Recipes for Success: Balanced and Affordable Meals

Grocery shopping can be healthy and affordable if you put in the effort of making a plan beforehand, rather than impulse-buying anything and everything that looks appealing in the moment. In general, you want to try and buy simple ingredients that are not pre-packaged or pre-made meals, since they tend to be more expensive and less healthy than just making a similar dish yourself. Avoid unnecessary pricey purchases that tend to add up, like fancy sports drinks or similar non-necessities. A way to limit these impulse purchases that you don’t actually need is to avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry, as you’ll probably end up over-shopping and going over your budget or buying junk food that fills your cravings, but ultimately isn’t good fuel for your body. Your budget should fit the funds that you actually have available each week and what you end up buying should cater towards your personal health needs and appetite. Don’t buy too much if you don’t think it will get eaten, because you’ll end up wasting money and having expired food in the fridge, which is a lose-lose for you.

Make a list of each category of whole foods that you need and build your meals off of these ingredients, switching them up when needed. Categories for these lists include items like, protein (meat and dairy), flavor (citrus and spices), greens, fruits, and grains. Try to focus on buying fresh, organic items and limiting snacks and other processed foods that aren’t as great for your health or your wallet.