7 ways to EAT healthy on a budget | #betterYOULandL

One of the common complaints I hear from women is that eating healthy is too expensive. They are right, it can be. However there are ways to eat well and save some $$$ while you do it! Here are 7 ways to EAT healthy on a budget.

1. One of the best things I’ve heard is meal share. My sister Rachael does it with two of her girlfriends. Chances are if you are interested in eating well, your friends are too. Buy all your ingredients in bulk. Get together and cook. Once you are done you have 10-15 meals prepped and ready to go for under $4 per meal! All your macros are there and ready for you! Not only will you save money, but you will stay on track with your eating plan. You can get one of their recipes at the bottom of this post.

2. Stock up on sales! When you find a product you love and will use AND you find it on sale.. buy a few! Example: I LOVE Dave’s Killer Bread. The ingredients are whole and I can pronounce each of them. I found it on sale last week so I bought 5 loaves. I kept one out and put the other four in the freezer.

3. If you make a lot of shakes or smoothies, don’t use fresh fruit. It just gets blended up anyway and the nutrients are there. Frozen fruit is less expensive and lasts MUCH longer.

4. Most eating plans are HIGH on protein. That means lots of meat, right? Not always. Meat is expensive if you’re eating as much protein as I currently am. Eggs, legumes, cottage cheese are much more cost effective and you still get lots of protein in! Plus, I really like options so finding other sources high in protein is essential for my plan.

5. Start a garden!! I’m being serious. We just planted every fruit and vegetable we could find plus 7 avocado trees. Jeff eats a TON of fruit and veggies. Like that might be all he eats (and candy) so this garden will definitely save us money.

6. Keep your fridge and pantry organized. Leftovers and produce can easily get lost in a packed fridge. Do you know how many times I’ve gone to the store and can’t remember if I already have something at home, so I just buy it to avoid having to go back to the store. Then I get home, unload and sure enough I have multiples of what I just bought. Ugh. Lesson learned. Stay organized and save money!

7. Buy seasonal! If it’s November-March I can bet you won’t find a killer deal on watermelon (my favorite fruit). Melons are not in season in the fall/winter. You can find them, but you will pay 3-5 times the amount you pay in the summer months. Buy what’s in season and SAVE!

Clean Meat Balls

1.5 pounds lean ground turkey

2/3 cup dry oats

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

2 eggs

1 tsp garlic powder

2/3 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup cheese (optional)

Mix and make into mini meatloaves or balls. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins.

Enjoy!