Ten Tips for a Healthy Diet on a Budget

Tip One: Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

If you don't plan, you'll find yourself going to the store several times a week and spending far more than you intended, or eating out a lot (neither health nor budget friendly) or throwing away that good food you bought "with the best intentions" at the beginning of the week that became soft, flabby and completely unappealilng by the end of the week. (Yes, I've been there with you)

Tip Two: Plan balanced menus for meals

A simple rule to remember is the rule of three:

Make sure each meal includes a protein, a carbohydrate (the healthy ones, please!), and a vegetable (or multiple vegetables) or fruit. Add dairy or calcium fortified soy milk as appropriate for your age (children, teens and women over 50 get 3 servings a day; everybody else gets 2), and fats (again, the good ones!) in very limited quantities. Keep sugar use to a minimum ... and that means HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) found in most processed, boxed and packaged foods as well.

Tip Three: Make meat or fish the supporting, not starring, role

To stay within a budget, soups, stews and casseroles become your very best choices. You can put a lot of bean, legume and grain foods into those and meat (which is the most expensive grocery purchase) takes a backseat, not a starring role. And yes, it is still possible to lose weight eating foods that are heavy on the grains or the beans. The key there is portion control and mindful eating... and it's not that hard, because it's far easiser to stop with a cup of filling, fiber-rich stew than one that isn't.

Tip Four: "Carbs" aren't all bad guys

It's important to serve whole grains versus refined processed grains (whole wheat pasta versus regular pasta, brown rice versus white rice, for example) because you get more nutrition bang for your buck, and they are more filling due to the fiber (AND the water they are cooked in and continue to hold). Don't be fooled by all the breads, crackers, and yes, even cookies and cereals out there that say "made from whole grains". That's just marketing. Check the fiber AND the FULL ingredients lists (you know, the stuff in the really small type on a label) for yourself. After all, even birthday cake started as a whole grain! It could truthfully be said it was "made from whole grains" .... but do you really think it provides as much nutrition as brown rice or bulgur?

Tip Five: Be smart about fruits and veggies

Tip Six: Spice Up Your Life Without Breaking the Bank

Tip Seven: Dairy products and you

Okay, I know not everybody does dairy, and that's ok. For those that do, here are my tips for dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)

Tip Eight: Snacks and beverages

When you are eating healthfully and watching your weight, snacks become really important. Did you know that most extra calories are taken in with snacks?

Tip Nine: Ditch the "Diet" Foods

There is an entire megamillion dollar food business built around selling you special "diet" foods that the marketing departments work overtime to make you think you need.

Tip Ten: Alternatives to the Grocery Store

I've referred to some of these already, but I'll list them all here for you. Your money will go farther and you will often find fresher and more health- and diet-friendly choices outside of your local grocery store.