Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive!

Read about my Top 10 cost saving tips.

Many people think that you have to spend a lot of money to eat healthy. However, that doesn't have to be the case. On the contrary, the costs of not-so-healthy fast food, convenience foods and snacks can pile up quite quickly and become very expensive over time. In my personal experience, healthy eating can save money in both the short and long term, especially if you stick to a few basic principles when purchasing, choosing and preparing your food.

Be here 10 simple tips to help you save money and still eat healthy:

1. Eat more plant-based food, including proteins.

Vegetable proteins such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and tempeh are often much cheaper than animal proteins such as meat, fish and poultry. In addition, these foods are rich in protein, fiber and a variety of other essential vitamins and minerals. They are easy to use in recipes such as stews, soups, salads and stir-fries. Make plant-based foods a central theme in your diet and if you want to eat animal products, do it occasionally. Eating more plant-based proteins does not mean you have to become vegan.

2. Plan your meals forward.

Design a weekly menu and tailor your groceries to the meals on the menu. This way you prevent food waste and save not only money, but also time. One of my favorite methods for meal planning is to find a few recipes that use the same set of ingredients to alternate throughout the week. I start by choosing a few types of whole grains and legumes as a base. Then I alternate fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs for each meal. This helps me streamline my shopping list while staying focused on adding enough variety to my diet. Variety is the key to a healthy gut and a broad spectrum of nutrients.

3. Buy food in the least processed form and cook at home from scratch.

Many foods are cheaper in a less processed form. For example, a head of cauliflower is cheaper than cleaned and cut cauliflower florets in a plastic bag. A block of cheese is cheaper than grated cheese. Whole grains, such as brown rice and oats, are also cheaper per serving than most processed grains. These less processed foods are also often sold in larger quantities and yield more servings per package.

That's why cooking at home instead of buying semi-finished or pre-packaged meals is one of the most effective ways to eat healthy on a budget. When you prepare your own food, you also have complete control over what you put on your plate. It also helps you reduce your intake of added sugars, salt and artificial ingredients.

4. Choose seasonal and local Products.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often more affordable than food produced out of season. That's because they are harvested at the peak of their ripeness and not transported far, which reduces costs. Products in season are also fresher and tastier.

5. Buy in bulk.

I've always stocked my pantry with foods that have a long shelf life and are cheaper if you buy them in bulk. I often shop at online stores, such as: www.nl.pit-pit.com , www.denotenshop.nl or wwww.asianfoodlovers.nl.

Here is a list of healthy nutritious products that are best to buy in bulk:

• Grains (all types of rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, teff, oats, amaranth, barley, polenta)
• Pasta (all types of lentil pasta, buckwheat pasta, rice pasta and noodles, whole wheat pasta)
• Beans and legumes (all types of dried beans, corn and lentils or canned beans, corn and lentils)
• Flour (preferably whole wheat flour, such as: spelt, wheat, rice, oats, teff, chickpeas, corn, buckwheat)
• Coconut sugar or maple syrup
• Extra virgin olive oil or pure coconut oil (I cook without oils, but if you find it difficult, use these oils in very small quantities)
• Nuts and seeds (all types of raw nuts, sesame seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
• Dried fruit (dates, apricots, plums, raisins, figs)
• Canned or bottled tomato products (passata, concentrate, chopped tomatoes)
• Dried spices and herbs

6. Try small Moroccan, Turkish or Chinese shops.

These are better stocked with fresh produce, bulk packs of grains and legumes and are often cheaper and just as good (if not better) in quality.

7. Check offers and discounts in the supermarkets.

Most supermarkets offer weekly offers and discounts, but you have to be very careful and critical here. Unfortunately, what you see in supermarket discount brochures are more often unhealthy processed foods with added sugar, too much salt and artificial additives, which do not contain enough nutrients to constitute a good nutritious meal. It is best to stock up on non-perishable products that are on sale, for example: rice, beans, legumes, herbs, frozen products and canned vegetables. If you have a freezer at home, you can also stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables when they are on sale and then cut or chop them into the shape you want to use in your meals and freeze them in the portions you would normally use for cooking .

8. Use frozen vegetables and fruit.

Frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same valuable nutrients as fresh varieties, but have a much longer shelf life and are cheaper. I like to keep plenty of frozen fruit on hand to throw into smoothies or mix into my chia or oatmeal. Frozen vegetables also make a great addition to stir-fries or can be sauteed, sautéed or roasted for a simple dish.

9. Freeze your own ingredients or meals.

If you have trouble using up fresh fruits and vegetables you buy on sale, consider cutting and freezing them in meal-sized portions. You can do the same with leftovers from meals you've cooked so you waste less food.

10. Save your leftovers.

Many parts of products are usually discarded during cooking. However, there are many interesting and creative ways you can use your leftover food to save some extra money. Here are some ideas:

– save stems and stalks of vegetables to make soup stock,

– cut stale bread into cubes and bake them in the oven to make your own homemade croutons

– dry stale bread and grind it into breadcrumbs that you can store in a jar

BONUS:

Top unhealthy ingredients to avoid in store-bought foods.

Did you know that approximately 80% of the “foods” you find on supermarket shelves today did not exist 100 years ago? They shouldn't even be called foods because they don't nourish and even make us sick. We are made to eat real food and here is a list of the worst fake ingredients that are harmful and dangerous to your health, so please avoid them:

1. Preservatives, for example: TBHQ (causes tinnitus, nausea, vomiting); Polysorbates 60, 65 and 80 (cause infertility, suppress the immune system, anaphylaxis); BHT/BHA (liver and kidney problems, BHA increases the risk of developing cancer); Sodium benzoate (allergic reactions, increases the risk of developing cancer); Sulphites (allergic reactions, especially for asthmatics).
2. Artificial sweeteners. One of them, aspartame, affects the nervous system and causes side effects such as headache, dizziness, memory loss and convulsions. Another, sucralose, reduces good bacteria in the intestines.
3. Artificial flavors. This term refers to more than 100 possible chemical additives with side effects such as allergic and behavioral reactions.
4. Artificial dyes. Side effects include allergies, sinus congestion, hyperactivity in children, worsening symptoms of ADD and ADHD.
5. Monosodium glutamate (MSG). Side effects include chest pain, palpitations, headaches and stimulation of the taste buds that make you eat more.
6. Acrylamide. (increases the risk of cancer). In America this must be stated on the packaging, but in the Netherlands this is not mandatory. Fries and chips contain the highest concentrations of acrylamide.
7. Trans fats. Side effects include heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
8. High fructose corn syrup. Side effects include obesity, insulin resistance, increased belly fat and heart disease.

Do you have questions? Contact me? I would like to help you. Lots of love!

Monika