Better Balance + Flow

If your biggest concern when it comes to eating healthy is how much your new lifestyle will cost, I’ve got some tips for you to meet your nutritional needs without breaking the bank.

Budgeting

Of course, the first thing you’ll want to do is figure out how much you’re able to spend on groceries on a bi-weekly basis. If budgeting is new to you, I recommend getting started with You Need A Budget, a website app that takes you through exactly how to get started and hosts webinars every month for those looking for more in-depth knowledge. If you choose to use the platform, there is an annual subscription fee, however, I find the skills I’ve developed through using the platform has had a great impact on how I spend and save money. By understanding where your money is going, you can be more intentional with what you choose to spend it on, and when it comes to groceries, this can make a difference.

Once you know how much you’re able to comfortably spend, you can start planning your meals (which is my favourite part). Eating healthy does not equal bland and flavourless meals. In fact, as you think about what you’ll be making for the next two weeks, you can plan to include some fun meals to treat yourself if you’re currently working on losing weight or gaining muscle. You may also want to plan your meals according to a theme, rather than making the same thing for multiple days in a row.

Planning

Cooking can be an enjoyable experience if you allow yourself to have fun with it.

I like to plan my meals two weeks at a time, stretching items so they can be used for multiple meals and/or snacks. For example, asparagus can be used as a side dish for chicken and potatoes but also sliced into bite-sized pieces that can be added to pasta. Opting for a larger package of ground beef means you can divide that in half once you get home and use half for Taco Night and the other half for Meatloaf. It also pays to buy a larger size of something you will use often, which means it’s something you buy once a month instead of every week. These are often pantry staples like rice, flour, oils, etc. Just be sure these are ingredients you intend to use and are necessary for your planned meals. Once you know what you intend to make, compile a list of only those essential to your cooking needs.

Shopping

You may be thinking this seems pretty strict, however, once you actually go out to make your purchases, you can be a little savvier. Meats are always going to be some of the pricier items on your list, but you can get away with reducing costs by choosing fresh over frozen vegetables whenever possible and looking out for deals on those items you use regularly, like condiments/ spices, breakfast cereals or beverages. A trick I like to use is to keep a tally in mind as I go through the store, ex. $10 pack of chicken + $4 carton of eggs + $2 bag of peppers, etc. In this way, once I’ve gone through my list of groceries, if I estimate that I’m under budget, I can choose to either save that money or pick up a treat or two that keeps me within range (if you haven’t already accounted for that in your meal plan). This ensures that the majority of my groceries keep me on track with eating healthy, but I allow myself a treat to avoid the overwhelm that comes with restriction. As much as we may try, I don’t believe that it is healthy for our mind to cut out all of the things that we enjoy in order to reach a particular goal. If you can’t enjoy the journey, how long will you be able to keep going?

Signing up for a points or cashback rewards program from your grocer can also help to reduce costs if they allow you to pay with points or offer deals on your favourite items.

If you enjoyed these tips, let me know in the comments! If you have some tricks that you find helpful, I’d love to hear them.