One of the biggest roadblocks I hear daily about sticking to ones fitness goals, surprisingly has nothing to do with the workouts themselves or even the commitment of cooking, prepping and fitting in their workouts. The most questions I receive have to do with eating clean and healthy while on a budget
I hear at least one person every single day complaining that it is so hard to buy all of these ‘healthy foods’ while not breaking the bank. You will be surprised to see that eating clean, healthy and delicious is extremely easy while sticking to your budget!
Tips:
Choose your supermarket Wise: I am basically referring to Whole Foods with this tip. I only go to WF if necessary. I would suggest you check out your local grocery store (around me, this is Star Market, Market Basket, Hannafords, Shaws, Trader Joes) These places all carry the same produce and the majority of all of the same products for about half of the price. I know the salad bar at Whole foods is not comparable to any other salad bar, so this my friends, is a different story. When it comes to fruits, veggies, grains, dairy…go to your local supermarket first! You may hear people say “oh you must buy it at Whole Foods for it to be healthy” This is not true at all. Go buy red peppers for $1.99 a lb at Star Market rather than $4.99 a lb at Whole foods. Seriously!
Buy In Bulk: Invest in a membership to BJ’s or Costco or Sam’s club. Any wholesale store where you can buy food in bulk will save you a whole slew of money! You can always buy in bulk and freeze what you are not using right away! What I will do is also buy for instance a big bag of frozen beans, and pre protion them in smaller Ziploc bags to grab and go from the freezer!
Some Items I buy in bulk:
Chicken breasts
Frozen Tilapia
Frozen Berries
Frozen Shrimp
Oats
Brown Rice
Mustard
Cinnamon
Sugar free Gum
Baby spinach
Persian cucumbers
Greek yogurt
Egg white cartons
Various veggies that I know I go through! (asparagus, green beans, Broccoli)
White tuna packed in water
Balsamic vinegar
Almond butter
Hummus/salsa
Low carb wraps
Don’t Throw Away food: I hardly ever throw away food (unless it has any visible mold or awful smell) some ways I make food last longer is to simply use the freezer! Just the other week I had a slice of avocado and after a few days, instead of throwing it out on the verge of going bad, I diced it up and froze it in a baggie to use in smoothies! I do the same with butternut squash and kale as well. You can do this with any fresh fruit or vegetable and also grains! I have cooked up a big batch of quinoa, and after a few days when I didn’t get through it all, I just froze it (yes, pre cooked and froze!) I had it the next week and it tasted great!
Buy in season Produce: Do not go looking for a bargain on blueberries in the dead of winter in New England. Be a smart shopper! Do a little research on what fruits or vegetables are ‘in season’ during the current time and you will find the best deals on those. In the winter time, I buy mostly all of my berries frozen as well as fruit like mango, pineapple and cherries which are more ‘summer’ based fruits.
Buy Locally Look for local growers and products, not only are there deals on these products a lot of the time, but the foods taste better and travel a shorter distance, thus reducing their chance of carrying pesticides or chemicals. Check out your local Farmers Market! In Boston, I love to frequent the Haymarket on Saturday and Fridays for amazing deals on Produce! (I mean amazing-10 red peppers for $5.00 and 10 apples for $2.00!)
Skip organic: There are some benefits to buying organic foods, but the nutritional content is equivalent is both organic and “conventional” (non-organic) foods. You don’t necessarily get better nutritional content with organic foods, although some people prefer the taste of organic foods. Buy conventional items to save money.
Don’t shop on impulse: I always know what I am going to get at the store (for the most part) before I walk in. I know that if I go into the store, without checking what I currently have or need, I will walk out with may more than I should. I always try to think about the upcoming week, what I want to make, what I will need and STICK TO IT
Make your own pre bagged veggies: Try to avoid buying pre washed and pre bagged produce from the grocery store-it is much less cost effective! Instead, as soon as you buy your vegetables (in bulk) wash them right when you get home and pre bag them yourself!
Check out Websites: I am a big fan of ordering certain foods and supplements online. I subscribe to some sites such as vitacost and netrition and always get emails when they are running deals for a certain percentage off or free shipping! I always get my coconut oil, whey protein and stevia online to save major $$
Carbohydrates are Cheap! If you notice, healthy grains such as sweet potato, oats and brown rice are very cheap! Buy them in bulk, and keep them handy. Try to avoid buying products such as “boil in a bag” rice, which can carry up to ¾ times the price tag rather than a big standard bag of brown rice for about $1.50.
10Most budget friendly Protein Sources
Canned Tuna: 40g protein/can. Buy tuna in spring water. Don’t worry too much about the mercury. 1 small can a day is okay!
Whole Eggs: 7g protein/egg. Lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away if you have bad cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol, and the yolk contains half the protein and vitamins A/D/E. T his is a muscle building food that cannot be beat.
Whey. 1 scoop of whey is 24g protein-30g serving. At 2 scoops/day, a 10lbs bag will last 10 weeks for 84,99$. You don’t get cheaper than this. Do not rely on whey just because of its price and convenience. It is important to eat REAL food first!
Ground Beef. 25g protein per 3oz. I like the 96/4% lean ground beef. For each lb I buy it costs around $4.99 and since I usually eat 3oz protein portions it lasts about 3 meals worth!
Low Fat/Skim Milk. 30g protein/liter milk. If you are trying to lose fat, milk may not be your best choice, but this is a quick protein source that has actually been shown to be the perfect post workout drink as well due to the ratio of carbs, protein and fat.
Chicken Breast. 25g protein per 3oz. I buy chicken breast in bulk for about $3.99 a lb. I will freeze some and cook some so I always have it on hand in my fridge OR freezer. Season with spices such as Italian seasoning, Mrs Dash, mustard, balsamic vinegar, taco seasoning, fresh basil, dill etc
Cottage Cheese. 12g protein per ½ C. Since cottage cheese contains a high amount of slow digesting casein protein, it makes it the perfect nighttime meal before bed. The slow digesting casein will make sure that your muscles have a store of protein throughout the night. If you are not used to the texture, try blending it in the magic bullet or blender!
Protein Mousse: 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet stevia, 1 tsp cinnamon. Mix together in the magic bullet and freeze for about 20 minutes for a healthy, protein mousse!
Ground Turkey. 25g protein per 3oz. I buy the 99% lean ground turkey and use it for everything from turkey meatballs to turkey meatloaf. I love the versatility of ground turkey!
Frozen Fish: You can find great deals on frozen tilapia or shrimp in the freezer section. I buy the proportioned bags of tilapia so when I want one, I just take it out the night before and cook it up in the morning stove top with some TJs 21 salute seasoning, lemon juice and mustard
Canned Salmon: You can find canned salmon right next to the tuna. The high essential fatty acid content will supply your body with important nutrients for maximizing the muscle-building process.
Salmon Patties
INGREDIENTS:
2 cans (6 ounces each) or 1 can (14.75 ounces) salmon, drained
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg or 1/3 C liquid egg whites
1/3 cup bread crumbs or oatbran
1/4 cup greek Yogurt (or mayo)
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
1 teaspoon country-style Dijon mustard
~Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a nonstick baking sheet.
~Mix together the salmon, onion, egg, mustard, bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, and dill. Make 4 patties of equal size
~Place Patties on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (flip halfway)
TIP: Mix 2 T Greek Yogurt and some extra dill in a small bowl to serve atop the salmon patties!
