Have you ever felt that you don’t have enough time to make healthy choices regularly? Does the thought of coming home at the end of the day, just to have to figure out what to make for dinner, and then actually make it, overwhelm you? Do you think that eating healthy will cost more money? Then this is the post for you!
If you have the desire to eat healthily, but don’t want to spend extra time, money or energy to do it, read on for my quick saving, budget-friendly tips that won’t leave you a slave to your kitchen. And, you will feel better and have more energy to do the things that you actually want to be doing.
I Don’t Have Enough Time
Imagine coming home at the end of the day, opening your fridge, and already knowing what you are going to make. Imagine that you already have your ingredients pre-prepared, so that your food can be on the table in minutes. This is what can happen if you spend time on your weekend meal planning/prepping.
Spending an hour or two on the weekend can give you that time back during the week, and bring that dream of “weekday meals in minutes” to life. And, it prevents us from falling into the trap of grabbing something unhealthy (that we all know can’t be exercised away).
Meal planning is the best way to work healthy eating into your lifestyle. Imagine a life without mid-afternoon cravings taking over because you pre-planned your meals and snacks ahead of time! If you want some help, contact me about my meal planning service that makes eating healthy simple, fun and affordable.
This meal plan includes dinner recipes that can all be prepped in 20 minutes or less.
Healthy Eating Is Expensive
If you’re meal planning and have your ingredients on hand, making your own meals is far less expensive than you might think. Take-out? More expensive. Ready-made meals? More expensive. Treats by the cash register? More expensive. And all are less healthy than what you would make yourself.
“If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it.”
Filling your fridge with what you want to eat is key because if you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it. This is also one of the keys to saving money … eat what you buy. Half of the food wasted in Canada is food wasted in the home (yes, that’s us) costing us $15 billion each year. And, if you want to save further try:
- Buying produce in season (at farmers markets) or flash frozen.
- Buying grass-fed/wild/pastured meats on sale and freeze until ready to use. Also, buy whole chickens and use the bones for a second meal of bone broth.
- Ordering nuts and seeds in bulk.
- Using eggs, quinoa and legumes for budget-friendly protein sources.
- Using the dirty dozen list to prioritize your organic purchases.
- Growing your own garden. Start with winter-hardy produce that will last season to season so you are not re-planting each year. Asparagus, green onion, garlic, rhubarb, chives, mint, parsley, and thyme are good ones.
I’m Not a Good Cook
Healthy recipes do not have to be elaborate or time-consuming. Most dinners can be prepped and cooked inside of 30 – 40 minutes. That’s the same amount of time it takes to order takeout or go out and grab something ready-made. And with weekend meal planning and prepping, weekdays meals can be ready with a little assembly and warming.
Use this guide to get started with meal planning and batch cooking. It’s full of healthy foods that taste delicious and are easy to prepare.
