1. Buy fresh produce when it's in season and freeze it. Fresh

produce is always great, but the cost can add up fast. Stick with

buying what's currently in season, and consider stocking up when

you find a good deal.

2. Look for sales and plan meals accordingly. If your local grocery

store offers a savings card be sure to sign up, and check the

weekly circular to see what's on sale. Instead of shopping for

groceries based on your weekly meal plan, consider planning

your meals around what's on sale.

3. Try less expensive cuts of meat. You can still enjoy meat, even

when you're on a tight budget. Look for less expensive cuts of

meat, like chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, and try

different cooking methods, like the slow cooker, to make

tougher cuts of meat tender and juicy.

4. Embrace whole grains and beans. Beans and whole grains, like

quinoa, freekeh and brown rice are an inexpensive and tasty way

to bulk up meals, and can even be a meal in themselves.

5. Broaden your culinary horizons! Cuisines, like Mexican and

Indian, rely heavily on inexpensive ingredients, like beans and

rice.

6. Keep an organized fridge and pantry. Leftovers are always great,

but it totally defeats the purpose if they get lost in the back of

the fridge. Label leftovers and keep your fridge organized to help

minimize food waste.

7. Repurpose leftovers. If you don't like eating the same meal over

and over, consider repurposing leftovers into an entirely new

and delicious meal.

According to a study published in 2015

by "Society of Teachers of Family

Medicine," or STFM, the average total

cost for the healthy-food-diet model was

$5,019 per year. The average cost of the

convenient-food-diet model was more

than twice that of the healthy-food-

model, at $10,298 per year. The average

daily cost of the healthy diet was $7.48,

while the fast food diet averaged $15.30

per day. The per-ounce cost of healthy

foods was calculated at a low $0.11 for

milk and other dairy products; $0.20 for

lean meats; $0.08 for fruits; $0.11 for

vegetables; and $0.12 for grains.

According to one experiment conducted

by Oakton Community College, when

three meals per day per person were

purchased from fast-food restaurants,

the total cost was $87.00 per week. In

contrast, by purchasing all whole

ingredients from grocery stores, the

estimated cost for three meals per day,

per person came out to $43.00 per

week. The experiment concluded that by

preparing all three meals from home, the

average person could save

approximately $45.00 per week, when

compared to eating out.

While fast-food does have the singular

advantage of being more convenient,

healthy foods provide much greater

nutrition at a fraction of the cost.

Eating

Healthy on

a Budget

BUILDING A

HEALTHY

LUNCH BOX Get Equipped: Get a personal igloo or insulated carrier, thermos, and plastic ware. Check if

there is a microwave available at work of any other equipment or storage you may need.

Go Shopping: Look for whole-wheat breads, low fat deli meats, tuna, romaine or red leaf

lettuce, baked chips, salad fixings (cucumber, tomato, carrots, sweet peppers) and fruit

(apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, berries) and healthy snacks.

Prepare the Night Before: Leaving the preparation until the AM may limit your consistency –

pack it the evening before!

Don’t Forget the Leftovers: Soups, stews, chili, pasta, and many other entrees are great the

next day. Make more dinner than you need and be set for a day or two of special lunches.

Wrap it Up: Burritos and Sandwich wraps are great on whole-wheat tortillas; try wrapping

tuna, chicken, or egg salad with some lettuce and tomatoes.

Put the Freeze: Frozen Entrees can be a great option if you have a microwave available. Go

healthy and look for low fat, low sodium choices.

Toss a Salad: When toting a salad, store the salad in a large plastic baggie with the dressing

sealed in a sandwich-sized baggie. At lunch, pour the dressing over the salad and shake. No

soggy salad, no messy cleanup, and no containers to take back and forth.

Seal in the Flavor: Then bringing fruit, seal them in a small plastic baggie. If you don’t like the

flavor of fruits to permeate the rest of your items in your bag.

Get Diversified: Change up the options from time to time. Many people tend to eat the same

thing too often and the food loses appeal.

MACRONUTRIENTSMacronutrients are the main sources of calories in our diets (proteins,

fats, carbs. These are the nutrients that we need in the highest

quantities to sustain life.  Counting macros is based on a caloric

breakdown: 1g of protein has four calories, 1g of carbohydrates also

has four calories, and 1g of fat has nine calories.  This breakdown may

not exactly add up to the total caloric value of the food, especially if

you're rounding up to the nearest half-gram (as you should), so don't

let that trip you up each time you analyze a nutrition label. You only

need to worry about calories from protein, fat, and carbs.

Counting Macros is beneficial because it eliminates empty calories

and helps you lose weight. With counting macros  you are fully aware

of what you are putting into your body and you're keeping track of

very precise numbers of those nutrients.

Consuming all of your calories from just one or two macro groups can

also throw off other internal operation. Macronutrient tracking does

require some common sense -- getting your carb macros doesn't

mean from simple sugars unfortunately -- and focuses on consuming

a well-rounded diet. It's all about quality of nutrition.

PROTEINS

FATS

CARBOHYDATES

Fish

Nuts

Chicken

Legumes

Vegetables

Eggs

Dairy

Nuts

Avocados

Sunflower Oil

Cheese

Chia Seeds

Yogurt

Coconut

Oatmeal

Sweet Potatoes

Brown Rice

Whole Wheat Bread

Quinoa

Pumpkim

S O U R C E :   H T T P S : / / W W W . T H R I L L I S T . C O M / H E A L T H / N A T I O N / H O W - T O - T R A C K - Y O U R -

M A C R O N U T R I E N T S - F O R - W E I G H T - L O S S

Fats

20%

Carbs

50%

Protein

30%

BREAKFAST

LUNCH OR DINNER

One or two poached eggs with a couple of slices of wholegrain toast,

avocado, sauteed spinach, tomato and mushrooms

Rolled oats with Greek style yogurt and some fruit

Fillet steak with a salad of leafy greens (such as rocket and spinach),

avocado, tomatoes and cucumber, and quinoa to serve for the

carbohydrate portion.

Salmon with broccoli and sweet potato

Stir fry with vegetables, tofu or chicken, cashews for healthy fats and

brown rice to serve

6 H E A L T H Y D I N N E R SBALANCED MEAL IDEAS   

Monday

C H I C K E N Q U E S A D I L L A S

W / B R O W N R I C E

Tuesday

C H I C K E N L E T T U C E

W R A P S

Wednesday

Q U I N O A & T U R K E Y

S T U F F E D P E P P E R S

Thursday

B R O C C O L I & C H E E S E

Q U I N O A C A S S E R O L E

Friday

A V O C A D O T U N A  

N I C O I S E   S A L A D

Saturday

T U R K E Y B U R G E R

W R A P S

SUNDAY IS FREE DAY! ENJOY!