Eating clean on a Budget

Lets face it. Todays economy is tough enough as it is without having to worry about eating healthy. And to be honest eating healthy and clean can be quite expensive. Alot of web site will tell you that it is actually cheaper to shop organic and eat healthy than to indulge in boxed and canned food, and although on some levels they are right, you and I both know that when your on a tight budget and it comes to pasta sauce one thats organic and costs $4.00 or one thats not and costs $1.00, were most likely going to forgo the healthy organic option and take the less healthy option in order to save a couple dollars.
I myself as a single parent, am broke. To be honest I probably live on or just under the poverty line. But I have found ways to still be able to eat clean and healthy. Here are a list of ideas on how to shop and save money and still be healthy.

1. SHOP IN BULK:
 A lot of times shopping in bulk may seem more expensive but it is not. I tend to hit up costco for my meats in bulk. At a local grocery store, one might pay almost $8.00 for two chicken breasts. At costco I can get approximatley 12 for $20.00.  One small freshly cut piece of fish could cost around $10.00, at costco I can get enough to make five or 6 meals for around $16.00. By buying your meats in bulk it saves alot of money for a person on a budget. And once you have the meat, its very easy to seperate and portion out all the meat for meals. I typically spend about $60-$100.00 on meat at costco but that easily lasts me a month or more.  It is also important to be aware of what is a deal and what is not a deal. Shopping in bulk stores can be tricky if you do not know the prices of the items at other stores. One fabulous deal i have found at costco is on their greek yogurt. In a regular grocery store one container of liberte greek yogurt is around $5.00. At costco I can get two of them for the same price.

2. BUY STAPLE ITEMS THAT CAN MAKE A VARIETY OF MEALS:
 Buying items like quinoa or beans can keep your meals healthy and can be used in a variety of ways. I personally love quinoa. It can be used in hot or cold meals. You can use quinoa as a meal itself or as a side dish. By having items that can be used in a variety of ways, you can still eat clean and healthy and not get bored of the same meal over and over again. You can add beans to your chicken, use as a side dish, make a salad out of them, or mix them in with quinoa. Other staple items that can add flavor and keep your  meals healthy is investing in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These two items can make a variety of sauces and flavours  with your meals, and tend to be longer lasting then unclean and sugary items like dressings and sauces.

3. BUY FORZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES INSTEAD OF FRESH
 Often for those of us who are on a budget, it is hard to keep buying frsh fruit and vegetables every week. Or if we do buy fresh food, it sometimes goes bad before we can use it, which is a waste of precious money we dont have to waste. Buying frozen is actually cheaper, and because the fruit and veggies or flash frozen, there is actually more nutrients found in the food. Not only will the food last longer but its just as healthy. I tend to buy alot of frozen veggies and fruit and use them as needed. It saves me quite a bit of money when i am not having to spend money every week on fresh veggies.

4.BUY ONLY WHATS IN SEASON
Alot of times we want to have fresh veggies and fruits and that is totally okay. But if money is tight, then stick to the fruits and veggies that are in season. These tend to be priced the lowest, and will save you much more money than indulging in fruits and veggies that are being imported from other areas or countries.

5. FOOD BANKS: SHOPING WISELY
With the economy there are unfortunatley many more families having to use food banks to get buy, and I am one of them on occasion. There are certain things to look for when at a food bank. Most of the food is canned and boxed, and so it can be difficult to eat clean. But here are some ideas. Sometimes food banks will have fresh veggies. Stock up on those. Veggies can be frozen and used later so take what ever you can thats alottted. Canned veggies are not ideal, but are a healthier choice than canned spaghetti. Just try to read the labes and see if any of the veggies are low in sodium. Pasta is usually redially available. Try to find whole wheat pasta instead of white. Also canned tuna or salmon packed in water is a great choice as well. Look for low sodium and low fat soups to use if you can, and if there is bread being offered than see if there is any whole wheat options available. If you know what to look for, you can get healthier food to get by on.

This is just a suggestion as to how to start to save money on food. By being knowledgable and getting staples that dont get used up fast, one can still eat clean and be healthy on a budget.