Creating nutritious meals three times a day can get expensive, we all know that. And the more fresh ingredients you buy to use, the easier it is for you to run out of time to use them. That means when we’re faced with a tight schedule, a low bank balance, and a long shopping list, we cut corners wherever we can. 

However, you still need to eat well and fill yourself up with good food! But when it comes to creating healthy meals on a budget, do you have an uphill battle ahead? Not in our opinion; here are some tips for regular healthy eating when you’ve got limited funds. 

Use Easy Ingredients

Easy ingredients are items you can find anywhere and everywhere, on supermarket shelves no matter where you go. They’re also items that tend to be quick to cook; you can roast, steam, or boil them in a matter of a half an hour or an hour at most. 

Ingredients like these are easy to use up, thanks to how accessible and versatile they are. That means they won’t sit in the fridge or the cupboard and go to waste, and can then be easily frozen if you want to store any excess for later on. 

Mix Up Some Tasty Sauces

Even if you cook plain, more bland side food, you can mix up various sauces to take your plate to the next level. A plain, lettuce and onion heavy salad? Turn it into a big mac salad with the right dressing! A plate of sliced chicken and sweet potato fries? Dip them both into honey mustard or aioli you made 5 minutes earlier! 

Healthy eating is a lot easier to do when you buy low for the actual meal, and then whip up something delicious with just a couple things you’ve already got in the cupboard. 

Pack Your Plates

Packing your plate means putting as many of the food groups on it as possible, especially vegetables packed with vitamins and minerals. And these meals don’t have to ‘tie together’ particularly well – you’re not serving it up in a restaurant! 

You just want to eat healthily at home, and that means putting carrots, celery, broccoli, peppers, and a sauce pot in the middle. The kids will certainly love the relaxed yet nutritionally rich meals put in front of them. 

Make a Meal Last a Week

Buying and cooking in bulk is always a good idea, as you can then freeze at least half of what you’ve prepared to eat later on. Cook a big meal, one that you could separate into at least five portions. 

Then eat one, put one in the fridge for tomorrow, and then freeze the rest. Cycle the meals like this in and out as the week goes on, mix them with other pre-prepared meals to make sure you don’t get bored of what you’re eating either. 

So, healthy eating on a budget? Totally doable with a bit of effort!