Dieting on a Tight Budget

People today have become very health conscious. Everyone wants to have a fit body, which is free of diseases. That's why, money or no money, people stick to taking a nutritious, balanced diet. Any which ways, for buying healthy foods, it's not as if a person has to spend millions! For instance, if you go to a grocery store and buy a large pack of chips, it would cost you the same as a bag of apples. There is hardly any difference of price. But, of course, there is a difference of choice. Choice for you to choose healthy foods over the fatty, not so healthy ones!

Tips on How to Diet on a Low Budget

Choose Healthy Beverages
If you are dieting on a tight budget, there are some beverages that you can do without. Steer clear of alcohol, tea, coffee, aerated drinks and packaged fruit juices. First of all, these beverages are not at all healthy. They add calories to the body, resulting in weight gain. When dieting, you should only stick to beverages which have lesser calories. So, whatever money you save by not buying these beverages, spend it on fresh fruit juices. They are nutritious, low in fats and thus, will keep you fit and fine!

Invest in a Water Filter
Water is very essential for a healthy body and skin. So, if you buy packaged water from the stores, then a good idea would be to invest in a quality water filter. Although, you would have to initially shell out money to buy it, yet, you would be saving a lot of dollars later on.

Cook at Home
One very useful tip on how to diet on a cheap budget is to cook at home. Homemade food is comparatively much healthier and less in calories, compared to the restaurant food. Use very little oil, fats and sugar when cooking at home. Be creative and you will be surprised to know how many low costing, healthy dishes you can churn out. For instance, you can make a frittata with two eggs, mixed vegetables and low fat cheese. This dish is high in proteins and low in carbohydrates and calories, simply perfect for those dieting on a tight budget. For lunch, you can make your own whole wheat sandwich with grilled chicken and leafy vegetables. Likewise, if you search the Internet, you will find many such cheap yet healthy recipes.

Cook in Advance
Lots of times, people who work long hours, do not feel like cooking when they come back home. This results in unnecessary spending on ordering food from a restaurant or snacking on some high calorie foods. So, an alternative to this is to cook meals for the entire week on Sunday and freeze them. Although, these meals would not be as healthy as the freshly made ones, yet they will be any day lesser in calories and fats, compared to the restaurant food.

Look for Alternatives
When dieting on a tight budget, look for healthier and cheaper alternatives for food. For instance, eat lean meats instead of fatty ones and as far as possible avoid red meat. Do away with boxed cereals, instead have oatmeal in breakfast. As for snacks, do not eat chips and cookies, these are high in calories as well as quite expensive. Replace them with healthier nuts and pretzels. You may further go to how to diet properly.

Shop Smart
As mentioned above, plan your meals for the next week on Sunday and then shop accordingly. As much as possible, buy discounted food items. Use your coupons judiciously and always carry a calculator when out grocery shopping so that you get the best deals. Also, buy seasonal veggies and fruits as these are usually cheaper than the non-seasonal ones. If you are using food stamps, then your choice of foods might be limited. In such a case, shop from farmers markets and co-operatives, as these take food stamps and might even barter food items in exchange of your labor.

Share Meals
If you are living on your own, you can make an arrangement with a friend, wherein only one of you cooks the meal which you two share. You can cook on alternate days. This way, your food costs will not be that high, plus you will be saving on a lot of time, which you can use to work and supplement your income.

When you are out grocery shopping, avoid high sugar, expensive foods like ice creams, candies, cakes and pastries. Avoid fast foods too as they are very fattening. If you follow these tips, you can definitely maintain a very healthy lifestyle, even in a tight budget.
By Aastha Dogra

Posted in: Diets