How Healthy Eating Can Save You Money
I am sure many people have the impression that having a healthy diet will cost a lot of money. Organic foods are more expensive, as are many of the so called "health foods" you may buy in a health food shop. In this week's issue of Herbs For Health Ezine, and next week's, we will just look at a few ways in which healthy eating can actually save you money.
Today, we will concentrate directly on food related savings that are possible, and next time consider more indirect ways your new healthy eating lifestyle could save you money
When it comes to buying the actual food you are going to eat, there are many ways to save when you go to the supermarket or grocery store. By doing so, you may be able to keep within your existing food budget and still afford a few extras, such as using organic vegetables, at least part of the time. If you do not have a current budget for food, then you could spend the next week keeping track of what you spend on food, and try to estimate what a full month would be. Then, aim to stick to that maximum next month with your new diet and include a few healthy luxuries; or, pocket those savings.
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Eating Healthily Without Processed Food
One of the best ways to make immediate savings is to decide, firmly, to stop buying processed food. That basically means all packaged foods, anything that has been processed before you buy it. If you buy what is not the raw food, you do not know what has been added to it, unless the labeling is honest, full and clear. In some countries, food labeling is not strictly enough controlled, and that includes in the US.
Packaging is expensive, and you are the one who pays. You are also paying for the manufacturing process, a process which will often remove most of the nutrients from what would otherwise be good food. An exception is tomatoes, which actually go through processing and come out of the other end with the same, or even higher, nutrient value. So, tomato ketchup and paste is good to have, and can form the base of some cheap and tasty sauces, which you can use with fish, poultry and meat
Some vegetables, such as potatoes, can be very cheap in the country they are grown, but as soon as they are processed, they lose much of their goodness and cost far more. So, if you are in the habit of buying potatoes in the form of instant mashed potato, then that is a good habit to break.
For breakfast, millions of Americans and Europeans especially consume boxed cereals with lots of added sugar. It is far better to buy bulk amounts of oats, raisins, sultanas, and nuts of any type to mix up a good supply of your own unadulterated "breakfast cereal". Fruit is also excellent for breakfast, in fact my own normal breakfast these days is a large bowl of mixed fresh fruits. I love avocado, banana, papaya, mango and melon. I also add some pure honey.It took a while to get used to the idea of only fruit at breakfast time, but now I will not switch back to any alternative. Fruits, of course depend on availability and season, but you can vary the mix and get off to an excellent start to the day
Next time: More ways to save money eating healthily