Food, while it is a necessity for life, can be expensive. Those who have tried to diet before may have found that it’s just costly to buy healthy foods, especially if they’re trying to purchase healthy processed foods. However, eating healthy doesn’t have to be out of reach and doesn’t need to be expensive. Those who want to eat healthier while saving money may want to consider a plant-based diet.
Consider Plant-Based Diets
Plant-based diets discourage processed foods, which can seem to be more expensive. However, they do tend to be far healthier than other diets and can be less expensive when they’re done right. In fact, with a plant-based diet, it’s possible to purchase organic fruits and vegetables even while sticking with a budget. Money is saved by not buying processed food that isn’t as filling and on meats that can be more costly to purchase, depending on the type of meat and how many people it needs to feed. While organic food may seem expensive, with a plant-based diet, it is possible to purchase organic fruits and vegetables and eat a healthy, filling diet for less.
Does That Mean No Meat? No Pasta?
A plant-based diet limits meats, pasta, and other foods, but doesn’t require eliminating them. Instead of the rice, pasta, or meat being the main part of the meal, it’s a much smaller portion, and the plate includes more vegetables. The main idea is to cut out processed foods and, instead, eat more vegetables. Since vegetables are very filling, they can be the focus of the diet and provide all of the health benefits sought. Most people who switch to a plant-based diet find they not only end up saving money on their groceries, but they end up eating less overall because they feel full faster.
Organic Products will be Within the Budget
Organic foods are known for being more expensive, which many people believe means they’re out of the budget. With a plant-based diet, expensive processed foods are removed, so they don’t take up as much of the budget. Plus, meat is less of a focus on the plate, which means cuts of meat can be split across multiple days, so it’s not necessary to spend as much money on meats. When the right organic foods are purchased, it’s much more affordable. This means it’s possible for people to purchase organic foods with their budget and have everything they need to eat healthily and feel full after each meal.
Time Fruit and Vegetable Purchases Carefully
One way to save money and be able to afford organic food on a budget is to time fruit and vegetable purchases carefully. When fruits and vegetables are in season, they’re a lot less expensive. There are usually plenty of options for any season, and freezing, or other types of proper storage can help foods last into the next season, so it’s possible to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.
During the winter, foods in season include chestnuts, lemons, kale, radishes, and turnips. In the spring, foods include avocado, mango, artichoke, carrots, chives, fennel, and many types of greens. During the summer, seasonal fruits and vegetables include berries, peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, and green beans. For the fall, foods include apples, grapes, squash, garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and swiss chard.
Suggestions for Filling Foods to Buy
When sticking with a plant-based diet, more money can be saved by sticking with foods that are more filling. The more filling the food is, the longer someone will feel full. This means that they’re going to end up eating less, which helps save money, while still ensuring they get all of the nutrients they need. Some of the foods that are known for being fulling and that full feeling lasting longer include artichoke, bananas, apples, cauliflowers, carrots, and avocados. Potatoes are another fantastic option. They are incredibly filling, and they’re inexpensive, even when organic potatoes are purchased.
Saving money and eating healthy don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, it is possible to eat healthy on a budget – and to afford organic fruits and vegetables even when you’re trying to save as much as possible on grocery bills. To start saving money and eating as healthy as possible, look into the plant-based diets. These diets don’t cut out other types of food but, rather, encourage less processed foods and more vegetables. When done right, you can eat healthily, you can eat organic, and you can stick with your budget.