase your weight, besides inflicting other dangers and pains.
Moreover, they will also let you spend more which is the same thing you are trying hard to avoid.
For this reason, eliminate them from your diet throughout the duration for which your income is low.
13. Substitute Plant Proteins for Animal Proteins.
Plant proteins are healthier than animal proteins. They are however cheaper and more affordable.
They do not contain as much cholesterol as animal proteins, are rich in fiber, and are also easier to digest and absorb in the body.
You may, therefore, consider substituting the plant proteins for animal proteins during this period when your income is low.
You will still derive the same benefits but at a cheaper and more affordable price. You will also mitigate the risks of heart attacks and other dietary disorders.
14. Eat Plenty of Whole Grains and Nuts.
Carbohydrates are essential for furnishing the body with the necessary energy and heat. Most sources of carbohydrates such as bread and scones are not only expensive but are high in calories and low in fibers.
They also induce a sense of fullness in your body and keeps from craving for more food every quite often.
You should, therefore, switch your source of carbohydrates from these processed foods to the natural whole grains and nuts. They are cheaper, low in calories, and high in fiber. They are thus healthy foods.
15. Practice Intermittent Fasting Once in Awhile.
From time to time, you should also consider abstaining from eating or drinking. This is called intermittent fasting and is loaded with several benefits. This practice reduces your intake of food and the amount of money you spend in so doing.
It also aids in the digestion of food as it minimizes the quantities of foods that are eventually egested from the body. Besides this, the practice also lets you shed fats and excess weights, combats diabetes, boost the health of your heart, and several other problems.
via Dr. Mercola – Click here for large image
16. Suspend other Chores while Eating.
While eating, there is usually the temptation of doing other things like talking, watching television, or reading.
Studies have deduced that such activities have the tendency to increase the quantity of the intake of food. This, of course, brings with it the need to spend more on food in the long run.
To keep such issues at bay, see to it that you suspend other chores while eating. You should instead focus all your attention on eating and eating alone.
Doing this will slow down your rate of food intake and save you money in the process.
17. Insist on Natural rather than Packaged Foods.
Most packaged foods, whether be they these that are derived from natural foods are loaded with chemicals.
These chemicals are mainly in the forms of preservatives that are used to prolong the lifespan of the foods.
What’s more? These foods are more expensive than the natural foods.
To derive the dual benefits of cheaper costs and healthier nutrients, insist only on natural foods rather than the packaged foods during the entire period.
You will also free yourself from several other dangers that are associated with chemicals.
18. Ensure that all Meals are balanced at all Times.
It goes without saying that your meals have to be balanced at all times. Even though you are cash-strapped, you shouldn’t compromise at all on the quality of the food you take in.
You should hence ensure that your meals comprise the three basic ingredients or food categories.
These are the carbohydrates, the proteins, and the Vitamins. From time to time, ensure that Iron is also furnished.
This will ensure that you stay as healthy as can be but on a limited budget or financial muscle.
19. Spread Out the Meals throughout the Day.
The sensation of hunger is usually triggered by the brain to your stomach. This means it is possible to trick your brain in such a manner as to let it suppress this feeling of hunger.
One of the ways of doing so is spreading out your meals throughout the day as opposed to eating huge amounts of food at once.
Most people eat thrice a day; breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and supper in the evening.
You may try out a different route altogether. Eat small quantities of food but more frequently throughout the day.
For instance, you may take breakfast, some snacks before lunch, lunch, some snacks, before dinner, and finally dinner. This will trick the brain and keep you ‘full’ all the time.
20. Consider Growing your Own Food.
As a long-term measure, you may also consider growing your own food. This will mitigate you against the dangers of starvation, malnutrition or consumption of harmful feeds in the long run.
Do this especially if you do not anticipate your income to rise sufficiently within the foreseeable timeframe.
Give priority to growing glutes, fresh vegetables, fruits, and spices such as tomatoes, onions, and cinnamon.
While at it, keep off fertilizers, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals that may compromise the final quality of the foods you derive from your gardens.
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Conclusion
It is our hope that you found the meal tips we have discussed above insightful. The list above is by all means vital to anyone who wishes to stay healthy but on very low budget.
In case you are intent on lifting yourself out of nutritional deficiencies, the above tips are indeed yours for the taking.
We now welcome you to tell us what you think about the tips we have explained above. Drop your views in the comments section below.
And you do not want to enjoy the benefits alone, do you? Why don’t you share this article with your fellow fitness enthusiasts and acquaintances?
Source: GetFierceTraining.com
