In order for me to actually afford to buy healthy food I often need to take simple steps to stretch my real food budget. And with nearly 40 million Americans now on food stamps I know many of you are having this problem as well. However, its entirely possible to afford good, real food even if money is tight (or really really tight).
Don't buy processed, convenience foods. Healthy wholesome foods should always be a priority over processed junk thats loaded with preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors, and other nasties. If you can't afford a head of lettuce then you may want to put those oreo cookies back on the shelf. Where I live a box of processed crackers cost nearly $4 while a healthy pack of beans or butter cost nearly the same or less.
Water your broth down. Okay, in order to fight off those sugar cravings so you don't end up "splurging" on processed sugary foods at the store its essential to consume healthy animal-based fats. Unfortunately, these are the same foods that are most expensive so you may find it helpful to buy chicken broth and water it down. I usually put two cups of broth in the crock pot then water the rest down until it's at least half way full.
You don't need to buy everything organic or "natural". In fact, you may find that some natural and even organic products are a rip-off as they aren't really natural at all or don't use that many pesticides to grow them to begin with. Potatoes and watermelons are good examples of produce that due to their thick skin are not susceptible to pests to begin with and so don't require a lot of pesticides. Rice, beans, and lentils also don't need to be bought organic. Where I live organic cream cheese cost only 40 cents more than non-organic so always do a price compare before buying.
Always stretch food supplies out either by buying bulk or using leftovers. At the health food store I can buy a large container of yeast to make my weekly bread for $2 while using the bread for many other purposes. Make crouton snacks out of the bread or use the crumbs in meatloaf.
Beat off sugar cravings to stop the urge to buy sugar-laden processed foods. Its cheaper to spend $5 on a pack of organic butter to stabilize your blood sugar levels and stop you from craving sugar then to keep buying junk food throughout the week. I always had to learn this lesson the hard way when I use to work a retail job that required me to be away from home for many hours. I'd spend a lot of money each week on eating out instead of fixing cheap, wholesome meals at home.
Don't buy processed, convenience foods. Healthy wholesome foods should always be a priority over processed junk thats loaded with preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors, and other nasties. If you can't afford a head of lettuce then you may want to put those oreo cookies back on the shelf. Where I live a box of processed crackers cost nearly $4 while a healthy pack of beans or butter cost nearly the same or less.
Water your broth down. Okay, in order to fight off those sugar cravings so you don't end up "splurging" on processed sugary foods at the store its essential to consume healthy animal-based fats. Unfortunately, these are the same foods that are most expensive so you may find it helpful to buy chicken broth and water it down. I usually put two cups of broth in the crock pot then water the rest down until it's at least half way full.
You don't need to buy everything organic or "natural". In fact, you may find that some natural and even organic products are a rip-off as they aren't really natural at all or don't use that many pesticides to grow them to begin with. Potatoes and watermelons are good examples of produce that due to their thick skin are not susceptible to pests to begin with and so don't require a lot of pesticides. Rice, beans, and lentils also don't need to be bought organic. Where I live organic cream cheese cost only 40 cents more than non-organic so always do a price compare before buying.
Always stretch food supplies out either by buying bulk or using leftovers. At the health food store I can buy a large container of yeast to make my weekly bread for $2 while using the bread for many other purposes. Make crouton snacks out of the bread or use the crumbs in meatloaf.
Beat off sugar cravings to stop the urge to buy sugar-laden processed foods. Its cheaper to spend $5 on a pack of organic butter to stabilize your blood sugar levels and stop you from craving sugar then to keep buying junk food throughout the week. I always had to learn this lesson the hard way when I use to work a retail job that required me to be away from home for many hours. I'd spend a lot of money each week on eating out instead of fixing cheap, wholesome meals at home.
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